BEACH OF THE WEEK: Mount Maunganui main beach

Here is the reason people flock to our shores over the New Year and throughout the summer - Mount Maunganui main beach is simply breathtaking. Not only is it beautiful, but it's also right in the heart of everything that is Mount Maunganui.
It's close to shops, restaurants and cafés, the hot pools, Mauao and some amazing walks around the coast. If the beach itself wasn't enough, people with all different kinds of interests have something to do at this beach.
Mount Maunganui main beach starts at the base of Mauao and stretches out past Moturiki (Leisure Island), which juts out from the smooth curved coastline.
On this fine white sand beach, there is room for hundreds of beach-goers to lounge about, and it is watched over by lifeguards based here.
Safety prevails at the main beach and between 10am and 6pm the red and yellow flags fly. For lifeguard Tom Stillwell, who has been patrolling the beach for the past six years, the reasons for its popularity are obvious.
"It's really different to most beaches - you've got Leisure Island, you've got the Mount (Mauao)," he says.
The thousands of people that flocked to this beach were also a drawcard, he says, and one of the reasons he loved lifeguarding here.
If you want to be surrounded by people and enjoy a buzzing beach atmosphere, go no further than Mount Maunganui main beach - over the summer it becomes a hive of activity with an electric vibe.
The 231m height of Mauao towers over the beach but refrains from casting a shadow over it until late in the day. As far as backdrops go, it's one of the best. It's also home to a multitude of scenic walks - a climb to the top can take 20 minutes, or a casual stroll around it will consume half an hour or so.
The waterfront back from the beach is dotted with cafés, icecream shops and restaurants, so a quick bite to eat is never far.
In summer, Mr Whippy is a permanent fixture alongside the beach, and there are other icecream and snack stalls set up along it too.
The list of activities for those who aren't interested in lazing on the sand all day is as long as your arm. You can learn to surf at one of the surf schools that set up camp here, or go on a bungy trampoline at the sand's edge. A quick walk to Pilot Bay and you can hire and then sail a catamaran or hire and paddle a kayak. On your way back is the town's mainstreet, full of shops and cafés to while the days away.
There are numerous reasons why Mount Maunganui main beach is popular - visitors are blown away by the sight of it time and time again.
What other reason could you need?
NEED TO KNOW:
Where is Mount Maunganui Main Beach? At the end of Marine Parade underneath Mauao.
Public toilets: Just underneath the surf club at the northern end of the beach and 200m before Leisure Island at the grass verge to the south.
Parking: Along Marine Parade as far as the eye can see or down sidestreets.
Closest icecreams: There are icecream shops dotted along the waterfront, and the popular Copenhagen Cones is a short walk away opposite the Mount hotpools.
Liquor laws: Between December 26 and January 5, there is a liquor ban in place, which covers the entire beach all the way down to the roundabout at Tweed St and Oceanbeach Rd. The ban includes Mauao and Moturiki Island (Leisure Island). For the rest of the year, the ban only extends from the start of the beach to the section of the beach opposite Grove Ave. It still covers Moturiki but not Mauao.