Manly Beach

Orewa offers a nice beach-break only half-an-hour from the city centre. Usually great for beginners, it really delivers with easterly cyclone swell – and it’s well set up with parking, grassy areas, showers and toilets. South of here, the Whangaparaoa Peninsula juts way out into the ocean exposing numerous bays to almost every wind direction. On the north coast, Manly Beach, Tindalls Beach and Army Bay work in NW and NE while 'Haruhi Bay’ or Shakespear Regional Park works in prevailing SW. Once again there are great launch areas, BBQs, toilets and hardly anyone else on the water. In contrast, there’s plenty going on in East Coast Bays, especially with a NE summer breeze or the occasional remnants of cyclone winds. These produce a moderate windswell in Browns Bay, Milford and Takapuna, ideal for wave novices. The waves are biggest in easterly wind, although that’s totally onshore. Those first faltering hours on a board could be on fresh water at Lake Pupuke or brine at Shoal Bay were there’s a standing-depth area and from mid to high tide a 150m speed strip behind a sandbank. At low tide the speed-freaks head to Island Bay where the strip’s over a kilometre long. The huge natural Waitemata Harbour offers two more options: Pt. Chevalier is best three hours either side of low tide, then at high water Herne Bay stays particularly flat on 'Meola Reef’. Nearest the city, Tamaki Point is a good all-rounder in W to SW as the wind accelerates through such a narrow channel that it’s a little stronger than anywhere else, albeit a bit gustier. Beware of the shipping lane, as it’s certainly not just hobby captains entering the Port of Auckland! Further down Tamaki Drive are Mission Bay, Kohimarama and the kiters’ favourite, St. Heliers. All three work particularly well in NW wind, but cross-onshore easterlies are a lot of fun too. On the east bank of the Tamaki River both 'Bucklands Beach’ and 'Little Bucks’ offer good parking and rigging just a short walk from the water. Meanwhile Eastern Beach on the ocean side is great for exploring the Hauraki Gulf islands just offshore. South-west of the city, Jenkins Bay in Manukau Harbour is one of the few spots where westerly wind blows squarely cross-shore. A tide ebbing against the windswell produces little ramps in the channel, while the shallows offer record-breaking speed conditions. Just look out for the oyster-beds. Nice kickers also build on an ebb tide at Kaitarakihi where smaller rigs are always required if a SW accelerates through the narrow Manukau Harbour mouth. Never venture out into the strong currents alone though. It’s worth a mission to the west coast for the verdant rainforest alone, but it really pays off when a good swell rolls in from the Tasmanian Sea and the beach-break at Muriwai hits top form.