Surfing in New Zealand

Surf New Zealand - Quick Facts
LOCATION: Australisia.
POPULATION: 4035000
NATIONALITY: Kiwifruits
LANGUAGE: English
CURRENCY: New Zealand Dollar

Ok, we know that the nationality of New Zealanders is not Kiwifruit - so no emails please.

New Zealand is a beautiful county, and one that's been a popular tourist destination for many many years. It has become well known for an extreme sports capital, and all sorts of adrenaline sports spring to mind when NZ is mentioned. Queenstown is like a magnet for young thrill seekers, skiiers and snowboarders.

The North Island is home to the largest population and houses the capital city Wellington and
New Zealand's largest city Auckland.
The North Island is also a little warmer, both in and out of the water and in the summer you might get away with just your boardshorts.
The largest city on the South Island is
Christchurch

Earthquakes are a regular occurrence, and the country has a number of active Volcanos, hot springs and other thermal activity. The South Island recently suffered a large earthquake (and subsequent aftershock 13 minutes after the first quake) which resulted in 185 fatalaties and devistated much of central Christchurch.

New Zealand Surf Spot Map

Now on with the surf info. New Zealand is made up of two main islands, the North Island and South Island. The main source of swell for both is from the low pressure systems of the
roaring forties but New Zealand is fortunate to pick up swell from just about anywhere. Waves can be generated from the south, the west from the Tasman Sea, north from cyclone
systems and east from depressions. This makes New Zealand a great place to be a surfer. Tie that up with the fact that there are a large number of surf spots, relatively few
surfers and quality waves. There are conditions and wave sizes to keep any surfer happy.

The North Island has New Zealand's best known surf spot - Raglan. Half way down
the west coast you can find a superb left hand point that seems to go on forever. Real quality - a must see on an NZ surf trip. If you want lots of quality spots and do not
want to do much driving then head to the Taranaki Peninsular.
Lots of great waves and you can find the ideal wind conditions just by driving round 180° along the coast road - Surf Highway 45.

The South Island is cold and can get bitter in the winter. The quality empty surf more than makes up for the temperature. The main concentration of surfers on the South Island are based in and
around Christchurch and Dunedin in Otago
on the east coast. Steer clear of these and you'll have the place to yourself. Top spots on the South Island are the variety of breaks around Dunedin and the powerful reefs and points of Kaikoura.



New Zealand is a great place for a surf trip because you have so many options. You can find yourself out on your own in quality surf with a couple of mates, a beautiful snowy backdrop and only the sheep watching. Do yourself a favour and book an air ticket today.



Surfing New Zealand - The Good
Consistent Waves
Uncrowded
Lots of great surf spots
Surf in the Morning. Snowboard in the Afternoon

Surf New Zealand - The Bad and the Ugly
Cold Winter Water Temps
Cold Weather
Rain
Snow
Miserable Weather

New Zealand Surfing Conditions

If you have information on surfing either the North or South Islands of New Zealand, we'd love to know. Tell us how good or bad your surf trip was by updating the map or posting over on the surf travel forum.

Here's the official website for New Zealand which has plenty of information on what to see and do while you're there.