ODT.co.nz - Slice of heaven at Manu Bay
A select group of surf breaks from around the North Island have been included in Lonely Planet’s Epic Surf Breaks of the World. They have made the cut of 50 tales of surf trips from 34 countries — as well as 150 more suggested breaks to look out for — from France to New Zealand. In this edited extract, Will Bendix discovers Raglan’s famously long left-hander.
Two hours south of Auckland, New Zealand’s most iconic wave has drawn surfers to its perfectly manicured walls since the 1960s, after it first appeared in Bruce Brown’s classic surf flick The Endless Summer. With 10,000 miles of coastline and constant exposure to swell from both the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean, it was inevitable that the country would harbour a world-class wave or two. And there it was, the goofy-foot answer to Bruce’s Beauties.