Why Raglan Is New Zealand's Coolest Tiny Surf Town
25.07.2023 - 10:41
/ matadornetwork.com
For a surfer, arriving in Raglan, New Zealand, is a revelation. You might ask yourself why you thought of New Zealand mainly as a hiking destination. Or you might wonder why Australia gets so much surf attention. Strolling through the bohemian surf town, gazing at the endless sand of Ngarunui Beach, or catching a left-hander that goes on forever at Manu Bay, you might just decide to move to Raglan.
Charlie and Erin Young did just that. They came to Raglan, located on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, for a month-long trip, planning to drive a camper van to the country’s main surf spots before returning to California. Their van ended up parked in the driveway of a friend they made on their first day, and Charlie and Erin opted to stay in Raglan — permanently. That was 21 years ago.
“We fell in love with this community,” said Charlie, whose terminology by now sounds more Kiwi than SoCal. He added, “It’s a fairybook place, really.”
Not long after that, Charlie and Erin opened the Raglan Surf School, the first surf school in New Zealand. “People thought we were mad. Raglan was a sleepy town at the time,” said Charlie.
What’s crazy is the idea that there wasn’t a surf school in Raglan before then. There are eight surf schools in Raglan now, a few of them belonging to former instructors of the Raglan Surf School. And Raglan is slowly getting the attention of surfers from around the world.
Photo: Coralie Semelle/Shutterstock
What first attracts surfers to Raglan are the waves themselves. The left-hander that seems to go on forever at Manu Bay was memorialized in “Endless Summer.” The surf spots Indicators and Whale Bay are just beyond Manu Bay; given the rocks there, though, they’re best left to experienced surfers. On big days, waves can connect all the way from Indicators to Manu Bay.
Shortboarders looking for a steep, hollow wave will be stoked at Ruapuke. Just note that, even in friendly New Zealand, locals can get a little possessive of their home break. At the other end of the spectrum, if you’re just learning to surf, there’s hardly a better place to do so than at Ngarunui Beach, with its gentle rollers and easy shoulders for when you get good enough to ride the wave down the line. You’ll find plenty of take-off spots too, so you won’t have to battle it out with other surfers.
Not only is Raglan packed with good surf spots for every experience level, but it also has waves all year. While other surf destinations around the world may depend on winter storms or summer swells, Raglan never really has a down period. As Charlie sees it, New Zealand is a “wave machine.”
“You’ve got the heat of Australia and the freezing cold of Antarctica,” explained Charlie. “When they meet, things happen.” He said