Whakatane is located on the Bay of Plenty on the east coast of the North Island. Our main reason for visiting was to do a day trip from Whakatane to the White Island to see the only active marine volcano in New Zealand.
Things To Do
1) White Island Day Tour
PeeJays offers a day trip to the White Island to walk on the active volcano. The best part of the trip was the wildlife, specifically dolphins, we observed on our way to/from the island. The departure depends upon the weather (and tide) and takes 90 minutes to reach the White Island.
2) Scuba Diving
Although we are not divers, we heard that there are diving options in the area, specifically, day trips to the White Island.
3) The Strand
The Strand is the main street of the town. The street is filled with shops and restaurants. We spent a few hours browsing some of the shops trying to find some good deals, in order to replace some of our worn-out clothes.
4) Walks
See the following website for some ideas on walks around Whakatane.
Restaurant Recommendations
Poppy’s Cafe
We stopped in for a beverage and found that this cafe offers free wi-fi. (We did not observe any time or data limits, which is very rare in New Zealand.) The food looked great. We enjoyed the caffeine pick me up and being reconnected with the outside world for an hour!
Accommodation Options
Whakatane is a larger city with many accommodation options. We stayed at the Livingston Motel. It was clean, had free wifi and was a short drive from the city center.