Photo of the Week: Raglan, New Zealand

This week’s Photo of the Week comes from Matt Kyhnn of BackpackingMatt.com

Raglan is an epic little surf town found about two hours south of Auckland – the characterless city of New Zealand’s North Island. It seems to exist if nothing else for the fantastic surf beaches which are found just outside of town.

Immediately after arriving in the small, beach-side town, you might begin to wonder if Raglan has escaped the 1970s. With its hippy vibe, quaint cafes, epic Saturday market, and tanned, shoeless residents wandering town, you’d be right to decide it hasn’t. Most importantly, Raglan has escaped the tourism cloud that hangs over much of Aotearoa.

Not to miss:

• Raglan Backpackers – This hostel set just on the edge of town is the spot to stay after a long day surfing or exploring Raglan. Its chilled out vibe, close proximity to Raglan’s bars and cafes, and friendly owner Suze will most likely land you in Raglan for longer than you anticipated.
• Manu Bay – Raglan is known the world around for its Manu Bay with the world’s longest left hand break. Manu Bay was featured in the 1966 film, Endless Summer. Unless you’re a keen surfer, spend your time here watching the pros while perhaps enjoying a sunset and a barbecue.

For heaps more backpacking New Zealand advice, be sure to check out Backpackingmatt.com and follow @Backpackingmatt on Twitter.

Submit your photo of the week to be featured at GoMad Nomad with a link back to your blog!  Send a photo with a paragraph or two describing the photo or your experience to gomadnomadtravelmag [@] gmail.com