Whitianga VS Mount Maunganui

Whitianga .vs. Mount Maunganui

Heading to NZ in about 4 weeks for a working holiday.
Which place is better to live? I terms of finding a job, things to do, other backpackers/ young pl, nightlife, and beauty...although they both looked quite nice from pictures.
I'm hoping to settle in this general area for the summer months.

Happy travels everyone.

Mount Maunganui without a doubt. It has Tauranga right there as a much larger city, has much nicer cafes and places to sit, has a way better beach, and of course the Mount itself, which is great to amble around and over and watch sunrise or sunset from.
Whitianga has a nice bay, and gorgeous scenery just a short drive away - but the drive there from Mount Maunganui would still count as short.

I would agree. Whitianga is lovely but very small. Tauranga is sizeable town, so more practical in terms of looking for work, accommodation etc. I would base myself in Tauranga and it's easy to see Mount Manganui and then also Whitianga at any time.

My lasting memory of Whitianga is that I bust my toe open climbing down to Cathedral Cove - blood everywhere, lots of pain driving home - not that that's relevant or anything

Thanks for the advice!