Bridal Veil Falls

Here’s a few facts for you….

• The Raglan Bridal Veil Falls share their name with the the smallest of the Niagara Falls
• The falls drop 55 metres (same as the before mentioned falls)
• The pool at the bottom is 5 metres deep (but don’t try jumping – there is a big boulder in the middle of it)
• There are 260 steps to Bridal Veil Falls
• 260 steps feels like a lot less on the way down than it does on the way back up
• Helpfully (or not) you will find a sign when you are halfway down (or up as the case may be) that you still have 130 leg aching steps to go.

So complaining about sore legs aside, the 260 steps are indeed worth it to see these great falls.  Unlike many falls around New Zealand these ones are relatively easy to get to (although for obvious reasons 260 stairs are not going to favour those in wheelchairs or pushchairs).

I had a bit of fun processing these (although my waterfall photography skills are somewhat lacking) and I did think ahead to bring my tripod and filter to block out a bit of the light and slow down the water droplets a bit.  There is quite a bit of spray from the waterfall so if you are bringing your best camera (like me) you probably won’t want to have it out for too long as camera’s don’t really like showers…

Highlight for us – definitely the two goats lazing away under the falls.

You can find more information about the falls here….

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/waikato/places/raglan-area/tracks/waireinga-bridal-veil-falls/

Fish and Chips on the Wharf

It was our first trip to Ragland and we were driving through town after going to the weekend markets we came across a sign saying that there was a live band at the wharf.

Child free for another whole 4 hours we set off with reckless abandon…

We arrived to a rather quiet wharf but further exploration found a rather (and I have used this word an awful lot in describing all things Raglan) eclectic 3 piece band belting out a kind of jazz/reggae version of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Base”.

With what we had now found was the usual make up of hipster/senior inhabitants of Raglan we pulled up a pew and ordered some fish and chips.

I have to say they weren’t the best fish and chips that I have ever had but who can complain when you are sitting on a wharf in the sun (did I mention the no kids bit) with the man you love and a great coffee.

Raglan Fish and Chips

Coffee at Raglan Wharf

The Shack in Raglan

I have a confession to make – I’ve lived in Auckland some 30 years and have never been to Raglan before.

Accommodation booked I went armed with suggestions of where to eat from work colleagues who spent summers in Raglan – topping that list was The Shack.

We arrived at 11 on Sunday morning and were lucky to get a table – it was packed.

I had a vague notion that Raglan was a bit of a surfy town but instead my fellow diners were an interesting mix of Ponsonby cool hipsters and impressively hip seniors.

Comfortably furnished we were seated under the Raglan flag and given menu’s from which we (with much discussion) settled on the ‘shrooms and full ‘n proper as well as a jar of salted caramel chocolatey goodness for good measure.  It was in a word – delicious!

The Shack Raglan

The Shack in Raglan

As well as an extensive menu The Shack has an impressive range of cabinet food (which we did stop back in to sample for the trip back to Auckland).

You can peruse the menu here but really – you are better to take the 2 hour drive from Auckland and check it out for yourself…

http://www.theshackraglan.com

The Round Tent

Utterly the best place to get lost ever – The Round Tent in Raglan.

We had no particular reason or excuse to go away for the weekend, except for it was our first child free weekend in 2 months that happened to coincide with availability at The Round Tent (serendipitous indeed).

Set about 10km out of Raglan this amazing glamping experience will set you back about the same amount as a night in an Auckland hotel but leave you more refreshed than a night in the city ever could.

With a rural outlook over farm and a river (complete with ducks and sheep wandering past every hour or so) from the moment you arrive everything feels almost too perfect to be true.

Incredibly private we didn’t see anyone the entire time and we felt instantly at home.

We wanted to make the most of our stay and not worry about driving home after a few drinks so we bought our own wine and food and cooked some steak and prawns on the bbq and sat there sipping Moet while we watched the sun set.  Just to set the record straight here sipping Moet is not usually something we do (although I could get used to it!) – I won a bottle at work and it seemed the perfect occasion to have it – it totally was.

Everything has been thought of – from the wonderfully funky and eclectic mix of furniture, to the wide range of DVD’s, serving platters and games.  There was literally nothing else we could have asked for.

The bed was one of the most comfortable I have ever slept on (I would love to know where they get those pillows!) and the air conditioning kept the tent (or I should say yurt) at a comfortable temperature all night.

The bed

Beautiful styling throughout

Outside bath

Outdoor dining

Eclectic style

Relaxing with a bottle of Moet

Relaxation

Places to relax inside and out

Stylish bathroom and well stocked kitchen

The Round Tent

Forget the best glamping experience around, The Round Tent is the best accommodation around the Auckland region.  Hands down.  Loads of room for two they even have bunk beds for little ones but if you can get them baby sat instead I would thoroughly recommend going that way instead.

You can find out more about The Round Tent here…

http://www.theroundtent.co.nz/