A Sunrise Mission to Manu Bay
It had been a hot minute since I had ventured out for a sunrise. Lockdowns have made me lazy. And why not. There was not much point to waking up early if you had no where to go but loll around the house and stare out a window wistfully.
Rolling out of bed ragged and cursing the early morning air was not really productive during lockdown. I valued sleep a lot more during the lockdown weeks.
So when restrictions eased a little, allowing for further afield travel I decided to set the alarm for a 4am start and head to Manu Bay in Raglan, a popular surfers spot and a rock beach.
The first challenge to the sunrise mission was going to bed early. One I failed miserably at. For two reasons, one there was a two-parter SVU episode that I started at 9pm and there was no way I was going to be left in suspense on a cliffhanger before bed. And two, it was sweaty and hot evening and I felt like I was sleeping in a bowl of soup rather than a bed. It was gross.
So there were less than great beginnings.
The second challenge was not snoozing my ten alarms. I have this magic knack for being able to snooze an alarm with my eyes close. And not just that, I can turn off all my future alarms while half asleep. It is very self-destructive behaviour but sleepy Athena is kind of a beast.
A scary sleepy beast.
I managed to pull my tired bones out of bed on my second alarm, which is a great feat really.
I refuse to leave the house without having at least one coffee running through my veins. So I had to account for coffee making time. I am a certifiable zombie without the coffee so going with no coffee was not an option.
Once I had been suitably caffeinated, it was time to hit the road Jack.
The drive to Manu Bay takes around 50 minutes from Hamilton. On a good day with little traffic.
Leaving at 5am, the sunrise was set to be around 6am, it would be tight in regards to time. Especially since I had never been to Manu Bay so did not really know the logistics of what were the best spots to photograph from or how to get down to the beach. I have anxiety so knowing the logistics of things such as access to the beach and whether or not there is a public toilet is very important to me. I am the kind of person who always needs to know where the nearest toilet is. I am very fun at parties ha.
Arriving at the carpark of Manu Bay, the sky was a beautiful candy floss pink. There is something incredibly magical about the sky when it is such a soft pink. The walk down to the beach was an easy set of steps and the beach was a landscape of slippery rocks and a rough sea, within a floating raft of undulating surfers.
I sat on a slippery rock, my butt getting wet but not caring a whit, simply because I was enchanted by the waves and the sounds of the sea.
I took off my shoes and absorbed the feeling of the cool stone beneath.
I like to both plan my photos before I arrive at a location as well as have an air of spontaneity about them.
For Manu Bay, I knew of one photo that I wanted to try and capture. Myself next to the sunrise out on a rock. The others I thought about on the fly. There were many boats going out to sea that morning, so I decided to take some photos of them. As well as a photo of myself mid- stride with my wide angle lens.
It was a great morning and a good dip into the earliest of a sunrise photo mission. I definitely need to prep my body a little more for what is to come, but I feel like many sunrise missions will be had this beautiful summer.
The Lowdown
Where - Off Wainui Road, You will see a sign saying Manu Bay. Take a right into there and there is an upper and lower carpark. It is about six km south of Raglan.
Carpark - Yes. Free parking here
Toilet - Yes there is a public toilet
Features - The beach is rather rocky and slippery, so be careful where you step. Not suitable for prams.
This spot is a great place for sunsets and sunrises with beautiful views and light during golden hour. This is a popular surfing spot. Not recommended for swimming - as is quite rough and the shore is rocks.