Top 5 Things to do in Raglan

Where is Raglan?

Raglan is a small community located to the west of Hamilton and southwest of Auckland. Probably best known for the famous 'left hand break' on the surf beaches, Raglan also sports safe swimming beaches, boutique shopping, and some quality tramping tracks nearby. The people here are friendly, laid back, and proud of their town.

Map of Raglan

Did I mention laid back? Raglan is an artsy surf community full of fun people. Wondering what to do in this awesome little town? Check out my suggestions!

Surfing

Ready to Surf!

Famous for it's left hand break and consistent waves, Raglan is an amazing surf community. Situated on the west coast of New Zealand. Surfing on the Tasman sea is much warmer than the Pacific ocean on the other side of New Zealand. Water temperatures in the summer reach 20C-24C, which makes for pleasant surfing. 

The beaches of New Zealand offer some of the most consistent surfing of anywhere in New Zealand, with the break at Manu Bay famous for allowing rides of up to 2km. Any day is a good surf day in New Zealand!

There are a number of surf beaches in New Zealand:

1. Ngaranui Beach - Beach surf, consistent, great for beginner to intermediate surfers
2. Manu Bay - Famous left hand break - longest and most consistent in the world! Surf break with rocky beach and rocks in the water so best for intermediate to experienced surfers.
3. Whale Bay - surf break good for experienced surfers. Long paddle, with exposed rocks

Shopping

Surf Shops Everywhere

If you are looking for the Warehouse or McDonalds, you aren't going to find what you are looking for in Raglan. If you want boutique artisan shops, surf shops, and good food from small cafes and chip shops, then look no further!

Pedestrian friendly, the central district of Raglan has many unique shops featuring work of local artists, fun clothes, crafty gifts, and surfing gear. There are, I believe, four surf shops in Raglan, as well as custom surf and long board shops for those looking for something made especially for them. It's certainly worth spending an afternoon wandering around.

If you get tired or hungry on your shopping excursion, then look no further than the three bars, handful of cafes, or collection of other small restaurants to quench your thirst. Many of the local bars feature the BEvERages of the Good George Brewing Company, based in nearby Hamilton, NZ. Try the Old Mout Cider! It's tasty!

Beach Time

River Swimming

Fun Playground

What small town in New Zealand would be complete without the local watering hole? Lots of nearby amenities including picnic tables, toilets, change rooms, showers, a huge and awesome playground, as well as a small shop nearby with an assortment of snacks including ice cream. 

While crowded during the summer, it is almost always possible to find a spot on the soft sand and dip into the water for a quick cool off or a day in the sun. 

Ngaranui beach also features soft sand and, during the summer, a lifeguard patrolled swim area. 

Picnic facilities

Arts and Music

Raglan is an artsy town, with a high proportion of art galleries, local artisans, and festivals. 

The second Sunday of every month features the Raglan Creative Market, specializing in local crafts, art, and food. More information can be found at the following link: Raglan Market.

The YOT club is a normal stop for New Zealand musicians on National tours. The Orca, the Harbour View, the Raglan Club, and Valentes Cafe also feature live music most nights in the summer and weekend evenings year round. 

There's almost always something happening in Raglan! If there aren't any events or festivals, there are still about eight different small art galleries featuring the work of local area artists.

Tramping

Bridal Veil Falls

The Whaingaroa region, near Raglan, features a variety of walks ranging in difficulty.

The Bridal Veil falls track (I mentioned it in a previous post here), is an easy track, suitable for wheelchairs and prams up to the top of the falls. The path to the bottom of the falls is slightly more challenging, featuring approximately 200 stairs down to the base of the falls.

In Raglan itself, there is the Wharves Walk, a historical heritage trail through Raglan. More information can be found in the brochure available at the link here.

For more strenuous walks, check out the Mount Karioi tracks. These trails take around two to three hours for a fit walker and climb 756m from the carpark to the summit. There are incredible views from the top of Raglan, the coast, and the cliffs nearby. More information on these tracks is located here.

Quiet farm house near Waitetuna

Walk time?

Beautiful Driveway

For the month of January Andrew and I have the unique experience of house sitting for a family on the west coast of New Zealand, near Raglan. Our responsibilities include walking the dog to the mailbox twice a day, feeding the chickens and pigs, and watering the garden. In exchange, we get to live in an amazing location for a month!

Walking the dog

We are using the opportunity to learn how to surf, which is an awesome sport as I mentioned before in this post. Andrew has managed to find a job in Raglan as well, meaning that we have a chance to stay in this incredible area for longer.

Playing on the trapeze

The family we are house sitting for is also a circus family with some really fun equipment in their house. I am seriously jealous of their living room, which has silks, a trapeze, a Spanish web/corde lisse, and a pole, not to mention an assortment of juggling equipment. Oh, and a hammock. Their only warning was to try not to hurt ourselves.

Beautiful sunset

Their house is entirely self-sufficient. They get all of their water from a nearby spring, as well as collecting all of the rainwater in a huge tank when it rains. Their power comes solely from the sun, with a couple of massive solar panels on the roof. They also have large fruit and vegetable gardens. I have been really enjoying the access to all the fresh produce, not to mention the fresh eggs every morning from their chickens!

Fresh fruit from the garden

Cooking has been a bit of a challenge. While I have used a gas stove before, I have never had to use matches to light one! I think it took me four or five matches to get the thing lit the first couple of times. I've figured out the trick now though. The oven, on the other hand...not so much. A gas heated oven is somewhat new to me, although I have managed to cook most of our meals without burning them too badly.

I am really enjoying the very relaxed way of life. There is no television as that would take too much power from their limited supply, which means my days have been spent crocheting, painting, and writing. When we aren't surfing at least! It is very quiet here and I really enjoy waking up every morning to the sound of birds chirping, with no other sounds except the wind in the trees. It is very peaceful, although I can understand that this type of life wouldn't be for everyone. I would recommend everyone with the ability to take their time with travel to try the WWOOFing experience as it has allowed me to truly immerse myself in the location and to experience what living here is really like for the locals.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Today Andrew and I went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. The treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document and was first signed in Waitangi in 1840. It was written in both Maori and English, making an agreement between the Maori chiefs (rangatira) and the British Crown. It was meant to secure British sovereignty over New Zealand, while still allowing the local chiefs power over their land.

Treaty of Waitangi

Especially for someone who is foreign to the country, it was interesting to learn about this important piece of history. In Canada, the rights and lands of the Native Americans were largely ignored until relatively recently, whereas in New Zealand the British Crown recognized right away that it was important for the natives to maintain their lands and rights.

The first stop at the Treaty grounds is the main building, where there were copies of the treaty, an interesting video, and lots of information. We then wandered through a nice forest down to the coast where the Waka (war canoe) was. It is the largest Waka in the world! It was beautifully carved. I would love to see it in the water on Waitangi day!

We then walked up to the flag where the treaty was actually signed. There was a nice big open field where a bunch of school kids were playing a game of tag.

Roses at the Treaty House 

We then wandered around the treaty house, which was neat to see. It was pre-fabricated in Sydney, then shipped here and assembled. Talk about the ultimate Ikea assembly! I could also see quite clearly where the original house stood and then where it had things added to it over the years. The original house is now almost completely enclosed. I also took some time to admire the beautiful gardens by the house before we went into the meeting house for the cultural performance.

Waka

Waka War Canoe

Meeting House

Haka

Before we could enter Te Whare Runanga (the House of Assembly), we had to be invited in by the local tribe. This involved a challenge by the local tribe (the performers), followed by the laying down of a token of trust, which our tribe leader then had to accept. If the visiting tribe kicked the token away or refused to pick it up, then they were essentially declaring war. Thankfully our elected tribe leader picked up the token and we were allowed to enter! We then passed under the legs of the goddess into the womb of peace and tranquility (so we were told). Once inside we sat down and saw a fun cultural performance including singing, dancing, poi, weapon's demonstrations, and the famous haka. It was really cool to see!

Ladies Dance at Cultural perfomance