Byron Bay without the crowds and celebrities? The Kiwis have it

We arrive at the surf town of Raglan, and it’s like we’ve landed back in the 1980s. Patrons spill out of the Harbour View Hotel, surfers with boards tucked under their arms cycle by and kids jump from the footbridge over Opotoru Inlet. There are no fast-food or fashion chains and a distinct boho vibe.

The archetypal surf town is New Zealand’s answer to Byron Bay. Byron Bay of 40 years ago that is, minus the celebrities, traffic congestion and inflated house prices.

Located two hours south-west of Auckland, Raglan (similarly to Byron) offers a thriving arts community, backpackers, good coffee and surfing. What’s said to be the world’s longest and most consistent left-hand break is found along its dramatic black-sand coastline. Manu Bay (known as The Point) featured in the 1966 cult surfing movie Endless Summer, cementing its legendary status.

We’re staying at Sisters Sanctuary overlooking the serene estuary where the sound of children playing rises from the water’s edge to greet us. Originally bought by three sisters (one of whom designed it), the luxurious three-bedroom house sits along the Rangitahi Peninsula. Plonking ourselves on the back deck with a glass of wine, we watch the tide’s ebb and flow as the sun sinks over Mount Karioi.

Rising early, we head for The Shack, named after a ramshackle abode that two local professors opened up for surfers in the 70s. The popular cafe is housed in an 1898 former general store and is Raglan’s go-to cafe. I order the Gardener – an artful dish of fresh asparagus, pickled fennel, avocado, slow-roasted tomato, whipped feta, poached eggs and chilli salsa. Good coffee is also found nearby at Raglan Roast, a hole-in-the wall cafe, while The Hut is a short stroll from where we stay.

After a dip in the harbour beneath enormous pohutukawa trees, we drive along the coast to check out the famous peeling left-hander – added to the World Surf League Championship Tour for the first time this year.

Itching to get on the water ourselves, we board Wahinemoe (meaning Sleeping Lady in Maori) for a sunset cruise on Whaingaroa Harbour. We enjoy golden fish and chips as skipper Captain Barlow Rawiri, a kaitiaki (guardian) of the harbour, points out limestone pancake stacks (or fried bread stacks as he calls them), Maori sites and seabirds. “Pet” gulls George and Mildred appear on cue when Barlow calls for them, diving for chips thrown overboard. In season, orcas are seen in the harbour, and it’s also home to little blue penguins.

The next day we veer away from the coast, joining a guided wood-fired sauna session with friendly locals at Pumula Raglan. Pumula (a Zulu word meaning “rest”) is a new earth-conscious sauna, yoga and massage studio with its own natural cold spring plunge and oversized swing. It would look right at home in Byron’s hinterland.

Owner Marilyn Cox, who previously ran Brookdale Health Hydro in South Africa, long dreamed of having her own intimate nature-based retreat. It took a shift halfway around the world and turning 50 before finding the right property with its remnant forest.

The Cox family have since planted 4000 native trees, built the sauna and studio from natural materials, harnessed sunlight for power and used sawdust from local mills in compost loos (the view from the rustic outdoor toilet is bucolic). “We were drawn to the rugged beauty of the west coast, the surf, the climate and Raglan’s earth-conscious community,” Marilyn said.

After plunging in ice-cold water straight from Mount Karioi (so clean you can drink it), I lie beneath towering pukatea trees soothed by the sound of the bubbling stream and bird song.

Surfing is what Raglan is best known for but its earthy, old-school charm is what will keep me coming back. I hope it never changes.

THE DETAILS

STAY
Sisters Sanctuary sleeps six from $NZ830 ($682) a night (minimum two-night stay). See airbnb.com/h/sisters-sanctuary

TOUR
Pumula Raglan offers guided sauna sessions $NZ30 ($25), Hatha yoga $NZ20 and 90-minute fusion massage from $NZ130. See pumularaglan.nz
A 90-minute sunset cruise costs $NZ70 for an adults plus $NZ15 for fish and chips. See raglanboatcharters.co.nz

FLY
Jetstar flies direct from Sydney to Waikato’s Hamilton Airport four times weekly. Overnight at Rydges Sydney Airport to be 181 steps from the international terminal for the 7.05am departure. Raglan is 45 kilometres west of Hamilton. See jetstar.com

The writer was a guest of Hamilton and Waikato Tourism. See waikatonz.com