This is a very isolated spot and it takes a long drive to get here, but if you make the effort you’ll be rewarded with some of the best waves on the island. You’ll need to be hardy to go out here, and when it goes off you’ll need a fair amount of technical ability.
The beach is fairly narrow, with a larger grassy area behind it. It’s a very quiet area, you’ll never see more than handful of people around, and there are plenty of places for you to pick a good spot. Sea temperatures are average for the north island, being 16 – 18 C in summer and 11 – 14C in winter.
The wind comes from the northwest or west and can be strong, you want to be here when it’s light. The swell is best from the southwest, south, southeast, east or northeast, and it works at all tide positions. It is a reef break, both right and left, the waves are hollow and powerful, and they’ll start at less than one metre high before they building up to a maximum of over 3m. Length is usually short and most days won’t see more than 50m, but the odd good day can have that extended to 150m.
You can drive here easily enough, and park on the grass just off the road. There no facilities at all, except for the public toilet just off the road a few minutes south. Wellington is probably your best bet for a base, especially if you like home comforts and civilisation after a days surfing.
Wear booties to protect your feet from the rocks, and give the locals some respect – there might only be a handful of them, but it is their area.
