What it is
Main Beach, also named Hinekite Takutai, faces the open Pacific along the narrow neck of the Mount Maunganui peninsula. It is one of New Zealand's best-known surf beaches and is patrolled by surf lifeguards in summer, though parts of it can be dangerous in rough conditions.
Marine Parade and a strip of shops and cafés run behind the sand. At the western end, the beach meets the foot of Mauao, where the base track begins; offshore lies the small island of Moturiki. Over New Year the beach hosts large festivities that draw more than 20,000 people.
Getting there by bus
Routes 5 (Bayfair - Mt Maunganui - Tauranga City) and 21 (Mt Maunganui - Bayfair - Papamoa Plaza) stop at Adams Avenue - Maunganui Road (stop 1001), about 250 metres from the beach, and at Maunganui Road - Commons Avenue (stop 1278), about 310 metres away; either is a walk of three or four minutes.
Route 21 also runs along the beachfront, stopping at Marine Parade - Pacific Avenue (stops 2259 and 2405), about 620 metres further east along the sand.
