Gabriele Steindl: Professional Kitesurfer & Freelance Writer - Action, Lifestyle & Travels

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Hitting the Surf Highway, Taranaki, New Zealand !

Because Taranaki’s spherical coast collects 180 degrees of all possible swells, it offers New Zealand’s most consistent surf. For this reason, the 105 kilometre long Highway 45 that hugs this coast is also known as the Surf Highway. Here you can be almost certain that the surf will be pumping somewhere between New Plymouth and Hawera.

The best wave venues on Surf Highway 45 have names that you’ll never forget. There’s Back Beach, Kumara Patch, Graveyard and The Dump, just to name a few.

Ever-present on this journey is the looming shape of Mount Taranaki (2518m), a huge volcano which last erupted around 250 years ago. The mountain sits at the centre of Egmont National Park, which has a comprehensive network of hiking tracks.

To me Mount Taranaki is THE most beautiful mountain that I’ve ever seen, it’s simply perfect and looks so ‘proud’ … even better:  to watch this beauty with fresh snow on the top right from the surfboard out in the joy waves of the ‘naki (as locals call taranaki)!

Here’s the major surf breaks on route (not that I’ve had already the pleasure of testing all of them, nope… however I rocked a few already and hopefully a few more before I have to leave this stunning corner of New Zealand, which also maks my last stop on my amazing road-trip that took me over 11.000km all over the South and the North island) in case u cruiz’ past this paradise coast of surf one day….:

Major Surf Breaks En Route:
Ohawe Beach – right-hander, fast, popular for swimming and fishing
Mangahume – A-frame, challenging wave in NE wind
The Dumps – best at lower tide
Opunake Beach – right-hander, high-tide, offshore NE wind
Arawhata Road – right break; left and right in middle of bay
Kina Road – popular windsurfing spot
Stent Road – five spots, working on all tides, offshore NE
Graveyards – left-hander, SE wind
Rocky Point – Rocky Rights (NE wind) and Rocky Lefts (SE wind)
Weld Road – good longboard spot
Ahu Ahu Road – gentle left-hander and fast right-hander
Oakura Beach – local club spot, beach break
Back Beach – West-facing, bars change frequently, deceptive wave size
East End Beach – NW-facing, best at mid-high tide
Fitzroy Beach – local club spot, barrels, right and left-hander
Waiwhakaiho River Mouth & Groyne – left and right off A-frame peak

Will keep u updated on action @ the ‘naki !
Catch ya,
Gabi