SURF GREAT BARRIER ISLAND SURF
Taranaki The New Zealand Surf Capital
New Zealand Surf Introduction
All ‘The Barrier’ surf beaches will provide you with an enjoyable surfing experience, but care is needed when waves peak over 2 metres.
Whangapoua Beach is only a short walk from Okiwi Airfield
and is straight across the island from the Port Fitzroy ferry terminal.
Excellent surf breaks over sandbanks across the mouth of the Whangapoua
Estuary producing beaut barrels in a north-easterly swell.
The other three Excellent beach breaks are down the coast near Claris
Airfield and across the island from the other ferry terminal at Tryphena.
Awana Beach is noted for its Excellent all year round surfing conditions
and the choice of waves resulting from rapidly shifting sandbanks.
The largest beach on the east coast is Kaitoke boasting a number of Excellent
beach breaks all the way down to the island at the south end. The sweetest
sand sand bars are normally at Palmer’s Beach at the north end and
in front of the Kaitoke Creek mouth.
Medlands is the nearest surf beach to Tryphena and has Excellent sand
sand bars along its entire length, particularly on an incoming tide.
Shark Alley is a popular right hand break at the southern end that moves
over rocky reefs and sand bars.