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TRAVEL | focus
T H I N G S t o s e e ANd DO in the Bay After exploring so many of New Zealand’s famous places over the past two years, we felt that the focus Birthday edition would be the perfect opportunity to highlight the beauty of our own little slice of heaven, where the mag was born and where we’re so lucky to live and work. Words KSENIIA SPODYNEIKO Images ALEX SPODYNEIKO
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ith activities and landscapes as diverse as those of a big country, the Bay of Plenty is the place to be in summer. From the volcanic valleys of Rotorua to literally ‘set in stone’ haiku poems in Katikati, to breathtaking hikes up The Mount in Mt Maunganui, the Bay of Plenty offers endless possibilities for an ultimate staycation. Seriously, it was almost impossible to choose ONLY 50 of the local wonders!
MUST DO’S Mount Maunganui. Wouldn’t it be weird not to start with the place that makes it into ‘New Zealand’s top-10 most
photographed spots’ every single year? Hike up the 232m Mauao for top-notch views and that feeling of literally being at the edge of the world. White Island. New Zealand’s only active marine volcano sits 49km off the coast of Whakatāne. Accessible by boat or helicopter, this sleepy beauty is quite smelly and acidic, so you’ll thank your guide for the gas mask and lollies each visitor is given on the tour. Skyline Rotorua. This all-age and all-weather attraction has so much to offer that you can easily spend a day there! Jump on board a gondola to get to the top and storm down in one of the gravity-fueled luges, or tickle the nerves on a 13-metre free-fall and a high-speed zipline. focusmagazine.co.nz
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