Influential American outdoor adventure magazine Outside has published its list of the the top 10 New Zealand beaches and Manu Bay, Raglan, North Island is on the list.
One of the magazine’s writers, Nick Davidson says, “Set in a nook of the North Island’s rugged west coast, Raglan is renowned among surfers for some of the best left-handed point breaks in the world. Small wonder. Manu Bay, which featured in the 1966 surf film The Endless Summer, boasts swells that break over a distance of 1,000 feet and immaculate 10-foot-plus waves lined up like blue corduroy. This is experienced surfer territory, but you can book a three-hour lesson through Solscape ($85, including board and wetsuit). Then it’s five miles back to Raglan, New Zealand’s bohemian arts and crafts center where you can soak-in the laid-back vibe.”
Other beaches on the list are Ninety Mile Beach, Karekare Beach, in West Auckland; Hot Water Beach and New Chums Beach, both in the Coromandel; Wainui Beach, Gisborne the other North Island beaches on the list.
Four South Island beaches are on the list: Koekohe Beach near Moeraki, in North Otago; Gillespies Beach, near Hokitika, Allans Beach, Dunedin and Mosquito Bay, Abel Tasman.