KAIKOURA

Visit this quiet town with a large international reputation.

The outer reefs of Kaikoura Peninsula itself will guarantee a close encounter of the aquatic kind with inquisitive seals. At Kahutara (19 kms south of Kaikoura) you’ll find an excellent set up, a right-hand point break at the river mouth. The point can hold good size waves in a southerly swell. Oaro, 6 kms further south sometimes has Excellent breaks over shifting sandbars.

The north coast also offers challenging rides at The Meatworks, just over the railway line at Hapuku settlement. This boulder beach has consistent breaks on moderate swells and high tides. At Mangamaunu (16 kms north of Kaikoura) there is a very Excellent right-hand point break that you’ll be reluctant to leave. The wave peels along an extensive boulder reef that offers easy access.

Untamed stretches of surf coastline await you at Blue Duck Stream, north of Mangamaunu. There is an excellent beach break that can be surfed on all tides. Another beach break at Waipapa Bay (32 kms north of Kaikoura) is a popular venue.

Right-hand point breaks at Clarence and Kekerengu (56 kms north of Kaikoura) are worth a visit on your way to Blenheim and Picton. There’s a wealth of surf breaks along this scenic coast, so stop frequently and size up the waves. Be prepared for some pleasant surprises.

OTAGO PENINSULA

. You have a choice of over 40 breaks within a one hour drive of the city. For those who brave the sharp winds and chilly waters, this coast can deliver the best surfing in the South Island. You just need to be outfitted in a complete neoprene wardrobe to survive.

St Clair is Dunedin’s main beach where most swimmers and surfers hang out. Large sandbanks produce Excellent beach breaks in swells up to 2 metres. The right-hand point break works well if big south swells coincide with high tides and strong winds. On an good day St Clair beach can produce hollow waves. St Kilda, just north of St Clair has heavy beach breaks as well. Be aware that both these beaches have recorded great white shark activity.

Fast, hollow and powerful beach and point breaks can be found down the south coast including Brighton (19 kms south of Dunedin). These breaks work consistently in the summer months when continuous swells carry in cold, clear and clean waves.

North of St Clair are several Excellent beach breaks such as Allans Beach, Sandfly Bay and Smails Beach. Across the harbour entrance is Aramoana Spit, where The Mole breakwater acts as a stepping off point for the waves running parallel to it.

Murderers Bay (25 kms north of Dunedin) is reached via Port Chalmers and will give you a thrilling ride on a right-hand point break in 1 metre swells from the north-east. Further north are Excellent breaks at Warrington, and Karitane Point.

WEST COAST

Welcome to the wildest stretch of coastline in New Zealand.

The Tasman Sea continuously pounds the South Island West Coast with waves lined up to the horizon. Ironically surfers on ‘The West Coast’ often have to wait for the swells to drop before they can safely get amongst the waves.

The coastline has superb scenery and amazing marine wildlife, so exploring the most uncharted reef breaks can be rewarding. Although the environment is harsh you will find the local people are very friendly and laid-back.

Farewell Spit, at the northern tip of ‘The Coast’ has very exposed beach breaks on its 30 km stretch of moving sand. Fergusons Beach and Wairaiki Beach west of Pakawau, both have beach breaks that are good on all tides. It is reasonably untouched territory from here down to Westport with very little surfing intelligence available, although Little Wanganui and Waimarie do have ridable river sand bars.

Westport has plenty of surfing action, however. The breakwater at the mouth of the Buller River offers an excellent beach break. Shingles is a unique freshwater beach break 1 km inside the river mouth, but requires a real north-west storm to make it work.

Tauranga Bay has good surfing and a seal colony down the Cape Foulwind road, south of Westport. It has a left-hand point and beach break, which is best at low tide in a 2 metre swell. Just over the hill is Nine Mile Beach, which faces south-west and has some of the best beach breaks along this coast in the right conditions.

River sand bars occur at Charleston and Fox River, and Punakaiki has two beach breaks that are fun to ride in a small swell. Camping here gives you heaps of options for adventure activities .

Greymouth’s Cobden Beach has a left-hand bar break along the breakwater in swells up to 2 metres. Blaketown, south of the Grey River mouth has a right-hand bar break. Further south is untouched land. Start at Harihari where some accessible surf spots can be found and take it from there.

CANTERBURY

New Brighton’s white sands shift frequently and create great sand banks working on easterly swells. Sumner, has a popular surf break, which works on an incoming tide backed by an easterly swell. Taylor’s Mistake has been the local legend surfing spot since the 1960’s, and can be found just around the headland from Sumner.

Drive out to the shingle beaches of Bank’s Peninsula and you can get good waves. A series of compact bays can be found on the exposed outer coast. Look for Stony, Hickery, Gough Bays Te Oka and Magnet Bays. Low tide is the best time to surf these beach and point breaks. You won’t find the summer crowds here, but you will discover the best breaks that are fast and hollow here.

Down the South Canterbury coast around Timaru and Oamaru there are good opertunities to surf uncrowded breaks. Almost every river mouth produces a surf break, but the best locations are in the first 5 kms south of Timaru and between Oamaru and Moeraki. Patiti Point, near Timaru , has a left-hand reef break, which operates consistently in any swell from the east or south. Jack’s Point (3 kms south of Timaru) has both left and right-hand reef breaks at high tide, as does Lighthouse Reef, a short walk to the south. Southerly swells produce solid waves along the Timaru coast

From Oamaru south there are waves at Kakanui River Mouth, Campbells Bay and Moeraki.

Moeraki also has the famous and spectacular natural stones scattered along the beach.