Surf guide: North Island

Contributors: Emma Punter (flossie.com), Lynne Dickinson (Curl Magazine)

Our 15,000km coastline is a surf supermarket of easily accessible breaks just waiting to caress your board. This report will guide you to the best surf spots and the baches closest to them, so you can wake up and enjoy the freedom of board riding before breakfast!

Ahipara (Ninety Mile Beach), Northland

Off the beaten track at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach lies the coastal town of Ahipara, renowned for its beauty and great surf conditions. Shipwreck Bay is by far our most favourite NZ surf spot. The rides go forever and just keep reforming plus you can get a wave to suit all abilities. The further around the rocks you drive (depending on swell) the bigger the waves. Plus if you are learning, some of the point breaks you can still stand. The waves just keep wrapping around and you'll have an absolute blast no matter what your ability!

Photo: Daisy Day

Waipu Cove, Mangawhai Heads and the North East Coast

There are some great breaks up here in this area such as Mangawhai Heads, Waipu Cove, Te Arai, Omaha and Forrestry. It's beautiful, with clear and warm water, but it can get crowded here during the summer months. If the swell is up, just have a hunt around and you'll find a break somewhere around here.

Photo: Pablo Jacinto

Piha, Muriwai and Auckland's wild west

Surrounded by the lush Waitakere Rainforest, you'd never guess the darling surf destinations of Piha and Muriwhai are with in 45 minutes of Auckland's CBD. To get to the water's edge here, you'll need to run through the black iron sands which are the mark of a West Coast beach .

Port Waikato, Auckland's south

South of Auckland, this is a great beach for everyone as it offers a reef break (for experienced surfers) a point break and a beach break! Plus there's a great little spot called The Cove if you're learning where you can catch all the re-form waves if it's a bit on the big side out the back.

Whangamata, the Coromandel

With a variety of breaks in this area, the Whangamata Bar at the northern end is the top spot, producing long peeling breaks in north-easterly swells on an incoming tide. If the bar is crowded or the tidal flow is too severe, you can simply move down the beach and choose a sandbank peeler to ride.

Raglan, Waikato

The "surf city" of the central North Island, Raglan got this title due to its abundant beaches as opposed to its people!

Rather than tourist traffic and crowds, you'll find surfboards and craft shops. Just an hour's drive from Hamilton, this idyllic little town is also famous for its alternative community and Bohemian lifestyle, producing a plethora of eclectic cafes, galleries and shops that line the main street.

Photo: Surf Dames, Raglan

"The Mount" (Maunganui), Waihi and the Bay of Plenty

Mt Maunganui is the uncontested capital of Kiwi surfing, complete with awesome surf shops and colourful Kombi vans. Main Beach is the area's busiest surf break, and surfers flock here when there is any sort of wave.

Further north is Waihi, open to the north-east, it surfs well with moderate swells on an incoming tide. From its northern end a track leads across the headlands to Orokawa Bay, which has bigger waves, often accompanied by a heavy undertow.

Gisborne and Eastland

With so many beaches around Gisborne, it is easy to find the right waves to learn on and there are several excellent surf coaching businesses to get you going, where you can hire a board, take a surf tour or focus on learning to surf.

"The 'Naki" (Taranaki) and the Surf Highway

Ask any keen surfer what Taranaki offers them and most will say the region's 105km surf coastline that produces some of this country's most legendary surf breaks.Surf Highway 45 is synonymous with consistent Tasman Sea swells that roll into sweeping deserted beaches, clipping reefs and sandbars along the way at perfect angles to ensure pumping waves and impressive barrels.

The action starts at New Plymouth's favourite holiday spot, north-facing Fitzroy Beach. Heavy swells from any westerly quarter roll over offshore sandbanks to produce hollow waves all along the beach.

14kms south of New Plymouth, Oakura Beach is a beautiful holiday resort with good sandbank breaks at high tide. It is a popular venue for surfing competitions.

On State Highway 45, 37kms from New Plymouth, Stent Road is one of the country's top surfing spots. A heavy swell here pounds the coasts with great right-hand wave breaks over a shallow reef.

Photo: Daisy Day, Taranaki

Lyall, Houghton, Titahi Bays, Cape Palliser and the Wellington Region

Surfing in Wellington is good. There is no such thing as too cold - just inappropriate wetsuiting. Wellington's most highly populated surfing spots include Lyall Bay, Houghton Bay and Titahi Bay - all of which have turned out some pretty decent surfing talent over the years. The number of people surfing the corner (The Wall, at the airport end of Lyall Bay) in the summer has started to spill over into the warmer of the winter days. July starts to separate the 'men from the boys'.

Cape Palliser and the South Wairarapa boasts many rocky breaks and beachies well worth a paddle, and with good local knowledge and tidal readings this past year has delivered some epic sessions.

This spot can offer some very powerful and outstanding surfing conditions. Check the report before you go though as it can be inconsistent, but when Lyall Bay is working you'll have a fantastic time. Great for all surfers depending on size of swell.

For advice on water safety, see our article A guide to water safety