Papamoa Beach Resort is located on the beautiful Papamoa beachfront in central Bay of Plenty. One of the major benefits of our location is how many options there are for day trips throughout the region. As we consider ourselves somewhat knowledgeable on Bay of Plenty travel, we wanted to share our favourite day trips from Papamoa.
For the Adventurous
Our adventure lovers will find it hard to beat Rotorua. Only an hour’s drive away, this city hosts some of New Zealand’s most thrilling and unique activities. Head over to Velocity Valley where you can find bungy jumping, a 40-metre swing, the fastest jet sprint in New Zealand, and the Southern Hemisphere’s only wind tunnel. Rotorua is also renowned for epic mountain biking tracks. After a ride, take a well-deserved relaxation break at Secret Spot Hot Tubs, which also serves food and drink delivered straight to your tub. For family-friendly activities, Skyline hosts the gondola and luge where you can race down the slopes and take in the incredible views. Skyline also has a panoramic-view restaurant which does a buffet dinner service and a delicious café style lunch. Another great option is visiting the Redwoods Forest for a stroll along the Treewalk suspension bridges and grabbing some wood-fired pizza at Eastwood Café.
For the Fantasy Fans
Also just one hour away from Papamoa is the iconic Tolkien experience, Hobbiton. Hobbiton is a great adventure for all ages and all levels of familiarity with Tolkien’s fantastical world. The movie set itself is situated amongst beautiful gardens, ponds and rolling hills. This makes it enjoyable even for those who have not seen the films or read the books. The Hobbiton Movie Set Tour takes approximately 2 hours, however, there are options for longer tours which include buffet meals. Hobbiton also hosts festivals throughout the year including International Hobbit Day. Eat your second breakfast in Tauranga or Matamata on your way there for a great day trip.
For the Beach Lovers
Papamoa Beach is one of New Zealand’s best, but Papamoa is also central to many other great beach spots. A short 15-minute drive away is Mount Maunganui, home to a beautiful beach and promenade walk. Grab an ice cream from Copenhagen Cones and spend the afternoon soaking up the sun. This beach is also one of many great spots for surfing near Papamoa. More great surf beaches include Pukehina which is half an hour away, and Maketu which is around 20 minutes. Pukehina Beach is great for beginner-level surfing and fish and chips on the beach. Maketu Beach is more suited to intermediate level surfers and features a great café overlooking the surf. Also in Maketu is Newdicks Beach, a private-access beach with punchy and powerful surf, great for experienced surfers. Whether you take the surfboard, or just go for a family outing, there are plenty of options to choose from.
We hope that we have given you some inspiration for your next adventure. With so much to do in our local area already, the many day trips from Papamoa mean the options are endless! For more ideas closer to home, check out our top things to do in Papamoa, our favourite walks and waterfalls and the area’s best parks and playgrounds.
If you’re looking for places to stay in Papamoa, book in at Papamoa Beach Resort. We are located right on the beachfront, making us an ideal holiday destination, as well as a base for memorable day trips.