First stop was Auckland for an REIA meeting and then off to Hamilton for an overnight stop and museum visit before heading out to Raglan on the west Coast. We breakfasted on our way out of Auckland in Parnell at a great Cafe called Rosie’s which was near the Rose garden with our friends Megan and Warwick Jaffe. They recommednded we try and get a booking at a great Olive farm restaurant in Bombay called BRACU which fortunatley had a space for us and was an absolute delight so thanks for a great recommendation Megan. The Parnell shopping village was very nice and beautifully restored into a really charming village.
Our first view of Mount Karioi across the estuary of the Thames river at Raglan
The line up at Raglan looking from Ngarunui beach through to Raglan Point and Whale bay.
The famous left at Raglan
The views from our Bach, the Glass House, totally amazing in every way and the pool and deck are life infinity features. it is sited above Whale Bay on the side of the extinct volcano of Mount Karioi.
The doors open all the way with six massive glass panels. The property is a working farm and our resident six brown cows were very content behind their electric fence
the track to the Glass House through the coastal trees. Downtown Raglan had a few good restaurants and cafes and the local sailors were enjoying the lovely sunshine and light breeze.
The line up was working well and i had a good 90 min surf in 2-3 ft conditions
The other side of Mount Karioi from the Te Mata road on the way to Bridal Veil Falls
The Floral of the Waireinga Scenic reserve was dominated by fine fernery and Tawa trees
The four stages of the falls as it drops the 55m to the pool below and the veil becomes finer.
Top, middle and Bottom of the falls
The local agriculture is in very fine form with the greenest fields we have ever seen and the mounds of volcanic rock and soil make for a very interesting landscape.