"Day flight to Raglan for lunch." Raglan Travelogue by kiwi

It was a lovely sunny, cold winter's day, absolutely perfect for a flight from Hamilton Airport to Raglan airfield.

Fuelling up

Nice tidy little Cessna, great way to fly around New Zealand. Fuelling up and preparing for the short flight to Raglan. We were operating out of the Aero Club part of the airport, not where the scheduled flights depart from.

Hamilton City

You get a nice view of Hamilton City once up in the air. Hamilton is on flat ground, but there are nice hills surrounding, and it's only 45mins drive from the coast. Hamilton is just 45 mins drive from Auckland and is growing. But it's still not too big to get around, and not too stressful to live in. Nice gardens and very central for getting around the North Island.

Rough terrain

You cross over some rough terrain, bush and forrest clad. And then over to the coastal areas.

Raglan by the Sea

Raglan is a quaint little town situated in a lovely harbour with great little bays and water areas. It's a tidal harbour so lot of mudflats when the tide is out, however it's a lovely sight all the same. Great fishing town, and lots of cafes to dine. The Hotel can be the central point often hosting bands and acts for entertainment. There is a strong local musician population, and this seems to bring very interesting acts to town. Life is never dull in Raglan, if you want to find the action.

Raglan Beach

Raglan is a famous surfing area, but also there is a beach where you can swim. The West Coast and most beaches of New Zealand deserve immense respect as they are mostly quite treacherous at times. These West Coast beaches are noted for their pitch black sand. Ironsand is amazingly black when wet, and goes grey when dry in the sun. And because it is ironsand, it gets amazingly HOT!! Many a beachgoer has burned the sole of their feet on this sand. Be sure to take sandals when visiting, especially in summer.

Raglan Airfield

That is the airfield you can see in the foto, the green strip with water on both sides. It's quite short but still easily accessible. At the end of the strip is a camping ground and also the walk bridge to town. It's very convenient to fly here, park the aircraft and walk to town for lunch. Or to stay and camp for a few days. Summer is great for surfing also.

My Ride

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