Mount Maunganui

Mount Maunganui is located atop a sand bar that connects Mauao to the mainland, a geographical formation known as a tombolo. Because of this formation, the residents of Mount Maunganui have both a harbour beach (Pilot Bay) and an ocean beach with great surf, within a short distance. At the base of Mauao, the distance between the harbour and ocean side is a couple of blocks.

The ocean beach has Mauao or Mount Maunganui at its western end, and a man made land bridge connecting Moturiki Island at its eastern end.{{cite web |url=http://ourcity.tauranga.govt.nz/heritage/legends/ |title= Legends - Tauranga City|website=ourcity.tauranga.govt.nz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223172936/http://ourcity.tauranga.govt.nz/heritage/legends/ |archive-date=23 February 2006}}{{cite web|title=Sightseeing|url= http://www.oceanside.co.nz/Area-Information/Sightseeing_IDL=1_IDT=251_ID=1310_.html |publisher=Oceanside Resort & Twin Towers|access-date=22 October 2011}}

Adjacent to Mount Maunganui on its south-eastern edge (from Sandhurst Drive onwards) is Papamoa Beach, another very large suburb of Tauranga. Papamoa Beach has a slightly larger population than Mount Maunganui, but doesn't have as many businesses as Mount Maunganui. Both suburbs are distinctly geographically separate from the rest of Tauranga by the Tauranga Harbour; two bridges (SH2 and SH29) and the winding Welcome Bay Road are the only connections by land to the central business district.

Mauao (The Mount) is a large lava dome which rises above the town. According to Maori legend, this hill was a pononga [slave] to a mountain called Otanewainuku.{{cite web|url=http://www.aatravel.co.nz/101-must-dos-for-kiwis/Mount-Maunganui-Mauao.html|title=Mount Maunganui: Mauao|publisher=AA Travel}} The conical headland which gives the town its name is {{convert|232|m|ft}} in height, and dominates the mostly flat surrounding countryside. It was formerly a Māori pā, and the remains of trenches can be seen in the ridges, as well as ancient shell middens. Today, it is open to the public year-round, and is a popular place to either walk around, or climb up. From the summit, a good stretch of coastline can be seen in either direction, as well as the Kaimai Range to the west.

Mount Maunganui covers {{Convert|9.88|km2||abbr=on}}{{Cite web|title=ArcGIS Web Application|url=https://statsnz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6f49867abe464f86ac7526552fe19787| access-date=16 December 2022|website=statsnz.maps.arcgis.com}} and had an estimated population of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Mount Maunganui North|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Mount Maunganui South|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Mount Maunganui Central|y}}|R}}|0}} as of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|({{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Mount Maunganui North|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Mount Maunganui South|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Mount Maunganui Central|y}}|R}})/9.88|0}} people per km².

{{Historical populations|2006|5,334|2013|5,814|2018|6,510|percentages=pagr|align=left|source=}}

File:Mount Maunganui 25.jpg

Mount Maunganui had a population of 6,510 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 696 people (12.0%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,176 people (22.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,724 households, comprising 3,264 males and 3,249 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female, with 918 people (14.1%) aged under 15 years, 1,332 (20.5%) aged 15 to 29, 3,153 (48.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,101 (16.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.2% European/Pākehā, 13.3% Māori, 1.4% Pacific peoples, 3.2% Asian, and 3.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 20.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.8% had no religion, 32.1% were Christian, 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.6% were Buddhist and 1.8% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,584 (28.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 675 (12.1%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,449 people (25.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,090 (55.3%) people were employed full-time, 837 (15.0%) were part-time, and 141 (2.5%) were unemployed.{{NZ census 2018|Mount Maunganui North (192800), Mount Maunganui South (193700) and Mount Maunganui Central (193900)}}

Mount Maunganui was politically independent of Tauranga until the 1989 local government reforms.

In 1974, Bob Owens was mayor of both Mount Maunganui and Tauranga, a unique situation in local government in New Zealand. Owens favoured joining of the two municipalities. The election of 1974 was fought on this issue and Owens was defeated in the polls in Mount Maunganui with a landslide victory to Louis Kelvin O'Hara, at that time the youngest person elected mayor in New Zealand,{{Cite news |title=Mayor of Mount at 26 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=14 October 1974 |page=1 }} who challenged him with the catch cry "why share a mayor?"

File:View of Mount Maunganui ATLIB 353595.png

Mount Maunganui was known colloquially as Maunganui until 1907; during the application process to formally name the area when the first subdivision of land was carried out, Maunganui was dismissed as being too similar to several other towns' names. One of the early settlers, J.C. Adams,{{cite web |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=BOPT19120508.2.33.1 |title=Rakataura |first=C |last=Adams |work=Bay of Plenty Times |date=8 May 1912 |access-date=20 July 2012}} then suggested three alternative names, which were Te Maire, Tamure (the Māori name for Snapper), and Rakataura, with the latter name selected by the Survey Department. The official name Rakataura never came into common use, as Maunganui had long been the unofficial name of the area.{{cite web|last=Rorke|first=Jinty|title=Western Bay of Plenty Street Names|url=http://econtent.tauranga.govt.nz/data/libraries/files/local_hist/western_bay_street_names.pdf|publisher=Tauranga City Libraries|access-date=2 November 2012|page=18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203011732/http://econtent.tauranga.govt.nz/data/libraries/files/local_hist/western_bay_street_names.pdf|archive-date=3 February 2014|url-status=dead}} The name Mount Maunganui originated as a rebranding by early developers, who succeeded in changing the official name of the town from Rakataura. The current name is an example of a tautological place name, maunga being a Māori term for mountain (nui means "big").

Mount Maunganui fought fiercely and successfully during the 1950s to retain independence from Tauranga, then failed with the completion of the harbour bridge in 1988.

The former Mount Maunganui Borough Council set records in New Zealand as having never had a deficit in its history, something which Tauranga City Council has never achieved. Critics say the town was built by leveraging the commercial and industrial ratepayers, but Mount Maunganui was a forerunner in some areas and applied the user pays philosophy before it was common in New Zealand.

Anne Speir was the first female professional lifeguard at the beach. She later became a television producer.{{Cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10813466|title=Drugs charges for past TVNZ editor|date=2012-06-16|work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=2018-04-13|language=en-NZ|issn=1170-0777}}

The original house of early settler J.C. Adams, the first home built at Mount Maunganui, still stands at 4 Adams Avenue. The 1906 house is registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category II historic building.{{NZHPT|4570|J C Adams Cottage|2 November 2012}}

The local Whareroa Marae and Rauru ki Tahi meeting house is a meeting place for the Ngāi Te Rangi hapū of Ngāti Kuku and Ngāi Tukairangi.{{cite web|title=Te Kāhui Māngai directory|url= http://www.tkm.govt.nz/ |website=tkm.govt.nz|publisher=Te Puni Kōkiri}}{{cite web |title=Māori Maps |url=https://maorimaps.com/map |website=maorimaps.com |publisher=Te Potiki National Trust}}

Image:Mt Maunganui summit.jpg)]]

Image:Mount Manganui.jpg

Image:Mt Manganui view.jpg

Mount Maunganui is regarded by many to be a coastal resort town, although Port of Tauranga, a major facility, is also partly located on the western (harbour) side. It is also well known for the quality of its surfing conditions, though parts of the beach are notoriously dangerous. The harbour bridge was opened in 1988,[http://www.ipenz.org.nz/heritage/itemdetail.cfm?itemid=115 Harbour Bridge Heritage] linking Mount Maunganui with Tauranga. The construction of a duplication bridge was completed in December 2009, forming a vital link in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui's growing motorway system.

A large container terminal and overseas wharf is located at Mount Maunganui. A branch railway from the East Coast Main Trunk railway runs between the Te Maunga and northern parts of the suburb.

Mount Maunganui also features the popular Bayfair Shopping Centre. The centre is one of the largest in the North Island outside Auckland and Wellington.

Mount Maunganui is a popular New Years destination, with over 20,000 people frequenting the suburb over the New Years period. Many festivities take place on and around the main beach in the north of the suburb.

As part of the Port of Tauranga is located in Mount Maunganui, there are many cruise ship visits annually to the suburb.

File:Ariel view of ASB Stadium and ASB Arena.jpg]]

The suburb is home to the cricket ground Bay Oval, which held the 2018 ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup final on 3 February 2018 as well as international cricket matches.

Every year Mount Maunganui hosts the Northern Regional Surf Championships (NRC's), and other events such as the NZ Under 14 Ocean Athlete Championships, the Pro Volleyball Tour and The Port of Tauranga Half Ironman triathlon.

New Zealand's first artificial reef was installed at the Mount.[http://www.mountreef.co.nz MountReef.co.nz] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228120850/http://www.mountreef.co.nz/ |date=28 December 2010 }} Construction of the reef was hampered by lack of funds and ironically, too many waves.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10354122 |title=Mount reef builders battle big swells |author=Rowan, Juliet |date=8 November 2005 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=26 October 2011}} Initially the public was told the reef would cost about $500k,{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3507948 |title=Artificial surf reef needs wave of cash |author=Macbrayne, Rosaleen |date=18 June 2003 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=26 October 2011}} but costs escalated to $800k.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3555770 |title=Mount missing the wave with artificial reef project |author=Macbrayne, Rosaleen |date=20 March 2004 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=26 October 2011}}{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10402787 |title=Surf's up at the Mount – almost |author=Rowan, Juliet |date=25 September 2006 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=26 October 2011}} Media reported that local surfers are disappointed with the waves produced by the reef.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10425115 |title=Artificial reef fails to win surfers' approval |author=Ford, Joel |date=22 February 2007 |agency=Bay of Plenty Times |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=26 October 2011}} The reef has also been blamed for creating rips and has now been removed.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10362225 |title=Reef at Mt Maunganui a headache for lifeguards |author=Rowan, Juliet |date=3 January 2006 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=26 October 2011}}

Image:MountMaunganui Panorama.jpg

File:Mauao-Mt-Maunganui-by-night-with-milkyway.jpg

File:Mount Maunganui Main Beach.jpg

File:Mount Maunganui Beach 2.jpg

The climate is mild subtropic:[http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/93186.html/ Local weather stations]

• Summer = 20 °C / 30 °C (Jan/Feb)
• Winter = 10 °C / 15 °C (Jun/Jul)
• Frosts avg/yr = 12 (-1 °C −2 °C)
• Rainfall = 1280mm/yr avg
• Sunshine = min. 2200hrs/yr
• Beach temp. avg:
• Summer = 21 °C
• Winter = 14 °C

Mount Maunganui Primary School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,{{cite web |title=Official School Website |url=http://www.mtprimary.school.nz |website=mtprimary.school.nz}}{{cite web |title=Ministry of Education School Profile |url=https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/profile?school=1838 |website=educationcounts.govt.nz |publisher=Ministry of Education}} with a roll of {{NZ school roll data|1838|y}} as of {{NZ school roll data|||y|}}.{{cite web |title=Education Review Office Report |url=http://www.ero.govt.nz/report-view?id=1838 |website=ero.govt.nz |publisher=Education Review Office}}

Several schools are located in the suburbs of Omanu and Arataki, including Mount Maunganui College and Mount Maunganui Intermediate.

• James Ashcroft{{Cite news |last=White |first=Mike |date=9 February 2025 |title=Kiwi to direct Robert De Niro in Netflix thriller; chosen by Stephen King to film new novella |url=https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360571499/kiwi-direct-robert-de-niro-netflix-thriller-chosen-stephen-king-film-new-novella |access-date=3 April 2025 |work=Sunday Star-Times}}
• Simon Bridges{{Cite web |date=3 April 2012 |title=SunLive - Bridges: youngest Executive member - The Bay's News First |url=https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/23767-bridges-youngest-executive-member.html |access-date=18 April 2025 |website=SunLive |language=en}}
• Tom Furniss{{Cite news |title=Child jumping film wins 48-hour film challenge |url=http://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/media/2011/07child-jumping-film-wins-48-hour-film-challenge.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713155354/http://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/media/2011/07child-jumping-film-wins-48-hour-film-challenge.shtml |archive-date=13 July 2011 |access-date=18 April 2025 |work=University of Waikato}}

• Mauao (Mount Maunganui)

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061213083245/http://www.mount-maunganui.co.nz/ Mount Maunganui tourism website]

{{Tauranga}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|-37.659757|176.214844|region:NZ|display=title}}

Maunganui, Mount

Category:Surfing locations in New Zealand

Category:Suburbs of Tauranga

Category:Tombolos

Category:Tourist attractions in the Bay of Plenty Region

Category:Landforms of the Bay of Plenty Region

Category:Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region

Category:Beaches of the Bay of Plenty Region

Category:Populated places around the Tauranga Harbour