New Zealand Road Trip: Raglan
Surfing in Raglan on our New Zealand north island camper van road trip.
Before setting off on this trip, we agreed that it wasn’t a surf trip but more of an adventure trip with some surfing along the way. However, we did bring our boards around the world, so we were hoping for some surf. After we made our way around Northland (the northern region of New Zealand’s north island), we headed down to Raglan on the coast.
There weren’t many (or any?) free camping areas in Raglan, so we paid to stay in this big field with bathrooms and showers. It was windy, cold, and rainy the night we arrived, but the next day turned out nice.
The drive out and down a winding hill to the ocean was beautiful. And there were certainly waves that day.
I didn’t take any photos of the actual surf spot, but it was a point break with a long paddle that tested the limits of my comfort zone. I decided to paddle out to see if I felt like being brave enough to go for any waves.
It turns out, I was not brave enough since with point breaks you usually have to start at the most powerful peak of the wave, which is usually also crowded with the best surfers. I lingered on the side hoping for the leftovers if someone fell off early or missed a wave. But, I was a little too timid, so I watched from the sidelines. Then the waves started getting bigger, so it was time to head back in. Bryan and I tried to paddle in, but we were fighting hard against the channel. The only way to get in was to catch a wave, so I caught a huge one and rode it on my belly all the way in.
Whew! I’ll need to work on my point break courage, but there was a debatably well-earned van shower and brunch at Orca Eatery. I also tried NZ’s delicious Hokey Pokey ice cream for the first time. That’s a new favorite.
**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.
New Zealand Road Trip: Spirits Bay
My favorite stop on our New Zealand north island road trip in a camper van was spending a night in Spirits Bay.
Our next stop was my favorite camping spot of the trip. We left Whangarei and drove almost all the way to the northern tip of the north island, Spirits Bay.
It was so picturesque, with horses roaming on the hillside and a short walk to the ocean. We parked our camper van in a field and walked to the beach just in time for sunset.
I wish we had unpacked our boards a little sooner, because the waves were perfect that evening. But they were still wrapped in cardboard and plastic wrap to protect them through the flights. We waited to surf the next morning when it was windier and the waves weren’t as good.
But we still paddled out and had some fun. Then we made a nice breakfast with perfect weather and a perfect view, so I really can’t complain.
I would 100% recommend staying longer than just one night in this magical place. But we only had a couple weeks with so much to see and do, so we headed off that afternoon for our next stop.
Spirits Bay, I hope I get to see you again someday!
Work Trip & Wave Pool in Melbourne
Visiting Melbourne, Australia for a work trip and a lesson at URBNSURF wave pool.
Earlier this year, I started a new job. When I was applying, I knew there was a strong chance of some international travel, so when they asked me to go manage an event in Melbourne, Australia, I was excited to say yes! It would be my first visit back to Australia since I did a working holiday visa back in 2019-2020.
I decided to make a whole workaction out of it. I would fly to Melbourne to work the conference, visit my friend Mike in Sydney, and then meet Bryan in New Zealand for actual vacation. I carefully selected my flights and packed my bags.
Of course, the morning I was set to fly out, I woke up to a text message that my flights were rerouted, adding an extra stop and landing me in Melbourne only a few hours before the event. I frantically rescheduled everything and, luckily, found a better flight out. I was on my way!
After many long hours of flying, with a brief stop in San Francisco to stretch my legs, I landed in Melbourne. Our hotel was in the Central Business District to stay in walking distance to the event, so I took the airport SkyBus to the CBD. My first priority was coffee, Australia’s specialty. I needed a flat white, and Come Back to Earth Coffee did the trick. Apparently my second priority was a donut, but I didn’t know it until I walked past the window of FOC Melbourne and felt the call to step inside. It was yummy!
After that breakfast, my third priority was a quick workout in the hotel gym. Then it was time for a bit of work. My boss and I met up with our Australian partners at the Melbourne Convention Center to check out the venue. All was in order and looking good, so we’d have the afternoon free to roam… and it was Sunday for goodness’ sake!
The weather was perfect and the walk to the convention center was right along the river:
I was hoping to have the afternoon off, because I had big plans in mind. I’d been dreaming of booking a surf session at the fancy wave pool, URBNSURF. I’d never tried a wave pool before, so I didn’t know what to expect. Since I didn’t really know what I was doing and I’m not the world’s greatest surfer, I booked a lesson so that I would get a board and wetsuit included and hopefully wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. But first, food! I grabbed a quick snack from Onigiri To Go on Degraves Street, a street with a lot of cute little restaurants and shops, then I took an Uber back out towards the airport to URBNSURF.
The wave pool was magical. The check in process was seamless, and the staff were all very friendly to help me get set up with equipment and check in for the lesson. And as much as I enjoy the natural appeal of changing into my wetsuit in surf spot parking lots, it was pretty nice to have a changing room with showers for before and after. There were also lockers and water coolers nearby.
The wave pool produces waves at different levels and styles according to a schedule that varies throughout the day. I signed up for the easiest waves (cruiser) and the next level up from beginner lesson (beginner progressive). It ended up being a little below my level, but I caught tons of great waves and had a blast. The coach was really helpful, and it was probably better for my jet lag to lean toward an easier session. The sun was shining the whole time! I didn’t need booties and some people weren’t even wearing wetsuits.
I headed back to the hotel and got some tasty indian takeout for dinner (Me & Yogi Indian Kitchen). I didn’t take a picture, but here’s some street art near our hotel:
After that, it was full-on work mode, with conference events from sun up to sun down for the next two days, followed by work dinners at night. We did have a nice Thai meal at BangPop and enjoyed the evening walks back to the hotel along the river.
Once the work was done, my next stop would be Sydney…
Recap: Portugal, Spain, France Surf & Road Trip
We’re back in New Jersey now, so I have more time to recap our whole trip. We spent six weeks in July and August 2025 traversing the coast of Portugal, parts of Spain, and a quick dip into France. This was technically a “surf trip” in that we brought surfboards, but we weren’t expecting much for waves in Europe in the summer. We were pleasantly surprised! Most of the spots we found had at least a little bit of surf. Sometimes the wind was strong, but we made it work and were pretty happy with what we got.
We divided the trip into two parts, because our credit card rental car insurance has a max of 31 days, so we knew we would need to come back to Lisbon mid trip. That worked out well, and I would highly recommend either of these road trip routes. I think you would need a full month to do the first part. We spent 2-3 nights in each place, and we definitely could have spent longer, but I don’t think we could’ve done it in any less time and still enjoyed ourselves the same. We’ve determined that three nights is the ideal minimum stay to truly enjoy a place when you’re road tripping around. The second part of the trip on the southern coast of Portugal could probably be done in any amount of time. It’s a beautiful place, but I’m not sure if we would go back again in August, if given the choice, because of the crowds.
Here’s a list of the places we stopped and stayed:
Part One:
Part Two:
And a map of the whole route:
Some other details: We flew in and out of Lisbon airport on American Airlines, and we luckily didn’t have any trouble with the boards in a 7’6” board bag that actually measured a bit too long for their baggage limits. We worked remotely the entire time, and the only place we ran into any issues with wifi was in Alvor, which is pretty deep into the Algarve region.
Overall, it was a lot of driving and moving around, but I’m so glad we did it the way we did. We really got to see some amazing places, and it was a perfect mix of surf, nature, and culture. It was a really nice trip and one that will provide great memories for many years to come!
Thanks for following along on the journey.
Namaste,
Cori
**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.
Chasing Waves in Capbreton
We stopped to surf in Capbreton, France on our European summer road trip.
The only thing better than France in a city, like Paris or Bordeaux, is France with a beach! Our next stop on this Portugal, Spain, and France road trip was Capbreton. It ended up being a favorite for both of us.
We stayed for three nights and surfed at Santocha bay. The surf was very crowded, but one day was clean and fun, and I managed to catch a perfect wave between the crowds.
The break was really neat because there are leftover WWII bunkers on the beach. On the last day, my leash broke while paddling out, so I got the feeling of arriving on shore like I was going to war.
Capbreton was probably the best place to break a leash, because there are a ton of surf shops near Hossegor, including the coolest one I’ve ever seen, with its own coffee and barber shop and a revolving display of boards:
The town was also really lovely. Our guesthouse (a slightly grown up hostel with private rooms and friendly owners) backed up to the main street with a summer night market. We walked along the river into town for dinners and to the beach.
We found a healthy vegan restaurant (Monkey Mood) and a yummy fish fry (SO’FISH).
On our last night, we ate a massive bowl of mussels at a beachfront restaurant (Nina Cafe) and I forgot to take a photo, but the view was impeccable:
We got our fix of American-style breakfast tacos & burritos at the Pacific Coast Cafe in Hossegor, and on our last day I got another taste of my favorite pastry. I think I might try my hand at making them when I get home.
As we were heading out, I popped my head into the cutest bookstore and cafe in town.
We were sad to leave France, but our time in Capbreton was both memorable and delicious!
**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.
Portugal Road Trip: Peniche
Surfing in the Peniche Peninsula for the second stop on our Portuguese summer road trip.
On our last night in Ericeira, we overlapped with their Portuguese Surf Film Festival. It was a really nice event, with a blue carpet, artwork from local artists, and some free food and drinks. We enjoyed the first film, about a surf trip from France to Senegal. The second one was a miss for us, but the event overall was great to see. It seemed like everyone in the town came out to participate.
Our next stop was another surfing hotspot, about an hour north, near the Peniche Peninsula. We decided to stay in the nearby Baleal area for quieter crowds, though of course everywhere was still busy as can be expected in Europe in August.
We found another lovely guest house (with a private bath and balcony this time!) and spent the weekend looking for waves, watching sunsets, and eating fresh pasteis de nata pastries every morning.
I surprised myself by catching some good waves at Supertubos, which is a pretty quick and steep wave. Lucky for me it was very small when we were there.
We were also celebrating the third anniversary of our first date! We enjoyed a bottle of wine out on the beach at sunset while we waited for our table. Then we had a delicious meal of steak and fish in a small Portuguese restaurant (Taberna do Ganhao). It was the perfect place for a special occasion!
There were even more spots to explore! With the wind and conditions, we hardly scratched the surface. But Portugal continued to deliver fun waves, amazing meals, and beautiful views.
**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.
A Month in Avellanas, Costa Rica
We spent a month working remotely and surfing in Avellanas, Costa Rica.
Hi there! Nice to see you here in 2025. I haven’t written much lately, but I still like to use this blog to document my travels, so it’s time to catch up…
We spent the months of July and August in Avellanas, Costa Rica. It’s a tiny town with dirt roads where the main thing to do is surf! It was the rainy season, so the first two weeks of July were a bit wet. It actually didn’t rain so much later in the month and in August. We were able to explore quite a bit.
We rented an Airbnb with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a little space to work:
We enjoyed the ~2-minute walk to the beach every morning to catch some waves. We surfed just about every day of the month. I finally started to actually get the hang of it.
After surfing, we’d come back to the Airbnb to eat breakfast and work remotely. At night, there were a few restaurants in Avellanas to try. We ate a lot of wood-fired pizza at Il Rustico and típicos, the traditional Costa Rican meal – your choice of meat, rice and beans, salad, and sweet plantains – just about everywhere. Our big ventures out were to nearby Tamarindo, which is a bit more of a bustling town.
It was a peaceful month. I loved see new parts of nature—bright blue and green butterflies and colorful crabs.
Bailey was more into the monkeys.
Since it was the rainy season, there weren’t too many sunsets, but the ones we saw were pretty magnificent. Especially this one on a walk through the mangroves:
Overall, it was a beautiful, quiet month. Nice to take it slow and appreciate the connection to nature. I can see why so many people have fallen in love with Costa Rica!
Braving the Sea
I have to admit, of all the activities on the trip, surfing was the one I was looking forward to the least. Growing up, I always wanted to be a surfer chick, back when I was shopping at Pacific Sunwear and wearing puka shell necklaces. Then I got older and actually tried a lesson. Turns out, surfing was way harder than it looked on TV! It wasn’t as easy as snowboarding, which I’d picked up in about a day or two. Surfing hurt. The first lesson I took was on a real fiberglass board, so I ended up with a lot of scratches and bumps from getting tumbled around underwater. Oh well, I’d just have to choose another life path besides surfing.
Another issue: when I was younger, I liked swimming in the ocean. I’d body surf and boogie board without any concerns for safety, but somewhere along the way, I lost that fearlessness and began to prefer staying closer the shore. Sometimes I’ll swim out farther, but I’m usually very cautious to go underneath the waves and, when it’s time to come in, I’ll swim or walk quickly to shore without letting any of them interfere.
I left for El Salvador feeling excited about the yoga and the waterfall jumping but pretty half-hearted about the prospect of catching waves. I thought might be able to stand up once or twice, but I probably wasn’t going to enjoy it. I was teaching on the retreat, though, so of course I would still join in and set a good example.
Two days later, we were lined up on the beach getting our first lesson from Marcelo, the founder of Puro Surf and the head instructor of their Academy Program. He led us in a breathing and stretching warmup that felt a lot like yoga. He broke down each of the steps in a simple way that we could repeat every time.
Something about his instruction must have stuck with us, because we all stood up in the water on the first day, and the next, and the next. The ocean was crazy warm, and the waves were small but powerful—perfectly manageable for beginners, which the majority of us were. By day three, I was really getting the hang of it. I noticed that when I was out in the water, I didn’t think about anything else besides reading the wave, feeling it push me, and following the steps to get up onto the board. My mind felt completely clear for the first time in a while. Surfing was a lot like yoga.
If the weather was sketchy or the waves too big, we would have our instruction in the hotel gym, just to make sure we were prepared for what we would see on the beach. One day, we even learned how to turn by riding skateboards outside the gym. I certainly never expected that at 31 years old I’d be rolling around a skatepark in El Salvador, but I guess there’s a time and a place for everything.
By the end of the trip, I had fallen in love with surfing. I wasn’t getting tumbled as often as the first two days, but I liked Marcelo’s main message. We were all going to get tumbled by the ocean at some point, so we had two choices. Choice number one: freak out! Choice number two: relax, stay calm, enjoy a little massage, and keep surfing. You can guess which option we all chose.
