Backpacker Hostels in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand

Mount Maunganui is a small town near Tauranga, New Zealand. Some might consider it a suburb - it’s that close - but it feels very much like a beach town, which it is. The most iconic feature in Mount Maunganui, locally known as The Mount, is “Mauao,” a conical hill that rises up near the end of town. You can walk there from town and hiking up it only takes about an hour, so its popular with tourists and locals. The view from the top is spectacular.

Mount Maunganui is about two hours from Auckland, the North Island’s major airport, and about a fifteen minute drive from Tuaranga. It’s on the backpacker trail, so you’ll either be coming from Gisborne or Rotorua through the gorge and up the coast, from the Coromandel, or from Auckland. Driving in New Zealand is easy, but there is an intercity bus that stops here. Most of the backpacker hop on hop off buses do as well.

There are quite a few hostels in Mount Maunganui, but they book up very quickly in the summer. One thing you need to watch out for in places like Mount Maunganui and other surf towns is that because the housing market is small, anyone with a job lives at a hostel for the season. You may find that if you try to get a hostel in Mount Maunganui on a weekend, they’re all booked up with “long-termers.” Luckily, because Mount Maunganui is a popular resort town for Kiwis, it also has a lot of hotels, self-catering apartments, and guesthouses. The town is small and walkable; any hostel you choose will be easy to get to and from.

The Mount is a surfer’s paradise, so if you don’t know how to hang ten, you might want to consider taking a class while you’re here. If you prefer to soak up the sun another way, you can do that too. There’s golfing, swimming, and hiking all within minutes of the city centre. Mount Maunganui also has a ton of excellent cafes and restaurants that serve everything from your morning espresso to your late night espresso martini. Relax and feel the ocean vibes in this holiday resort.