A summer road trip

Summer in Kiwiland - what’s more Kiwi than the quintessential summer roadie? How did I decide on Raglan? I Googled where I could go rock climbing in the North Island, came across Raglan Rock’s website and planned my road trip from there. Simple as that, really. Turns out Raglan is just one of the many places on my ‘how come I’ve never been there’ gigantic list. Maybe, because I’d always considered it more of a surfing mecca, when really there’s so much you can do.

I booked a deluxe cabin at the Raglan Holiday Park (they didn’t have anything else available), which by the way can sleep up to three people. It has a small kitchenette, but uses share toilet and showers. The kitchenette doesn’t have hot water, but it had a fridge, electric frying pan, kettle and toaster. Definitely worth paying the extra if you don’t want to sleep in a tent and do your own cooking. The holiday park had no vacancies, no surprises really.

Rock climbing in Waitetuna

I had booked to join a rock climbing group at Raglan Rock in the afternoon, so there was plenty of time to drive over in the morning. Harry, our guide for the afternoon, was already getting the rest of the group ready with their gear when I arrived. He checked my climbing gear, sorted out payment then everyone got into the van and headed off to Waitetuna. It was a quick 20 minutes in the van and a short 10 minutes walk along the farmland towards the crags we were climbing that afternoon.

We learned that the farmland was private and only Raglan Rock were allowed to take groups to climb there. There are plenty of sport routes and boulders in varying grades, although we were mostly climbing 12 - 19 (approx. 3 - 6a+) grades. I did manage to send a grade 18 (5c/6a), and even attempted the 19, but by then my arms were pumped and all technique just went out the window.

If rock climbing isn’t your thing, Raglan Rock also offer canyoning, glow worm canyoning and caving tours. Gareth and team will sort you out!

Kayaking in Raglan

Raglan’s weather had been finicky, but the sun came out in the morning so I decided to go ahead with kayaking. The kayaking and SUP board hire company was at the jetty, just five minutes from the holiday park. Pretty handy I thought!

The tide was coming in when I set off, which meant a lot of hard paddling for the first hour. It didn’t help that the sun kept hiding behind the clouds and just added to the gloominess of the water. Thankfully the sun did come out after I landed at the first bay and stayed with me as I explored along the coast.

Raglan’s also famous for its black sand, and my feet were quickly coated ‘black’ as I walked along the beach. There were Petril nests up on the rocks and I even saw a juvenile Petril strutting around. I made sure to keep my distance and stayed away from the nests. It still had it’s fluffy feathers and looked very cute!

There were plenty of bays, rocks and little coves to explore along the coast. After the wind had died down, so did the swell and it made it easier to weave in and out of the rocks. It was pretty sheltered and didn’t need much paddling, apart from exiting the little coves or avoiding some of the rocks.

Freedom hire for kayaks and SUPs are available per hour, and I did a half-day paddle (four hours). If you prefer to go on a tour instead, you can check out Raglan Kayak’s website for more info.

Sunset walk at Ngarunui Beach

After a massive feed and a glorious afternoon nap, I headed to Ngarunui Beach to watch the sunset. It was low tide and being late in the afternoon, there weren’t many at the beach. I saw a handful of surfers but apart from that, the beach was mostly deserted. 

I walked along the rocks and explored the little caves carved out on the rocks. Who am I kidding, these weren’t small caves as you can see from the photo! After walking for about 15 minutes, I turned around there wasn’t really anything else to see apart from more rocks.

The lookout is about halfway down the track and well sign posted. The lookout is about halfway down the track and well sign posted. There were plenty of cabbage trees, flax and Pohutukawas in to enjoy as you walk down.

Chasing waterfalls

Admit it, you channelled your inner TLC and started singing those famous lyrics!

I left Raglan on a gloomy, overcast morning and headed to Bridal Veil Falls, about 20 minutes from Raglan as you head towards Hamilton. It’s a rather stunning waterfall that’s somehow stayed under the radar, and I’m glad I got to see it. If you’re in Hamilton or Raglan, definitely go for a drive to see it.

The waterfall is 55m and beautifully cascades from a basalt volcanic rock backdrop. It can be viewed from four different platforms. From the carpark, the first platform is a short five minute walk. Just follow the track and enjoy the short bush walk towards each platform. There are well formed, wooden steps, but be careful because they can be slippery when it’s wet. My favourite viewing point is at the bottom, but the second and third platform are the best angles for full shots of the waterfall. 

It’s a one way track, so you will have to walk back up the stairs. It’s not very steep and suitable for the whole family. The walk down is less than 15 minutes, a bit more of course depending on how long you stop to admire the view and take photos.

From one waterfall to another, but first a short stop at the Mangapohue Natural Bridge Walk. It’s described on DOC’s website as a ‘an impressive limestone gorge that passes underneath a 17m high natural arch.’ Like legit, there are some stunning places to see in Kiwiland if you’re up for a road trip. I’ve seen photos of this place before, but it’s definitely worth seeing it for yourself. It’s only a short walk to the arch (10 mins max), so if you want a chance to stretch your legs for the drive home, there’s a loop walk through farmland that takes you back to the carpark.

Walk out to the grass past the highest viewing platform and go right. The track is signposted and easy to follow. It takes about 10-15 mins to walk back to the carpark.

Not far from the natural bridge walk is the Piripiri Cave, it’s a short five minute walk along a track and some stairs. There are wooden stairs that takes you down to the cave, and if you’re lucky, you might be able to see some glow worms.

The icing on the cake, the pièce de résistance of this road trip has to be Marokopa Falls. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone chasing waterfalls, and I guess I’ve forgotten how mesmerizing they are. At 35m, Marokopa isn’t as high as Bridal Veil, but it sure made up for it in girth. What I loved most about Bridal Veil and Marokopa is that they’re surrounded by native bush, and the well formed tracks (and stairs) really make them accessible for everyone to enjoy.

What a road trip! Spent a lot of time in the car, but it was worth it as I saw plenty of Aotearoa / New Zealand too. I quite enjoyed chasing waterfalls on this roadie, so I think I’m going to chase some more in the Bay of Plenty Region. Anyone up for a day trip?

Photographs by Ronna Grace Funtelar | Camera: SonyA6000

fivefootronna is Ronna Grace Funtelar - a thirtyish adventurer, graphic designer and spoken word poet.
A woman with a curious mind who lives for hiking mountains, outdoor adventures and eating pizza. She has a unique brand of optimism that is a combination of her great enthusiasm for life and cups of coffee during the day.