New Zealand - Mount Maunganui - Tauranga - Photo postcard format Mount Maunganui - Mount Maunganui was initially known colloquially as 'Maunganui' until 1907, when the name was rejected during the application process to name the area when the first subdivision of land was carried out; it was dismissed as being too similar to other towns' names. - Mount Maunganui is located atop a sand bar that connects Mauao to the mainland, a geographical formation known as a tombolo. - The ocean beach has Mauao or Mount Maunganui at its western end, and a man made land bridge connecting Moturiki Island at its eastern end. - Adjacent to Mount Maunganui on its south-eastern edge is Papamoa Beach, another very large suburb of Tauranga. Reference: Wikipedia