Mount Maunganui: Coastal Pathway and Mauao

Mount Maunganui is defined by Mauao, an iconic local landmark. The Marine Parade Coastal Pathway also makes the coastal landscape a focus of your trip: the path runs along the beach and connects Mount Hopukiore (Mount Drury) with Oceanbeach Road. However, an important restriction should factor into your plans: Mauao is fully closed to the public until further notice due to major landslides that have made the area unsafe.

Mauao and cultural interpretation

New signs and information panels at Mauao share its ecological and cultural story. This means the landmark is described not only by its role in Mount Maunganui, but also by the themes presented there. However, because it is fully closed, you should not currently plan on visiting Mauao as a publicly accessible attraction.

Another historical aspect of the area is Pā in Mount Maunganui. It is a privately owned historic place classified as Category 2. This classification distinguishes Pā as a historic place from the natural landmark Mauao and from activities along the coast. If you are interested in history and culture, you can take these aspects into account as you explore Mount Maunganui, without treating the private site as a freely accessible visitor attraction.

The Marine Parade Coastal Pathway

The Marine Parade Coastal Pathway is three kilometres long and runs along the beach between Mount Hopukiore (Mount Drury) and Oceanbeach Road. Its named endpoints and specific length give you a clear outline if you want to include the path in your travel plans. The route is designed for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair and mobility aid users, skaters, and scooter riders.

Mount Hot Pools: history and current status

The history of the Mount Hot Pools dates back to the 1950s; the pools’ seawater is heated to temperatures of 32 to 39 °C. However, the pools are currently closed due to the weather event of 21 January 2026. If you are planning a trip to Mount Maunganui, you should take this current closure into account and not plan on using the pools for swimming at this time.

When choosing a holiday rental in Mount Maunganui, it is therefore helpful to distinguish between different travel interests. The coastal path has a specified route and is designed for several modes of travel. Mauao and the Mount Hot Pools, on the other hand, are currently closed to the public or for bathing, respectively. If either of these destinations would be a deciding factor for your trip, you should take the relevant restriction into account rather than assume it will be available as an experience.

Discover more places

If you’d like to explore pages for other places as well as Mount Maunganui, here are some more destinations: Tauranga, Omokoroa, Omanawa and Ohauiti.

For the wider travel overview: Tauranga District.