Mount Maunganui’s stunning ocean beach stretches 20 kms east to Papamoa Beach. Head south from the Mount along Papamoa Beach Road, and look for a stand of tall pine trees to locate the Papamoa Domain, where you’ll find a road leading to the beach (and limited parking).
It’s a white sands beach with variable surf breaks. There are public toilets and changing rooms and reasonably-priced Blue Biyou Restaurant is a stone’s throw away. A little further on, across the road, are shops and a small pub.