I know what you are thinking. Evie, you finally got out of the house and have something to contribute that isn’t a recipe! You bet. This year, I have had the adventurous ability of a snail and have neglected my ambitions to explore more of the country. Well, you will be happy to hear that I have some more pretty beaches for you to see and sights to admire vicariously through this post, but first a little back story…
Initially, my boyfriend Scott and I were planning this big, romantic road trip to Queenstown in the South Island until we sadly realised that as our holidays coincided with those of the school holidays and peak skiing season, the trip was going to be waaaaaaaaaay out of our budget. In this situation we were left with our pick of the North Island. I will be honest, being sitting ducks in the North Island of New Zealand in the middle of winter is not the best option for what was originally a beautiful setting. However, we had to make the best of a bad situation.
We started looking at places we could stay on airbnb.com which is actually the best little website for accommodation. Very affordable and very easy to use, Airbnb led us to the little place we found just outside of Raglan. Now, Raglan is actually the ideal summer surf spot, but us being us decided that we would go in the middle of winter. I am making it sound disastrous but my mindset in this situation was to remember the purpose of the trip: romance. What isn’t romantic about being inside when it is raining cats and dogs outside? Yeah, I hacked it guys.
Anyway, I do not regret our decision. We drove up from Wellington, managing to get as lost as one possibly could, driving up known gravel roads, cruising between landslides and sheer cliff-edges, picking rocks off the road in order to clear our path, finally accepting that we had in fact missed the turning to State Highway 4 and were more lost than I think both of us had been in our entire lives. Nevertheless, perseverance paid off and we finally found SH 4, a glistening beacon of hope by that point. I can honestly say I had never been happier to see a tarmac road.
After this debacle and we were back on track after an hour of off-road madness, the tip of Mt Ruapehu and the beginnings of Tongariro National Park. Progress had being made.
When we finally reached our destination, the sun had set and we were both ready to climb into bed. We rented out a little outhouse in Waitetuna, a little countryside village outside of Raglan. The heating had been left on and I immediately went into cosy mode. The next morning, I saw something I hadn’t seen in a long time. A misty morning countryside scene. I was used to it in the winter months back in England, but I can’t say I have ever seen it here. I sat on the bench outside the guesthouse and watched the world go by with my coffee warming up my body. It was no 5-star resort and the view to many people may have seemed boring, but to me it was nostalgic and refreshing. The true New Zealand, if you like.
Bridal Veil Falls
Our first must-do for Raglan was Bridal Veil Falls. I have visited a lot of waterfalls around the country but none quite like this. The 55m waterfall flew down over layers of basalt rocks which had been intricately formed in a lava flow approximately 2 million years ago. The falls delve into a deep pool surrounding by an amphitheatre created by years of fallen sandstone. From the lowest viewing deck, the view is quite spectacular.
There are three viewpoints from which you can gaze at the falls, the top platform sits right above the waterfall, and as you look down you really take in quite how tall 55m really is. From the central viewing point, hidden among the bush, giving this fresh and natural feeling to the whole experience. Then, climbing down another few flights of stairs you reach the bottom viewing platform. From here you learn about how the rocks were formed and some information about the falls. You also get see the waterfall in all of its glory, it is quite spectacular.
Ngarunui Beach
Our major beach experience was here at Ngarunui Beach, which stretches kilometres from the hub of Raglan town. Scott and I parked up at the opposite end of the beach and decided that we would walk to the town to buy some food for dinner. However, I didn’t quite find out how far we had walked before I realised we had to walk back to the car. It turned out that we had walked about 12km down the beach and back through the scenic tracks.
The scenic tracks brought more interesting events than expected however. On our way back from Raglan, food supplies in hand, we stumble across a field of cows. The track we were following led us straight through said field and across to the beach. Simple enough, right? Not quite. Halfway through crossing the field I notice one of the cows approaching us. I quickened my pace a little and next thing I know, Scott and I turn to see the cow running towards us, bucking and charging. Before I knew it I had dived through the wire fence as the cow slowed its pace, victorious. My heart was jumping out of my chest at that point. All very amusing.
The rest of our trip was spent inside, with a powerful rainstorm pushing through the Waikato on our third day there, we enjoyed a day inside. Sad to say, it wasn’t the typical Raglan experience but it goes to show that you can enjoy anywhere in any season. I intend to go back in summer and show you guys what it is really all about.
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Little City Window 