Bay of Plenty interesting...

In the north of New Zealand there's a beautiful bay of islands and no two islands are the same. Some are beautiful, some dangerous...

Stephen Turner
January 04, 2025

Wandering through Wikipedia… your daily dose of the weird and wonderful from the greatest website in the world!

That big bight out of the North Island of New Zealand is the Bay of Plenty, so named by Captain Cook in 1789 because of the abundant food supplies in the area. But before him, Maoris traditionally held the area as one of the first places they landed in New Zealand, so it’s something that has appealed to everyone. It is filled with islands, some beautiful, some terrifying, some private.

Bay of Plenty - an area of many contrasts that is certainly worth a visit.

Islands in the area include Mōtītī Island, entirely in private ownership (and with no public infrastructure), Moutohora Island, which is uninhabited but has some scientific access, small active volcanoes, sulphur pits and hot springs (and a Quidditch team in the Harry Potter universe!) But sadly, White Island is probably the most well-known of the islands in recent years.

But there is so much too see in the Bay of Plenty and everywhere else in New Zealand, so it is certainly worth a visit!

Did you know?

White Island, or Whakaari was the site of a devastating volcanic eruption n December 2019 that killed 22 people when an eruption occurred while tourists were nearby. Local heroes saved dozens more from the disaster.