Raglan is famous for its surfing beaches and the longest surf wave ever recorded featured in a 1960s cult surfing movie. So much so that Raglan has hung its hat on this fact and most of the hostels in the area keep a copy of the movie on site for you to watch.
Neither Mrs D or myself are surfers which may come as a surprise to some but we just came here to look at the west coast and Raglan. Now then, this is the first hostel we have been to where we did not fit in and it was not because we were old buggers either. We just didn’t surf, understand this new language of surf pikes and breaks, nor did we care what time the tide came in (which was actually a good time as all the surfers had cleared off out to surf!!”) We should have guessed actually when we were signed in and he said “oh, we don’t get many Brits here!” Obviously not many Brits surf either.
The hosteliers all ate, drank and slept all things surf. Well I’m sorry but it’s boring! Even the young hostel manager was the same, all he was interested in was a) the surf & b) all the surfing girlies parading around in their bikinis in front of the male “surfing dudes.” Whilst I’m on a roll what is it with the youth and this other Americanism “like.” Just how many ‘likes’ can you fit into one sentence, it seemed to be a competition here as every 4th word was “like” it drives me nuts. ‘Basically’ was bad enough in the UK but this is worse.
Anyway, the hostel was nicely laid out the facilities were good our room was good and looked out over the bay (so we could keep on eye on the tide and report in.) Raglan itself is a pretty town set in a large bay leading out into the Tasman Sea and the “big surf, dudes.”
We had a lovely walk along the beach on our first day and borrowed a couple of bikes and went cycling the second to see – yes you guessed – the surfers in action. No, no, not that, out at sea. It was a beautiful day, scenery was good and the surfers to be fair were pretty good at their chosen sport.
On the way back we saw a shed load of guys kiteboarding the waves, never seen so many at one time and most impressive too. We didn’t meet any people of note here as no one spoke to us (apart from Suz, she was OK the co-owner of the place.) After an evening wander around town we dined and couldn’t wait to leave the following morning heading off to Thames via a Kiwi house. Or should I say in the spirit of things – “we were like fed up man and like ready to move on because it was so like you know unfriendly here. So the following day we like checked the surf times man, checked out and like cleared off sharpish as we just weren’t interested dudes!” Until next time…….
Pix are from top left – footpath sign at Raglan airport, Raglan, a feathered friend, 2 of the surf and surfing dudes, the kiteboarders and the view from our room.
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