‘If you go out surfing for the day at Raglan you get two rides; one after breakfast and one after lunch.’

So quipped Bruce Brown in his 1966 surf movie ‘The Endless Summer’ when he visited Raglan, New Zealand. Raglan boasts what is probably the longest left-hand point break on earth, and I must have watched the movie 50 times as a surf-obsessed kid. My sister and I still quote lines from it to this day. When I decided to start my trip in NZ, a visit to Raglan was a must.

Not surprisingly such a world-class surf break attracts crowds to match, but I’ve enjoyed a couple of surfs and will spend a few more days here. Clearly the chilly mornings affect some more than others – one bloke paddled out in boardshorts just on dawn while I shivered in my wetsuit. Another fella must have been feeling the cold like me as he headed out wearing a beanie. I’ve definitely never seen that before.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: ‘Ahipara is a well known surfing spot‘, Town and Country Surfboards NZ

For a guide to Raglan’s surf spots click here

Know someone who might like this post?