Raglan

I love the mountains, but nothing beats a westerly facing beach for a sunset.

Nate got up first thing this morning to take a run around Raglan, a west coast beach down. I was a bit more leisurely and started my day reading my New Zealand fiction of choice - the Luminaries. It's quite good. A fictional novel set in a real place and time period, near the time of the invasion by the british and centered around gold mining. Being here has gotten me interested in a number of other New Zealand novels I was considering reading, especially around the Maori/European interactions. I'm already glad I read Katherine Mansfield's collection of short stories. I didn't recognize them as being particularly New Zealand-y at the time, but now that I'm here, they are continually brought to mind.

Here in this beach town, so many of the flowers are taking center stage. Flowers like I've never seen anywhere else before, and this in late fall!

It was a lovely long day of walking. We were blessed with the rain clearing up after the morning. We ate a leisurely breakfast with more delicious golden kiwis and manuka honey in yogurt. Then we set off along Nate's jogging route. He had seen many things he wanted to show me.

The tide in Raglan bay was very in, and we walked along the beach, and a waterside board walk. Many of the huge trees had plaques nailed to them naming them "Notable Trees". We went out to the wharf, where men were fishing, and artisans were making lovely handmade crafts, from pottery to leather sandals.

We ate the best fish and chips of my life. There were about 8 different types of fish to choose from, many of which must be local, as I'd never heard their like, and 3 kinds of fish. We chose Snapper for the fish and kumara chips. She asked if we wanted 1 or 2 pieces of fish. We said 2, as we were sharing. We got 4. It was great. Really great.

Raglan is known for being a surf town, and having black sand beaches. They are in fact very black and gorgeous. Nate and I took a long walk this evening out of the bay and out to the open ocean to watch the sunset. When we got there we were thrilled to watch about 12 para-surfers careening around the bay.

I've never seen this before. It was incredible. They would guide their parachutes straight ahead of them to build up speed. They looked to be going as fast as a speed boat. Then they would launch themselves into the air! They must've gone up 20-50 feet, and just seemed to float there forever, lifted by their sail. A slow count of 5 to even 10 seconds, they hovered. Or flipped. Or turned directions in mid air.

How does one even begin to learn how to do this? I was inspired to take up a new hobby; but eventually talked myself down to getting my scuba certification as a next step.

We hiked up on a high ridge overlooking the beach. The sunset did not disappoint.Read more