🇳🇿 So Close Yet So Stunning - Weekend Escape to Tauranga!

Just got back from Tauranga, and the post-trip glow is real! This sunny coastal town is basically retirement goals 🌞🏖️ 🚗 Itinerary Breakdown 1️⃣ First Stop: Blue Springs (2.5h drive from Auckland) 📍 Navigate to Blue Springs (Leslie Road entrance) – the other entrance is closed! ✔️ 1-hour return walk on the restored track (partially open). 💎 Crystal-clear turquoise waters – unreal beauty! 2️⃣ Second Stop: Omanawa Falls (46min drive) 📍 Park at Omanawa Falls Track Car Park 3 hiking options: ▪️ Route 1: Old mine ruins + lower falls view (10min) ⛏️ ▪️ Route 2: Lookout platform (20min) – STUNNING views! 🌊 ▪️ Route 3: Death stairs to the base (46min one-way… I noped out fast 😅). Knees of steel only! 🌆 Evening: Arrive in Tauranga ✔️ Check in + refuel like a champ. 3️⃣ Third Stop: Mount Maunganui 📍 Park at Pilot Bay Beach ☕ Breakfast with ocean views at a seaside café. ⛰️ 1.5hr summit loop hike – heart-shaped coastline views at the top! ❤️ 4️⃣ Fourth Stop: The Historic Village 🎨 Artsy paradise – vinyl shops, indie cinema, galleries, workshops (weaving, painting, photography). Think Tauranga’s 798 Art District! 🖌️ 5️⃣ Fifth Stop: Patrick’s Pies (Goldstar Bakery) 🥧 Award-winning pies so good they deserve their own stop. 🤤 I (a petite woman) DEVOURED TWO. Must-tries: seafood mussel & roast duck – trust me! 6️⃣ Sixth Stop: Giant Lemon & Paeroa Bottle 🍋 Scenic coastal drive towards Waihi. 🥤 Paeroa = Home of L&P (NZ’s iconic fizzy drink). 💛 Visit the Paeroa Café for an L&P bubble tea – weirdly addictive! 🌇 Return to Auckland by sunset – perfect weekend, done right! #NZTravel #WeekendVibes #TaurangaEats #HikeNZ #Wanderlust