#karioilodge

Did you know that New Zealand is one of the best places to surf in the world? We always wanted to give surfing a try, but we have to be honest with you we were constantly imagining being close to a shark. You will be glad to know that, in general terms, the water is too cold for sharks in New Zealand, which makes it an ideal place to learn surfing! During our research for our trip we found the “Raglan Surfing School”, which is located on the West Coast of the North Island sharing their passion of surfing since over 15 years. Jordan and I were looking for a surfing package, so surf lessons and accommodation in one to make our journey as smooth and easy as possible. “Raglan Surfing School” fitted our needs perfectly by offering various different deals that suit everyone’s needs. This is what we decided on (but there are tonnes others on the website, link is down below):

Stay & Surf package incl. supervision: 2 Days Surfing/1 night accomodation -A half-day beginner surfing lesson with full instruction on day one (3h) - Supervised practice with board & wetsuit hire on subsequent days -Dorm share accommodation at the surf school base @ the Karioi Lodge

As our previous stop was Hamilton we got a bus directly to Raglan and then got picked up by the “Raglan Surfing School” shuttle, which was really awesome service. After we settled in into our dorm we got ready for our first surf lesson. Before we got to the beach however we had to learn the basics outside the water. “Raglan Surfing School” has a type of hall, which is equipped with lots of surf boards and sofas etc. Check out our really fun first training session/ daily vlog, there is a YouTube link down below!

After everyone understood the basics of surfing and got educated on specific instructions from the supervisors and general dangers on the sight (such as rocks and currents etc.) we made our way down to the beach via the shuttle. It was a pretty cloudy day and I was a little bit sad as we wanted to surf during sunny weather, however clouds are actually perfect for surfing!  Especially as a European it is easy to underestimate the sun rays. During our surfing days we got affected most by the sun and got sun burned even when wearing very high 50+ SPF.  

The surf school has their own surf trailer at the beach where you get your surf boards and wet suits from (you can also hire or rent them if you don’t participate in the surf packages). After we got changed (they also have changing cabins there!) we finally got started. After a couple of minutes revising the movements we finally got in the water. It was amazing and scary at the same time but so much fun!

Something “Raglan Surfing School” prides themselves with is the optimal student to instructor class ration and we totally agree that it works really well. Everyone has time to practise on their own but receive help and advice regularly throughout the lesson. We also like the length of three hours, as it is not too short but also not too exhaustingly long. Everyone in our group was able to stand up during the first session, which made us all very proud and we were already excited to jump back in the water the next day.

After our lesson we returned back to the Karioi Lodge. The place is super lively and you can meet people incredibly easy and has an overall rain forest – hippie vibe to it. 

There is also the chance to see glow worms at the entrance track to the lodge. Unfortunately we weren’t able to see them because it was raining, but we are sure it is magical when you spot them. We were so exhausted from surfing in the evening that we fell asleep straight away. Spending three hours in the water is a full body workout, so probably don’t plan too much in the evening.

On the next day we had another surf lesson in the morning of the same length, which was cool and then we already had to leave and go back to Hamilton! Big thumbs up for our two experienced supervisors, they were so helpful and made sure everyone had a great ride on the waves. Jordan enjoyed it so much he didn’t want to leave so we will probably come back next time in NZ!

Kiwi Scores: Action: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Uniqueness: 3/5 WOW-Factor: 3/5 Cultural value: 1/5 Value for money: 4/5 Accessibility: 2/5

Useful Links:

VLOG: https://youtu.be/Oq7RxdeNpu0