Last weekend me and my friend set off for Tauranga which is just over an hours drive from Hamilton. We saw there had been an accident earlier in the day but thought we’d be okay….2 1/2 hours later and we finally made it!
Tauranga is the 5th biggest city in New Zealand and about 10/15 minute drive from there is Mount Maunganui, a beach town. We were going to Tauranga as One Love Festival (reggae festival) was on and found a backpackers walking distance from the venue. We stayed at Loft 109 Backpackers which was in a good location but I wouldn’t stay there again. The owner didn’t seem to be a fan of actually having guests and wanted everyone out of the common area. I have stayed at a lot of hostels and the common area is normally a place of complete chill, drinking, cooking until whenever. Not here. So if you need a place to stay and don’t plan on spending any time there it would be fine. Also I think I got eaten alive overnight as there was no aircon so we had to have the window open, not been a pleasant few days wanting to scratch the skin off my arms and legs!
One Love Festival itself was great! It had a really chill environment, the toilet and drink lines were pretty much non-existent. Great weekend with great music! While pre-drinking we saw a local riding around on a horse…the sites you see!
Both mornings we had breakfast at The Med Cafe. It was so yummy! We got blueberry pancakes both days and it was super filling which is what we were after since we would be spending half the day drinking and in the sun. The staff were really friendly and the other options on the menu looked good as well.
Sunday morning we took a stroll down to Memorial Park – there was a gypsy fair on so we had a walk through there then sat under a tree to take in the view!
Monday morning we left the hostel and went to Mount Maunganui, this is my favourite beach! And first time being here since I’ve been back!
I love the feel there, it is always busy and has such a relaxed feeling about it. We went to Dixie Browns for breakfast and I got just a standard poached eggs on toast. We walked across the road and dipped our toes in the water, it was a little chilly so we got in the car and pulled into the Hot Pools. Awesome way to sweat out the alcohol and relax our bodies after insect bites and overindulging. The hot pools are right at the bottom of the mountain, there is a couple of large pools, one hotter than the other, a couple of jacuzzis and a kids paddling pool area. So something for everyone! Just remember to stay hydrated as I may have caused myself to feel a little sick that afternoon…
Until next time x
kiwiwandererblog 