Surf’s Up in New Zealand

Grab your board – the surf’s up and waiting for you. Keen surfers from around the globe come to New Zealand to surf the huge range of beach, point, reef and bar breaks and to avoid the crowds in other popular international surf spots.

Our island nation has thousands of kilometres of readily accessible coastline, and its narrow shape means that the west and east coasts are close together, so there’s always a good break not far away.

When can you surf in New Zealand?

You can surf all year round in New Zealand. In the North Island, you’ll need a wetsuit from March to November, but the water is generally warm enough to surf without one over summer from December to February. You’ll need a wetsuit year-round in the South Island due to the cooler water temperatures.

What makes motorhome surf holidays so good?

The freedom and independence of a home on wheels is ideal for a Kiwi surfing holiday. All Wilderness motorhomes are designed for freedom camping, so you can stay overnight at freedom camping locations near the beach. Stash your boards in the garage, fill the fridge and get off-the-beaten-track to explore the real New Zealand and find the best breaks.

With plenty of freedom camping spots around the coast and many right by the beach, you can sleep to the sound of the sea and be on the sand by first light to catch early waves.

Get away from it all for a few days before returning to civilisation to recharge the batteries and refill your supplies. Even in the colder months, a Wilderness motorhome will keep you toasty warm with central heating in all models and bathrooms that convert to drying rooms in most models, so you can have dry wetsuits and towels daily.

Where to surf in the North Island

Starting from the far north of the North Island, just over four hours from Auckland, Ahipara and Shipwreck Bay are definitely worth a visit for the history, the stunning landscape and the 1km long supertube.

If you’re travelling north, you can drive the Twin Coast Discovery Highway to take in the surf on both coasts. Popular surf spots on the east coast to the north of Auckland include Mangawhai and Te Arai.

You don’t even need to go too far from Auckland itself for great surf. You’ll find the black sand surf beaches of Piha and Muriwai just 45 minutes from the city, or in the right conditions you can even surf beaches such as Takapuna on Auckland’s North Shore, just ten minutes from Auckland CBD.

Two hours south of Auckland on the west coast, you’ll find Raglan's surf community and Manu Bay's world-famous surf break. The long, peeling left hand break is said to offer one of the longest rides in the world and was featured in the 1966 surfing film Endless Summer.

Over on the east coast, around two hours from Auckland, is the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula. It's home to white sandy beaches and various popular breaks, including Hot Water Beach, Whangamata and Pauanui. Head further down the coast to the Bay of Plenty and its popular beach town of Mount Maunganui, home of New Zealand’s first artificial reef.

You’ll find stunning beaches around the East Cape. Gisborne is famous for being the first city in the world to see the sun and is a great place for dawn surfing, with some of the best breaks in New Zealand facing south and east.

On the western side of the North Island, the Taranaki area, known to locals as The Naki, boasts many surf beaches. Surf Highway 45 runs between New Plymouth and Hawera and gets its name from the many accessible surf breaks.

Fitzroy Beach is one of the area's most popular due to its reliable surf. Continue south from Taranaki, and you’ll eventually hit the Wairarapa region, just around the corner from New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington and home to miles of uncrowded waves. You can even surf in Wellington City as Lyall Bay is great on a southerly swell.

Where to surf in the South Island

New Zealand’s South Island is home to many unspoilt surf beaches, from Westport to Greymouth on the rugged West Coast and the whole way down the east. Surf at Kaikoura and you’ll be sharing the surf with Dusky dolphins and seals. Breaks near Kaikoura include Mangamaunu, Meatworks and Oaro.

Closer to Christchurch, you’ll find many surf spots like New Brighton, one of the most popular beaches in the area, and Jack’s Point just south of Timaru. If you can brave the cooler temperatures, then Dunedin is one of the best surfing regions in New Zealand, with a large number of breaks all situated quite close together.

Safety in the surf

You can find surf reports for all of New Zealand’s best-known surf breaks on the surf forecast website.

Be aware that some New Zealand beaches can be dangerous, especially for swimmers or novice surfers, due to strong rips and consistently large waves. Muriwai and Piha on Auckland’s west coast are prime examples.

Lifeguards patrol the most popular beaches around New Zealand during summer. It’s a smart idea to talk to local surfers or lifeguards about conditions and hazards. Surf in a group if you can, and if you’re swimming on a patrolled beach, always stay between the flags.

The sun in New Zealand is particularly strong so remember to apply sun protection. A minimum SPF50+ if you’re swimming or out surfing for long periods.

Check out our top 10 reasons to tour New Zealand by campervan in summer.