Today we completed our first driving excursion, travelling a narrow, twisting highway with speeds posted at 100 K/H, uphill, down vale to Raglan 48 Km west of Hamilton; just to see the Ocean. I was too busy reminding Tom we were approaching sharp turns to close my eyes! Lots of one-way exit options but not the ones we would take willingly! It took us nearly an hour to exit Hamilton but that was the navigator’s fault (me!)! taking a little longer to recognize signs, landmarks and road markers! With hindsight we may have benefited from upgrading our GPS & bringing it along! Who knew the streets could be so confusing! We are not new to driving in unknown places/cities: Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Alps, etc. I managed to see Bryant Street; once would have been enough but by the 3rd time we knew we were driving in circles!
We were delighted to arrive in Raglan; a time-warped Bohemian seaside surfers’ paradise! Raglan is black sandy beaches (iron content), panoramic views of the Tasman Sea, swimmers/playing & surfers/riding the waves. What a time out! Raglan i-site supplied a town map with top things to do: leap off Te Kopua footbridge (literally); swim Ngarunui Beach, drive across the one-lane bridge to Manu Bay and Whale Bay to watch the surfers. We did a walk-a-bout to get our bearings then drove to Ngarunui Beach to enjoy our picnic lunch. It was a breathtaking view. See uploaded picture above or Google search Raglan NZ for videos/photos!
After lunch we hiked down to the beach to walk on the sand. Then drove along to Manu Bay to watch the surfers. A glorious way to spend an afternoon! Around 3:30 we decided to head back and stop at Bridal Veil Falls. A beautiful waterfall near the town of Te Mata in the Waikato district which we saw sign-posted on our drive to Raglan. We parked and walked a tree-canopied path alive with the ever-present fern leaves and bushes! There are no snakes in NZ – so I didn’t mind walking the path with sandals. A slow-moving river ran alongside the path, totally not preparing you to exit the path at the top of the falls and witness the water cascading over the edge into the pool 55 metres below. The area is well managed with great places to snap photos and see the rainbow of colour at the foot of the falls. The vegetation is lush and the colours of green varied – a magical place. Google Bridal Veil Falls NZ for videos/photos.
From there we headed back to Hamilton. The drive on the twisting roads seemed less daunting. We made it back without unplanned detours. A glass of local Chardonnay was a great reward once we got home. Sassy was pleased to see us; a little brushing was her reward!
WOW sounds great ...Shorts and sandals or long pants in the evening.
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