The waves in this picture are breaking on the right, not the left like at Manu Bay, but I'm not a surfer, so I don't really know. Looks more like Ngarunui Beach.
| Raglan. In a country of knock-your-socks off scenery, this one is at the top. |
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| Raglan is famous within the surfing world for its left-hand break. Apparently in most parts of the world, the waves break on the right side; at Raglan's Manu Bay, the waves break towards the left. This is a result of the direction of the waves and the winds from the Tasman Sea. I'm not a surfer, but the Raglan waves are reputed to be world-class. |
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| One of the books stated, "most people come to Raglan expecting to spend a day or two, and end up staying longer." Absolutely true. I thought I would stay there for perhaps one or two nights, I stayed there for four. I've come to realise that I like surfing towns. Surfers invariably congregate in beautiful surroundings, but they tend not to be big spenders. Contrast the spending necessary for surfing (buy a board & that's it - the waves are free) with the cost of skiing/snowboarding, sailing, (buy your equipment + lots of ongoing expenses for lift tickets, wharfage, etc.) So, the surfie towns tend not to be chewed up by the 'resort industry' selling time-share condos and other schemes to rip you off. The absence of this clutter results in a town that is very calm and peaceful; a few relaxed cafes, an art gallery or two, and that's about it. The surf shops sell real surfing gear, not t-shirts with logos. |
| There are two popular beaches at Raglan, Manu Bay, and Ngarunui Beach |
| Manu Bay was the locale of this: (picture is a hyperlink) |
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The waves in this picture are breaking on the right, not the left like at Manu Bay, but I'm not a surfer, so I don't really know. Looks more like Ngarunui Beach. |
| Wikipedia entry on Raglan. It's a bit sparse. Hopefully someone will embellish it. |
| A map of Raglan that I modified; it has hotspots - click on the arrowed area to jump to that page. |
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| You can always check how beautiful it is in Raglan. |
| A very nice page presents Aaron Te Whanatangi Kareopa, an artist who carves Maori imagery onto surfboard blanks. He was commissioned by Surfing New Zealand to create the trophies for the 2003 Oxbow Raglan. |
| The Holiday Park: |
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