This May, the World Surf League Championship Tour is rolling into town, and Whāingaroa will be buzzing with surf lovers chasing the perfect wave – and settling in to soak up the action.
If you’re planning to paddle out of town during the comp, now’s the perfect time to let your place catch a wave of its own. With visitors scrambling for accommodation, renting out your home could be an option.
The Whāingaroa Destination Management Organisation (WRDMO) is dropping in a new community accommodation platform on the Go Raglan and Raglan iHUB websites. Designed to connect event organisers, athletes, and visitors directly with locals, it keeps things in the whānau and right here in the community.
Instead of profits disappearing elsewhere, Go Raglan and Raglan iHUB will ensure any administration fees are reinvested straight back into Whāingaroa.
“This is an awesome example of local economic circulation – visitors stay with locals, money stays in Whāingaroa, and the benefits flow straight back into our community. It’s about creating opportunities that support people, place, and long-term resilience, not just short-term gains,” WRDMO chair Charlie Young says.
This opportunity is for first-timers only – locals who have never rented out their place as short-stay accommodation before. We’ll help you get set up with practical support and simple guidelines to make handling enquiries far less daunting.
“Seeing initiatives that support locals and connect them directly with surfers and fans keen to be part of the event is really empowering,” Charlie adds. “It’s a great example of how events like this can be about more than competition – they’re about strengthening community connections.”
Visit goraglan.com/accommodation-listings to jump on board and ride the WSL wave.
