SURFING RAGLAN IN THE COMPANY OF ORCAS

A short very sweet getaway to Raglan with Pamela for surf, breaching orcas, unrivalled sunsets and learning what a rāhui is.

Kia ora! G'day, hey hey I'm Soph and this is the Sports Nut Soph blog. Today's journal entry is all about the first visit of 2025 to one of my favourite places in Aotearoa NZ: Raglan. But before we begin, a little disclaimer (or skip the next bit and get straight to Where: When: What).

As the name suggests, I'm mad about sports. I'm also a big fan of travelling. At some point I realised that I was travelling to certain places at certain times of the year for the purpose of doing certain sports. Mix that with being a creative *cue eye roll* taking a break from industry, I started craving a playful space to document my adventures, keep my skills in check, and keep people in the loop with goings on. So that's what this is, and it's evolving from here on out. The biggest plus would be if there's anything in what I share that gives you ideas or tips on where to go when and for what sport. That'd be RAD. Right, let's get into today's post...

Where: Raglan, Aotearoa / New Zealand

When: February / Summer

What: Surfing (Longboard / Shortboard)

Since my first visit to Raglan, about this time last year, I can't stay away. If the name rings a bell, chances are it's because it was put on the map in Bruce Brown's cult surfing documentary film, The Endless Summer (1966). You might get the impression that the best time of year to visit for surfing is between March and June, if checking a few sites including Surf-forecast. But honestly, it's consistent all year. If dreamy cruisey longboarding in a 2mm shorty suit, one piece or boardies in the summer is your jam, Raglan is a place you'll likely want to tick off if you're this way of the world. Just be aware, it can also get BIG. One particular bay here is world-renowned reserve and hosts surf comps which are, as you can imagine, incredible to watch. As it happens, I've spent the last few days riding 2-4ft peelers in beautiful 28° weather - heaps of fun with my 6'9 Anderson Fish; Pamela.

As mentioned in the title of this post, some exciting news is that orcas are around right now. When I arrived here on 1 Feb after driving down from the Coromandel, there was actually a rāhui in place, which is a "tikanga (customary practise) that prohibits access to an area, either on water, land or resources". I found this out once I'd parked up and saw someone lifting flags, and heard announcements inviting people back into the water. I'm not too sure what this rāhui was in place for, but right or wrong, I have some ideas...

Standing on the beach top a little later around 7pm, I was umming an ahhing whether or not to head in for a dip. (It's generally a good idea to avoid surfing sunrise or sunset because there's a higher chance of marine life hunting at these times). Right at that point, a huge orca jumped out of the water - a process known as breaching. It was mesmerising. I'm not sure if any of the surfers out at the time were aware of the four or five orcas in the water near them, but no-one rushed to get out. The next day a group from a different spot told me they were sharing space with a pod around 50m away. Apparently, there were a few people in the water at that time, who promoted a very calm and grateful approach towards the encounter, acknowledging the marine life, and encouraging this feeling amongst others which calmed down anyone who might've felt otherwise.

I'd hazard a guess that the rāhui had something to do with the presence of orcas and respecting their peace, especially as this has been a topic of late. Another sneaking suspicion is that it could have been linked to safety concerns over crowds and dropping in: "party waves" have seemingly become a bit of a norm. For anybody reading this who doesn't know, there is surfing etiquette to follow, to help keep everyone safe and experiences enjoyable. Across Aotearoa NZ, there are really helpful information boards dotted around surf spots to remind people of some surfing etiquette basics, including how to tell who has right of way - or right of wave. I genuinely think these boards are really cool and can't remember seeing anything like them on show in the UK, so there's a photo of one at bottom of this post. There's heaps of free information about surfing etiquette on sites like Surfline or OMBE Surf too, in case you're interested... or know someone who might be!

On a similar note, it's a bit of a thing not to give away the exact location of surf spots. Why? It's courteous and helps keep secret locals' haunts, well, secret. That's why I'll mention a region in my posts or talk about well-known area, but try to keep it general.

If you do visit, there are also a few gems to discover in this fantastic little town. Whether you're after great coffee, food or a lager post surf, Raglan's got you. There are also some awesome surf shops and boutiques to discover, as well as other outdoor adventure sports with organised trips and schools. (Who knows, maybe the next time I'm here, I'll have managed to squeeze in another sport too, especially if the surf's blown out). One more thing - the sunsets happen to be stunning.

Summer here is beautiful. I'm told it drops off at winter and becomes sleepy, as well as cooler - but maybe, just maybe, I'll have to discover this for myself. In the meantime, the sun's starting to shine again, and I hear it's pumping...

That’s a wrap on today's Sports Nut Soph blog entry, cheers heaps for stopping by. If you feel like getting social, or you're just plain curious to see a few behind-the-scenes of what I'm up to on the journeys, follow @sportsnutsoph on Instagram. You can also subscribe to my newsletter for upcoming trip itineraries, tips on where to go when for what and other exciting info... like my shop *COMING SOON* .

Until next time, ciao for now, Soph.