{"id":371897,"date":"2026-04-09T21:39:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T21:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/371897\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T21:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T21:39:13","slug":"surf-mecca-manu-bay-in-for-spruce-up-ahead-of-world-surf-league-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/371897\/","title":{"rendered":"Surf mecca Manu Bay in for spruce-up ahead of World Surf League event"},"content":{"rendered":"

Surf mecca Manu Bay is getting a spruce up ahead of the World Surf League Championship Tour event<\/a> set to arrive in Raglan in mid-May.<\/p>\n

By Jordan Smith, Local Democracy Reporter<\/p>\n

The bay\u2019s boat ramp will be closed from April 13 to 17 while safety improvements, including hard washing and hole and void filling, are carried out.<\/p>\n

Users are being directed to alternative boat ramps during this period, subject to weather and timing.<\/p>\n

The boardwalk around the bay has also been closed from April 7 until early May, as sections are replaced due to wear from the coastal environment.<\/p>\n

Waikato District Council customer service deputy general manager Imelda Bolton said the work had been planned prior to confirmation of the international event.<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s of the utmost importance for council to preserve the environmental beauty of Manu Bay and Raglan. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n

\u201c[It\u2019s] been on the cards for quite a while and irrespective of an event coming,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have been on our maintenance plans for this year … the timing is really around supporting safer access during a high-use period.\u201d<\/p>\n

The upgrades come as Raglan prepares for an influx of visitors, with the event expected to draw international attention and large crowds.<\/p>\n

Wh\u0101ingaroa General Ward councillor Lisa Thomson said the work reflects both community values and readiness for visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s part of who we are in Raglan … we take care of our community and our visitors as well, so it\u2019s part of our manaakitanga and our responsibilities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Whāingaroa<\/p>\n

Wh\u0101ingaroa General Ward Councillor Lisa Thomson is pleased the boardwalk will be upgraded for all to enjoy. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether [they\u2019re] from Huntly or even our locals from out at Te Mata or Ruapuke, they can come and feel proud about being a part of Raglan. We\u2019re proud of our backyard, and we really want to take care of our local community first and foremost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Measures include maintaining public access to Manu Bay outside the event\u2019s 11-day operational window and prioritising local travel and traffic management to reduce congestion.<\/p>\n

\"Manu<\/p>\n

Manu Bay\u2019s boat ramp attracts a myriad of different users. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n

Thomson said there had been \u201ctrepidation\u201d among some locals, including wh\u0101nau with whakapapa to the area, about the impact of increased visitor numbers.<\/p>\n

However, she said the council is experienced in managing large crowds and is keeping community safety and interests \u201ctop of mind\u201d.<\/p>\n

She also pointed to growing excitement within the community, particularly among young surfers.<\/p>\n

“One of my friends who has a surf academy student … they\u2019re really amped to go out and watch the WSL and meet some of the sports people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, she was saying she\u2019s already met and seen quite a number of her heroes already out in the surf having a practice so those opportunities are really great for rangatahi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air<\/p>\n

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including weather watches in place ahead of Cyclone Vaianu, a serial killer pleads guilty, and rollercoaster riders stuck in baking heat. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Surf mecca Manu Bay is getting a spruce up ahead of the World Surf League Championship Tour event…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371898,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[9001,111,139,69,213,2558],"class_list":["post-371897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-hamilton-waikato","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-sports","tag-surfing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}