Mt Maunganui

Trip Start Oct 13, 2007
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Trip End Ongoing


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Where I stayed
Pacific View Lodge and backpackers
(Mount Maunganui hotels)

Flag of New Zealand  ,
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

After a long walk to the bus stop in Rotorua (about 20 mins with the backpack, which is getting heavier and heavier, even though I'm getting rid of stuff all the time!), we jumped on the bus heading to Mt. Maunganui.  Due to the very cheap tickets we had got, we had an hour and a half stop in Cambridge along the way, where Lauren climbed a statue, and we all had natchos in an English pub! 
Then on to Mt. Maunganui.   Arriving at 8:35, the owner of the hostel told us that the local supermarket was 9minutes away...and shut at 9pm, then proceeded to take AGES checking us in, so that we headed out for the supermarket at 8:55......we ran all the way and made it at 9:01, and luckily got let in to run up and down the aisles quickly and grab some dinner!  Then back to the hostel for a nice salady dinner, and a couple fo glasses of wine to recover from the run!!  
All I really knew about Mt. Maunganui was that it was a cool little town, with really great surf beaches, and it definatly lived up to that climbing the mount - mt maunganui
climbing the mount - mt maunganui
 !   When we woke up the next morning and headed into town, the gorgeous mount stood high about the town, which had plenty of surfy and hippyish shops and of course gorgeous and fairly empty beaches, where beautiful blue water litters the soft sands with shells....and really pretty shells too, which Lauren in particular liked!
We climbed Mt Maunganui to watch the sunset on Valentines day....us three ladies and a bottle of wine (thanks to Lauren who secretly carried it up the mountain and produced it at the top with a smile!).  
The walk to the base of the mount, was past the waterfront, which was crowded with couples all picnicing and waiting for the sun to set...so romantic! but made me miss Mark lots!  
We made it to the top a bit late for the sunset in the end (oooppss!), but still got a gorgeous view of the town at night, which was definatly worth it, and the wine produced by lauren had us giggling all the way back down to town!
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