Surfing

Great Barrier Island offers some of the best surfing and boogie boarding in New Zealand. Any of the four popular east coast beaches on the island will provide you with an enjoyable surfing experience, but experience is needed when waves peak over two metres. The island works well on any swell from the northeast through to the southeast, and the wave size is generally bigger than the Coromandel surf breaks.

There are campgrounds associated with the Medlands, Awana and Whangapoua surf beaches. Please note that there is an additional charge if you are flying to Great Barrier with your surfboard.

Surf Spots

Medlands Beach

Medlands is the nearest surf beach to Tryphena and has good sand bar breaks along its entire length, particularly on an incoming tide. Shark Alley is a popular right hand break at the southern end, but be aware that it didn't get its name for nothing.

Whangapoua Beach

Good surf waves break over sandbanks across the mouth of the Whangapoua Estuary producing barrels in a northeasterly swell. Entry is by paddling out through the surf or by hopping-off the south end rocks. Watch for the odd stingray when wading across the estuary.

Awana Beach

Awana Beach is noted for its good all year round surfing conditions and its variety of waves, which result from rapidly shifting sandbanks. Any respectable easterly swell will push up fast-moving, heavy beach breaks on an incoming tide.

Kaitoke Beach

The largest beach on the east coast is Kaitoke, boasting a number of good beach breaks all the way down the island at the south end. The best sand bar breaks are normally at Palmer’s Beach at the north end. The under current can be very strong so always surf in pairs.