surf aotearoa

SICK SPOTS
Invites Only

You are invited to check out these shots and imagine what it could be like to find something like a world class wave in your back yard.

Of course being world class its gonna be a powerful board snapping mother of a beast.

Its also gonna be shallow and it has jagged rocks and boulders beneath the surface.

But all these negatives add up to producing the thrill of a lifetime, a wave as good as anywhere.

A wave not for the faint hearted or the less than average surfer, cos basically its just too dangerous for anyone to get in the way while trying to surf a place that's way beyond their capability. So you're invited to look and enjoy. Just as our photographer enjoyed snapping these shots!
Whale Rock

So named because apparently Humpback whales used to come along and scratch their barnacles off against it. The bloody reef beneath scratches more than a few barnacles off if you happen to get pinballed through the inside as local surfer Al T found out recently. Its a heavy wave, it needs the right swell, and you need gonads to even paddle out there!

Al T. about to get smacked.

Al T. No Way Out!
There is this story about a Great White taking out a seal pup just next to a Paua diver. Apparently the diver still didn't have his quota and didn't want to swim in when warned by his mates on the beach. When he finally got to the shore he freaked as he was totally oblivious to the shark attack on the seal. He did wonder however what all the stuff was in the water that he had to swim through! Whale Rock just next to a juvenile seal colony and across the bay from a major seal colony.

Haydo Brain 'back seat drivin!'

Above and Below: Dave Lyons from Board Silly Adventures

Haydo Brain: Scored a few barrels on this particular morning.

Richard Baxter: making the drop -- almost!

The Captain's Island

Yo Ho Ho, steer a course for the Captain's Island in search of treasure!

Above: Curtis Lowe
Just what we did at SURFAOTEAROA and see what we found. Some damned heavy waves, a deserted beach and some interesting slabs in the line up. Slabs of waves and slabs of the concrete variety. The swell might have been a bit from the wrong direction but there were still some damn fine waves going down!
Yo Ho Ho...

Curtis Lowe Above

Al Temoananui

MIHI'S PLACE MIHI'S PLACE

Tucked away in the back of beyond. Known only to a few hardy crayfishermen and paua divers. Plus a handful of surfers. To get this place on you really have to be a local.
Yep or live with a local, or know a local really well. So here it is then Mihi's Place - a left hander amongst a bucket full of rights - kinda strange really - like a cream bun on a plate full of sausage rolls! If yuh know what the boss means!!

Dave Lyons :Mihi's Place

Dave Lyons: Above and Below

Curtis Lowe

Bright Street :Greymouth

Bright Street - Greymouth may well now be threatened by mining a company simply because Kahuna Boardriders Club can't raise the money to fight this battle in the environment court. This is a shocking result for Kahuna Boardriders who have worked really hard over the past six months to put a case together. It is also a bad result for the environment in general.
Kahuna have done a great job thanks to a lot of hard work by several members of the club, now they simply have run out of money. Could you imagine this happening if the area was a Kiwi habitat - nah the powers that be have got it sooo wrong with this one. Once again the big man with the fat cigar wins - could someone please find The Lorax for us ---UNLESS........ Someone else cares who has the much needed cash!!!
Mining Companies - they have such a great track record with conserving the environment --- yeah right!!!!
Well folks this is what it broke like before the rape occurred.

The Peak: Bright Street: Cobden Beach
Right in front of the carpark.

Jai Earnshaw a local, comes back to visit and rip.

Ike Hanson a visitor from east of the alps.

Dan ' Bowly ' Warren

Local Kahuna stalwart; Phil Harris

Jai Earnshaw - Looking for the wave.

Kaikoura Focus

Surfaotearoa travelled to Kaikoura several times over this past Autumn. We were stoked to score some really good waves. We've got a few shots left over that we didn't send away to the mags.
There's quite possibly gonna be a spread in an upcoming issue of Kiwi Surf Mag - the best shots featuring the locals surfing their waves.

Sam Dunfoy:Above

Adrian Taylor

Paddle out at South Sides

Shaun: Seq1

Above, Dave Lyons; Board Silly Adventures: Surf Coach

Manga: Almost Firing, Almost Smokin' Almost......

Grimma: Mangamaunu

Spot X
A heavy, punchy wave that's definitely not for beginners or intermediate level surfers. Some visiting pro surfers recently compared it to 'Off The Wall' in Hawaii.
Below: Doug Young scores a nice Baz and breaks out through the curtain.

Sumner Bar

Ben Lubbers: Sumner Bar

Blaketown
Hit the south side of the Greymouth Breakwater on an incoming to high tide and wait for the wedgiest peaks. Its usually carpeted with a dozen or so lid riders who absolutely shred. If the swell is coming from the north and the wind is offshore you're in for a real treat but it also gets okay if its small enough on a south west swell although its never as clean. You can paddle out in the huge rip right beside the breakwater. Late take offs are the norm and only the best stand ups can drop through the lip that the lid riders just seem to love. Its hard, its heavy and it sucks. It must rate as one of the hardest breaking waves in New Zealand so don't ride your favourite stick unless you're prepared to leave it in pieces.

Mike Christensen: Blaketown

Hayden Brain: Blaketown

Sam Dunfoy : Blaketown

Blaketown with Mt Cook in the background.

Sandfly Bay

Scottish style stone walls surround farmland on the winding roads of the Otago Peninsula. If its a north east wind and the swell is coming out of the south there's no need to hurry. Enjoy the magnificent scenery along the way as you look doen into Boulder Bay before arriving at the carpark for Sandfly Bay. Nestled amongst the biggest sandhills this side of the Sahara desert we think that Sandfly got its name because it was only the sandflies that would go there.

Johnny Chambers - slash and burn cutty.
In the 1970's the New Zealand ski team used to build up its fitness by running and skiing the sand hills. In 1978 local legend , the late Rex Von Huben placed second in the Open Event to Ton Deken at a New Zealnd Champs that got the best waves Sandfly can offer. Peaky beach break with a wedging right hander in the corner, These days surfers have to share the beach with day hikers and tourists who seek out the seals and penguins - stars of our eco tourist trade. Its damn hard to get a line up shot without some tourist standing in front of the camera trying to do the same thing,as our SurfAotearoa reporter found out recently at the top of one massive sand hill.

Sandfly Bay

BOULDERS

Felix Dickson drifts his tail over the back at Boulders.

Fekix pushing it further still in the Boulders shore break.

Nat Partsons: Boulders

Nat: Boulders

Taylors Mistake

Over the hill from Sumner Beach, Taylors offers a piece of sanity in the form of real waves for local surfers. Taylors is without a doubt the best beach break in Christchurch. It is usually best at low tide when it can break hollow across shallow sand banks. It does break through the tides however and frequently a rip in the middle of the bay can throw up some solid sucking reformed right handers.

Often at its best when the air temperature is close to 30 degrees and the wind is whipping up the faces from the North West! Watch out for crowds and the Sumner boys ripping the place to pieces led by The Schafers, Axe Stanley, Tommy E. plus Dax Lowen who all hunt out the best left handers the bay has to offer!

Manu Schafer

Craig Sheriff

Jonny Wardrop: Taylors -Right Point

Craig Sheriff: Taylors Mistake

South Shore Beach: Christchurch

Shame you missed it! - Ed
South Shore Beach Christchurch

Just another day on the same bank and no one out - yet!

Mangamaunu

The classic Rincon style point offers excellent surf for both short board surfers and mal riders. It works best from a north East Swell around to and East but also catches a South East swell.

Dan


surfaotearoa-like you we're here to surf!
	SICK SPOTS Invites Only You are invited to check out these shots and imagine what it could be like to find something like a world class wave in your back yard. Of course being world class its gonna be a powerful board snapping mother of a beast. Its also gonna be shallow and it has jagged rocks and boulders beneath the surface. But all these negatives add up to producing the thrill of a lifetime, a wave as good as anywhere. A wave not for the faint hearted or the less than average surfer, cos basically its just too dangerous for anyone to get in the way while trying to surf a place that's way beyond their capability. So you're invited to look and enjoy. Just as our photographer enjoyed snapping these shots! Whale Rock So named because apparently Humpback whales used to come along and scratch their barnacles off against it. The bloody reef beneath scratches more than a few barnacles off if you happen to get pinballed through the inside as local surfer Al T found out recently. Its a heavy wave, it needs the right swell, and you need gonads to even paddle out there! Al T. about to get smacked. Al T. No Way Out! There is this story about a Great White taking out a seal pup just next to a Paua diver. Apparently the diver still didn't have his quota and didn't want to swim in when warned by his mates on the beach. When he finally got to the shore he freaked as he was totally oblivious to the shark attack on the seal. He did wonder however what all the stuff was in the water that he had to swim through! Whale Rock just next to a juvenile seal colony and across the bay from a major seal colony. Haydo Brain 'back seat drivin!' Above and Below: Dave Lyons from Board Silly Adventures Haydo Brain: Scored a few barrels on this particular morning. Richard Baxter: making the drop -- almost! The Captain's Island Yo Ho Ho, steer a course for the Captain's Island in search of treasure! Above: Curtis Lowe Just what we did at SURFAOTEAROA and see what we found. Some damned heavy waves, a deserted beach and some interesting slabs in the line up. Slabs of waves and slabs of the concrete variety. The swell might have been a bit from the wrong direction but there were still some damn fine waves going down! Yo Ho Ho... Curtis Lowe Above Al Temoananui MIHI'S PLACE MIHI'S PLACE Tucked away in the back of beyond. Known only to a few hardy crayfishermen and paua divers. Plus a handful of surfers. To get this place on you really have to be a local. Yep or live with a local, or know a local really well. So here it is then Mihi's Place - a left hander amongst a bucket full of rights - kinda strange really - like a cream bun on a plate full of sausage rolls! If yuh know what the boss means!! Dave Lyons :Mihi's Place Dave Lyons: Above and Below Curtis Lowe Bright Street :Greymouth Bright Street - Greymouth may well now be threatened by mining a company simply because Kahuna Boardriders Club can't raise the money to fight this battle in the environment court. This is a shocking result for Kahuna Boardriders who have worked really hard over the past six months to put a case together. It is also a bad result for the environment in general. Kahuna have done a great job thanks to a lot of hard work by several members of the club, now they simply have run out of money. Could you imagine this happening if the area was a Kiwi habitat - nah the powers that be have got it sooo wrong with this one. Once again the big man with the fat cigar wins - could someone please find The Lorax for us ---UNLESS........ Someone else cares who has the much needed cash!!! Mining Companies - they have such a great track record with conserving the environment --- yeah right!!!! Well folks this is what it broke like before the rape occurred. The Peak: Bright Street: Cobden Beach Right in front of the carpark. Jai Earnshaw a local, comes back to visit and rip. Ike Hanson a visitor from east of the alps. Dan ' Bowly ' Warren Local Kahuna stalwart; Phil Harris Jai Earnshaw - Looking for the wave. Kaikoura Focus Surfaotearoa travelled to Kaikoura several times over this past Autumn. We were stoked to score some really good waves. We've got a few shots left over that we didn't send away to the mags. There's quite possibly gonna be a spread in an upcoming issue of Kiwi Surf Mag - the best shots featuring the locals surfing their waves. Sam Dunfoy:Above Adrian Taylor Paddle out at South Sides Shaun: Seq1 Above, Dave Lyons; Board Silly Adventures: Surf Coach Manga: Almost Firing, Almost Smokin' Almost...... Grimma: Mangamaunu Spot X A heavy, punchy wave that's definitely not for beginners or intermediate level surfers. Some visiting pro surfers recently compared it to 'Off The Wall' in Hawaii. Below: Doug Young scores a nice Baz and breaks out through the curtain. Sumner Bar Ben Lubbers: Sumner Bar Blaketown Hit the south side of the Greymouth Breakwater on an incoming to high tide and wait for the wedgiest peaks. Its usually carpeted with a dozen or so lid riders who absolutely shred. If the swell is coming from the north and the wind is offshore you're in for a real treat but it also gets okay if its small enough on a south west swell although its never as clean. You can paddle out in the huge rip right beside the breakwater. Late take offs are the norm and only the best stand ups can drop through the lip that the lid riders just seem to love. Its hard, its heavy and it sucks. It must rate as one of the hardest breaking waves in New Zealand so don't ride your favourite stick unless you're prepared to leave it in pieces. Mike Christensen: Blaketown Hayden Brain: Blaketown Sam Dunfoy : Blaketown Blaketown with Mt Cook in the background. Sandfly Bay Scottish style stone walls surround farmland on the winding roads of the Otago Peninsula. If its a north east wind and the swell is coming out of the south there's no need to hurry. Enjoy the magnificent scenery along the way as you look doen into Boulder Bay before arriving at the carpark for Sandfly Bay. Nestled amongst the biggest sandhills this side of the Sahara desert we think that Sandfly got its name because it was only the sandflies that would go there. Johnny Chambers - slash and burn cutty. In the 1970's the New Zealand ski team used to build up its fitness by running and skiing the sand hills. In 1978 local legend , the late Rex Von Huben placed second in the Open Event to Ton Deken at a New Zealnd Champs that got the best waves Sandfly can offer. Peaky beach break with a wedging right hander in the corner, These days surfers have to share the beach with day hikers and tourists who seek out the seals and penguins - stars of our eco tourist trade. Its damn hard to get a line up shot without some tourist standing in front of the camera trying to do the same thing,as our SurfAotearoa reporter found out recently at the top of one massive sand hill. Sandfly Bay BOULDERS Felix Dickson drifts his tail over the back at Boulders. Fekix pushing it further still in the Boulders shore break. Nat Partsons: Boulders Nat: Boulders Taylors Mistake Over the hill from Sumner Beach, Taylors offers a piece of sanity in the form of real waves for local surfers. Taylors is without a doubt the best beach break in Christchurch. It is usually best at low tide when it can break hollow across shallow sand banks. It does break through the tides however and frequently a rip in the middle of the bay can throw up some solid sucking reformed right handers. Often at its best when the air temperature is close to 30 degrees and the wind is whipping up the faces from the North West! Watch out for crowds and the Sumner boys ripping the place to pieces led by The Schafers, Axe Stanley, Tommy E. plus Dax Lowen who all hunt out the best left handers the bay has to offer! Manu Schafer Craig Sheriff Jonny Wardrop: Taylors -Right Point Craig Sheriff: Taylors Mistake South Shore Beach: Christchurch Shame you missed it! - Ed South Shore Beach Christchurch Just another day on the same bank and no one out - yet! Mangamaunu The classic Rincon style point offers excellent surf for both short board surfers and mal riders. It works best from a north East Swell around to and East but also catches a South East swell. Dan	Invites Only Sam Dunfoy Dave Lyons1 Dave Lyons 2 Dave Lyons 3 Dave Lyons 4 Al T Curtis about to snap his favourite stick Al T Whale Rock Above: Dave Lyons Below:Al T Sequence YO Ho Ho Curtis Lowe Al Temoananui Above Curtis Lowe MIHI'S PLACE Haydo Brain Dave Lyons 3 in a row Mudlucka A new spot, A secret spot A sick new secret spot! Check out the issue 109 of Kiwi Surf Mag when more of Mudlucka will be revealed! Bright Street Seq Ike Hanson sequence below. Grimma Hamish King Sam Dunfoy Sam Dunfoy:Above and Left These first shots are from South Sides and Kahutara. We actually missed some of the better days. One evening we didn't shoot because the light had died. Just as the sun dropped below the mountains, the offshore wind picked up, the swell pulsed and combined with the perfect tide at K a lot of great tubes went down. It often seems to happen that way at Kahutara - the morning session can be raw and fresh and the evening one is renowned for being the best of the day! Shuan MacEwan left and below managed to snag a few early waves before heading off to work! 2 3 4 Richard Baxter above and dodging daughter Hayley below. Grimma: Rock Hopping Jonny Chambers: Manga Spot X Seq: Nick Black Reeso Sammy D Richard Baxter Nat Parsons: Sandfly Bay Boulder Beach Boulders as it is affectionately known by the Dunedin crew is nestled amongst farmland and faces South East on the Otago Peninsula. Right next door to Sandfly the only thing that could put you off surfing this place is the walk in and out. A farm track leads down to a beach reserve but its a mistake to drive too far down this unless you're in some sort of 4WD monster. In places its so rutted it could fire you over the edge. The waves break best on all tides if the swell is big enough, or not too big as the case may be. When its small the shore break can get particularly hollow! Taylors Mistake Beach Paul Barron 1 Paul Barron 2 Paul Barron 3 Paul Barron 4 Hayden Brain 1 Hayden Brain 2 Hayden Brain 3 Jonny Wardrop South Shore Beach Mangamaunu Bay Mangamaunu Nick Craig Al Temoananui Sam Dunfoy Sam Dunfoy	p

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