Raglan, New Zealand 37.8014°S, 174.8718°E
I’ve never met anyone that has traveled to New Zealand and wanted to leave at the end of their trip. In addition to being one of the most naturally beautiful countries in the world, New Zealand’s abundance of outdoor activities, fun-loving people and diverse food and wine scene make it a perfect vacation destination (although the 9,000 mile flight means that you should plan on a long stay!).
The time Sarah and I spent there–one week in Queenstown, two in a van–has been a highlight of our travels, and we are only hoping we can find a way to get back sometime soon. If we do make it back, there’s one place we know for sure we’ll visit again–Raglan.
We stopped for a few days in Raglan towards the end of our campervan journey. A small coastal town on the North Island, Raglan is only two hours from Auckland, but couldn’t feel further from that city’s crowded streets. As soon as we drove onto Wainui Road, Raglan’s main drag, we knew we would love this sleepy surf town.
We had to get our van back to Auckland, so our time in Raglan was pretty limited. Even with a bit of rainy weather putting a damper on our plans, we were able to pack a lot into a two days. Here’s a few recommendations for how to enjoy all that Raglan has to offer…in just 48 hours!
SURF
Raglan might be best known for is its cameo in the 1966 movie The Endless Summer, a story about two Americans traveling around the world to find the best surf breaks. The surfing here is great, even for novices like us. We went to the massive Ngarunui Beach with rented boards from Raglan Watersports. The beach breaks were perfect for us, and save for a few other surfers, the beach was pretty much empty.
Ngarunui Beach
EAT
We had a lot of good meals in Raglan, but probably our favorite was breakfast at The Shack. I had one of the best breakfast sandwiches of my life (bacon, eggs and potatoes served on a hamburger bun), and the coffee bar was as good as it gets. If we had one more day in town we would have come back for lunch…and maybe dinner!
Outside The Shack
DRINK
The rainy weather forced us indoors more than we would have liked, but fortunately there are a lot of great spots to grab a drink in town. My favorites were the Raglan Harbour View Hotel, right in the center of town, and The Wharf Kitchen and Bar on Rose Street.
Working hard at the Raglan Harbour View Hotel
SHOP
There’s not a lot of shopping in Raglan (this isn’t a place to come for that anyways!), but you definitely need to grab a surf tee while in town. We picked up a couple from Raglan Surf Company.
Raglan on a rainy day
FLOAT
About an hour south of Raglan are the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, where you can rent tubes and float through a river 200 feet underground, marveling at the “glowworms” lighting up the inside of the cave. We used Blackwater Rafting Company, and had one of the most unique experiences of our lives!
Floating underground
More about our adventures in Raglan, and the rest of New Zealand can be found here.
