Manu Bay Surf Break and Boat Ramp

A Legendary Left-Hand Point Break

Manu Bay lies a short drive west of the town of Raglan, where long swells from the Tasman Sea wrap around a boulder-lined point to form one of the longest and most consistent left-hand waves in the country. The break rose to international fame in 1966, when Bruce Brown's film The Endless Summer showed its peeling walls to surfers around the world.

The Boat Ramp and the Open Coast

Beside the point, the Manu Bay boat ramp gives trailer boats a launching point straight onto the open west coast, where anglers head out for snapper, kingfish and other species of the Tasman Sea. The Raglan Sportfishing Club shares this camera so skippers can check the sea at the ramp before launching, alongside its sister camera on the Raglan Bar.

Volcanic Rock, Farmland and Mount Karioi

The shoreline is a mix of dark volcanic boulders and black sand typical of this coast, backed by green farmland and the Manu Bay Reserve, a grassy lookout above the break. To the south-west, the bush-clad slopes of Mount Karioi rise above the coast road that continues to Whale Bay and Indicators, two more celebrated surf spots.

Raglan, a Laid-Back Surf Town

Back along the harbour, Raglan is a relaxed seaside town of cafés, galleries and surf schools on the shores of Whāingaroa Harbour. Together with Ngarunui Beach and the harbour's sheltered waters, Manu Bay makes the area one of New Zealand's best-loved destinations for surfing, fishing and coastal walks.