With some great day trip options available in the surrounding area, having your own car makes good sense. Without one, it’d be much more difficult to soak up all that Tauranga, 25 miles away, has to offer. ASB Baypark, Mount Maunganui Beach and Tauranga Domain alone make the drive out worthwhile. Locals will also likely point you toward Thames, 30 miles away. If you only see one thing here, let it be The Treasury. (But we’d also highly recommend Goldmine Experience and Goldfields Shopping Centre.)