By "frustrated aussie" , 22-05-2003

Waves on Waiheke?????? - I arrived on Waiheke 6 day's ago and the last 3 days the wind has been howling from the north. Today it is off-shore and nice 3ft punchy beachies and I don't have a board here. Yes, I am spewing. Lesson learnt. Don't go anywhere with out a board.

By Old Fart. , 21-01-2003

City Beaches - Long Bay,Long Bay Reef, The point, Flat Rock, Waiake Bombora, Rothesay Bay, Mairangi Bay, Campbells Bay, Milford Beach, Milford Reef, O'Neills, North Reef, Takapuna Beach, South Reef, and a few other small oddities are all inner harbour beaches protected by the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, the Islands of the Hauraki Gulf, and the Coromandel Peninsula. When these spots work they can work very well on occasion ranging from six times a year to once every ten years depending on the weather pattern, the season snd the individual spot. So, it isn't Indo. The main attraction is either novelty value or sheer convenience if you're a local.
If these spots are surfable then further North is going off, starting from Tawharanui and Omaha and heading further North. Don't hang around the North Shore waiting for a wave, you'll be disappointed. Taking a global perspective as a long time local, I'm surprised the Auckland inner harbour beaches are even listed on this site! (They are fun when they work tho')

By Rosie , 03-12-2002

Tawharanui - It's spelt Tawharanui NOT Tawparanui

By dan , 24-11-2002

great barrier - the great barrier is the best i luved staying in okiwi and having your own beach at the sharing qauters (farm you have your own beach! for how long you rent) and thanx plil for letting me stay at the irish pub

By Anonymous , 18-11-2001

north east coast - The typical swell direction coming on this coast is N.E swell. In the summer it comes down from the Tropical deppressions further north.They usually pass in a S.E direction to the east of New zealand so the swell usually changes from a north to N.E to E to S.E. But the S.E swells usually get cut off by east cape and the coramandel before they hit this coast unless they are big (over 5-6 feet usually makes it up). During the winter most swell on this coast is N.E wind swell but sometimes you get a ground swell from the east/south east from a low passing through. The best time of year for this coast is during the summer from Dec to April when we get the most tropical lows coming down which can create some nice big swells and can last for weeks when they stay sitting off the coast. The water is warm during the summer, boardies or springie temp and cold to numbing during the winter. You can pretty much surf all the breaks on this coast with your average thruster. may need a mal during the winter and spring when the swell is smaller. Bigger guns may be needed during the summer if sweel reaches over six-eight feet.