15/05/2026
Watching the opening round of the WSL Surfing Championships Raglan NZ brought back a lot of great memories from my trip there in 2014.
After an epic 6 months in Australia I spent another 6 months in NZ and was blown away by how clean, relaxed and beautiful the country is.
New Zealand has incredible waves, skateparks, world class rally stages, class rugby team, great food, sparkling clean waterways, outstanding nature and jaw dropping landscapes.
The only drawback from the trip was a possessed Toyota Camry I bought for $1600. Although it was fast, spacious and reliable, it had a temperamental alarm which would go off as and when it felt like., so that was a bit like looking after a baby π πΌ
Raglan is an incredible surf town with strong Welsh connections, in the shape of Hughes Surfboards at Raglan Surf Co.
Craig Hughes shaped for Crab Island and Wave Graffiti here in Wales throughout the 70's, before returning to New Zealand with his Welsh lady Liz and reinventing the brand.
Craig sadly passed away the year before I was in New Zealand and since then Liz and their three children Luke, Nat and Ariel run the shop and have grown up to become great surfers and shapers. They all made me feel extremely welcome once they knew I was from Swansea.
Some towns in New Zealand have such an old school feel, it's like stepping back in time, and as many people say, it feels a lot like parts of Wales on times. With a bit of luck, I will be back out there again one day, but until then, I will enjoy watching the Worlds best surfers take on one of the best left handers I have ever ridden. π΄σ §σ ’σ ·σ ¬σ ³σ Ώπ³πΏπ·πππβοΈ
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