New Zealand - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 341

South to Tauranga
Cape Colville, the northeastern most of the Hauraki Gulf, marks the outer limit of many
sailors' self-imposed cruising grounds; all the more room for the rest of us. Great Mercury
Island, just one day farther southeast, is an absolute stunner with its long, sandy beach and
beautiful scenery. Depending on the weather, there are several anchorages where you can
break up a trip south, including Mercury Bay, Mayor Island, and Slipper Island.
Tauranga and its sister city, Mount Maunganui, are pleasant places that attracted us for sev-
eral reasons. From there, we could rent a car to reach the best-known inland attractions of
the North Island: Rotorua, for its culture and thermal activity; Lake Taupo, for beautiful
scenery; and Tongariro National Park, for its lunar landscape. With some of lowest marina
and yard fees on the North Island, Tauranga is also a good place for boat work (see Haul-
Outs and Yard Time below).
Truly hardy sailors press on to South Island's spectacular Fiordland, but the more extreme
weather of the south confines most sailors to the north/central part of the North Island, par-
ticularly since land travel to the South Island is so easy (see Land-Based Travel below). Of
course, that only multiplies the rewards for those who do sail south.