Go Raglan

Labour Weekend is coming... and raglan will be busy!

With Raglan Arts Weekend and the Raglan Country & Blues Festival bringing more people into town, local businesses may need extra hands to meet demand.

Go Raglan Jobs helps local employers connect with people already looking for work in Whāingaroa. Browse local worker profiles and advertise roles.

Building a stronger local workforce is part of the wider Whāingaroa Tourism & Events Plan, supporting local businesses while creating more job opportunities for people who live here.

Find local workers at Go Raglan Jobs: goraglan.com/go-raglan-jobs/

Ngā Kōrero - Our Stories is a space to discover the people, places and kōrero that connect us to this landscape and to each other here in Whāingaroa.

One of the stories featured is Journeys to Home, a Raglan Naturally video podcast series exploring what it means to belong to a place through the voices and experiences of people connected to Whāingaroa.

The series reflects the community aspiration of kotahitanga, strengthening our connections to people and place, and deepening our understanding of Whāingaroa - all of which contributes to a deeper connection to our place.

Carefully crafted, filmed and produced by Gareth Bellamy.

Explore Ngā Kōrero | Our Stories at Go Raglan

After more than a year of consultation and research, the Go Raglan Tourism and Events Strategy 2026–2031 is now available.

Tourism is already part of Raglan. This strategy is about managing it thoughtfully so it contributes to the place and people who make Whāingaroa special.

The plan is guided by four pou:

🌱 Local livelihoods
🌊 Kaitiakitanga and the environment
🤝 Visitor experience
💛 Community wellbeing

A huge thank you to everyone who completed a survey, attended a workshop or hui, joined a community conversation or shared their ideas along the way.

Read about what we heard, the actions already underway and the shared direction for the next five years.

👉 Read the full strategy: https://qrco.de/bh1TLD

We're building a platform for local jobs and local skills, for a stronger Whāingaroa.

Go Raglan Jobs helps connect local people with local employers, building a workforce that can meet our community’s changing needs, from everyday business to seasonal peaks and major events.

New listings include:
Chef — WYLD Raglan · Permanent
Operations Coordinator — Sutcliffe Trading · Part-time
Automotive Technician · Permanent

Explore the roles and find out how to apply:
👉 https://goraglan.com/go-raglan-jobs/job-posts/

Know someone whose skills could be a good fit? Send this their way!

The WSL Championship Tour is returning to Raglan in 2027!

Following the debut of the New Zealand Pro earlier this year, Whāingaroa will once again welcome the world’s best surfers.

Go Raglan’s community impact research found strong support for the inaugural event, alongside valuable feedback about how future events could create more opportunities for local businesses, organisations, rangatahi and residents.

As Go Raglan representative Charlie Young says, “We now have a much clearer picture of the economic and community impact of the first event, as well as some really useful feedback to help shape 2027.”

Dates will be announced later this year. Read the full story and explore the 2026 impact research via the link: https://raglanihub.nz/wsl-championship-tour-to-return-to-raglan-in-2027/

What can a place name tell us about the land beneath our feet and the people who have cared for it across generations?

In this episode of Journeys to Home, Dr Oliver McLeod and Taruke Thomson explore how Māori place names can hold knowledge of landscape, ecology, whakapapa and identity.

Go Raglan is about more than sharing places to visit and things to do. It is also about helping people understand the histories, stories and relationships that make Whāingaroa what it is, so we can experience and care for this place with greater awareness and respect.

Presented by Raglan Naturally .

Journeys to Home - The Significance of Names- Presented by Taruke Thomson & Dr. Oliver McLeod In this episode of Journeys to Home, Dr Oliver McLeod and Taruke Th...

What did the WSL event period mean for economic activity in Whāingaroa?

During the 15-day analysis period, $4 million was recorded across 123,148 transactions - 49.6% more spending than during the same period in 2025.

Just over half came from cardholders based outside Waikato District.

The data comes from Paymark and Verifone, New Zealand’s two largest electronic card payment networks. It covers electronic card and digital wallet transactions made at merchants on those networks, but does not include cash, bank transfers or some third-party payment platforms.

Read the full WSL Impact Report and Marketview analysis here: https://qrco.de/bgzfCD

Following the inaugural World Surf League Corona Cero NZ Pro at Manu Bay, we asked Whāingaroa residents, businesses and community stakeholders about their experience.

The findings show strong support for the event and its contribution to community pride, visitor activity and Whāingaroa’s international profile. Respondents also identified several areas for improvement.

These included earlier communication, better parking and beach-access management, greater local business and community involvement and stronger environmental initiatives.

Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and ideas. Your feedback will help inform the planning of future major events in Whāingaroa.

Read the full Whāingaroa Raglan World Surf League Impact Report here: https://goraglan.com/whaingaroa-raglan-world-surf-league-impact-report-30-aug-2026-3/

Funding support thanks to Raglan Naturally and Waikato District Council.