Cat in a bag stuns fellow trampers atop Mount Maunganui, becomes internet hit

Nearly a million trips are made to the summit of Mount Maunganui each year, but yesterday those stopping for a selfie turned the camera the other way.

An image from the popular destination posted to social media has become an instant hit after showing a young woman with a backpack - not carrying a child, but a cat.

Catherine Campbell posted the image to the Mount Maunganui Notice Board on Facebook with the caption: "It’s amazing what you see up the Mount."

She told 1 NEWS her daughter was climbing the Mount and said, "You’re not going to believe this".

The image has been viewed thousands of times and received hundreds of comments - mostly positive.

The bag looks to have breathable holes and the cat appears happy in the picture, many noted.