The kids hanging two while dad hangs 10
Raglan New Zealand: Perfect Surf and Fun for Families
Raglan Family Travel Quick Tips:
Stay at Raglan Kopua Holiday Park or Solscape (tepee themed rooms), rent a board from The Raglan Surf Emporium (very nice guys), get free WiFi from the quaint local library and grab some food from the local bakeries.
The surf spot is about a 10 minute drive up the road, just enter “Manu Bay” into Google Maps and it will take you there. There is a beginners spot on the drive to Manu Bay that is good for those looking to learn on the whitewater but not much else.
The two surf spots just past Manu Bay are for advanced surfers only. The surf works best at medium tide and has a very strong rip at low tide.
Raglan with Kids
Raglan New Zealand is a wonderfully cute and hospitable town perfect for families with small children.
We went there for Manu Bay and to find (and hopefully surf) the longest left hand break in the world.
What we found was a wonderful holiday park, with a skate park, playground and a short walk to the postcard-perfect city.
We hired a surfboard for about $19 US per day and hit the surf.
We stayed in Raglan for 3 nights but wanted to stay for 3 weeks.
Mid-week in the off-season we had the place to ourselves. We were there for the Labor Day Weekend so it was amazing to watch how this changed in the matter of a couple hours.
We stayed at the Raglan Kopua Holiday Park which is just perfect for kids.
Other accommodation options (especially if you are looking to surf) is Solscape.
They have Tepee rooms and train themed accommodations which would probably make this a big win for families and kids, but it is a car ride away from the city.
That being said, I think the skate park and running space of the Kiwi Park still makes this a better choice for families with children.
Make sure to stop by the local library, grab a brew from any of the pubs, hit the second-hand stores for some extra bedding and just walk around.
You will love Raglan and it is one of our best stops so far.
Jump into the Gap
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" - Henry David Thoreau
