SURF THE WEST COAST SURFING NEW ZEALAND
Taranaki The New Zealand Surf Capital
New Zealand Surf Introduction
Surfing West Coast Surf
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.