MORE THAN JUST A MECCA FOR SURFERS
MYSTERIOUS RAGLAN
Raglan has always been a magical, mystical place for me. For years I’d heard people talk about this cool little town on the edge of a magnificent harbour, where you could ride some of the best waves in New Zealand by just hopping off the rocky shoreline, or climb to the summit of Karioi, a 2.4 million-year-old extinct volcano, or descend to the base of the spectacular Bridal Veil Falls.
About 10 years ago the pull of this mysterious place proved to be too strong, so I strapped a longboard to the roof rack of my Jeep and headed off for a day trip from Auckland – it’s around a two-hour drive from Auckland or just 45 minutes from Hamilton.
The last part of the drive winds through some beautiful countryside, giving you tantalising glimpses of the blue-green waters of the harbour before you finally descend into the pretty town centre.
THEN AND NOW
The area was first settled around 800 years ago and was originally known as Whaingaroa (‘long pursuit’) which refers to the Tainui waka’s long search for its destination. (The waka eventually made landfall at Kawhia Harbour, further to the south.)
The first Europeans to
