6 Best Places To Enjoy Surfing In Christchurch, New Zealand

With more than 15,000km of coastline to choose from, New Zealand is a surfer’s dream. Christchurch on the South Island has many epic surf spots to choose from, but they’re not for the fainthearted.

* Beginner’s luck at Scarborough Beach

Just a 25-minute drive from central Christchurch, Scarborough Beach in Sumner is a great place for beginners to get their feet wet and try standing on the board for the first time. The beach is broken up by rocky outcrops and the sheltered bay is home to easy foamies perfect for beginners with longboards who want to give surfing a go. Hire equipment and book a lesson with Learn to Surf, or Stoked Surf School both based in Sumner.

* Barrels at South New Brighton

One of Christchurch’s longest beaches, New Brighton is a popular spot for watersports and is home to the South Brighton Surf Lifesaving club. Just 10km from Christchurch city centre, New Brighton Beach has a long pier and can get pretty busy on summer days. The beach is good for beginners to intermediate surfers with soft and peaky waves during summer days with onshore wind.

* Southeasterly swells at Taylor’s Mistake

A more popular surf spot in Christchurch is Taylor’s Mistake, located between Sumner and Lyttleton. Taylor’s Mistake has slightly bigger waves up to 2.5m. Surfing in this stop works in big northerly and easterly swells, but is best in a southeasterly swell. The beach “relies on its banks for the quality of waves,” according to the Christchurch city library, which historically says that the bay was “clouded in mystery and maritime drama.” The exact origin of the name, who Taylor was and what the mistake was, is linked to two separate incidents – records show that the bay was referred to as Taylor’s Mistake in records dating back to 1853.

* Banks Peninsula surfing at Hickory Bay

Another treasure in the Banks Peninsula is Hickory Bay. At just 91.5km from Christchurch city, this sweet surf spot is next to a massive cliff face. The beach faces due east and is at the end of the peninsula. This bay gets waves from the south right around to the northeast. It features a sandy bottom and usually has great banks providing peaks along the beach and a good left off the far left cliff face.

* Point break in Magnet Bay

A 68.5km drive from Christchurch, Magnet Bay is one of several bays around the Banks Peninsula famous for its left-hand point break. The adventure begins before you even hit the board. Getting into the water can be a challenge because of the sharp boulders. The best time to hit the waves is best at low to mid-tide. Look out for seals and light a fire after your surf to warm up in one of the caves.

* Scenic surf at Kaikoura

Make a weekend of it and head to Kaikoura, 181km north of Christchurch for a memorable surf against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. The deep ocean trench, which comes close to land off the coast of Kaikoura, produces south swells that fire along the coastline. Kaikoura has a range of fantastic point spots to choose from such as Kahutara with big swells, Mangamanu (Halfmoon Bay) and Meatworks. Take in some whale watching, seal spotting and look out for the famous dusky dolphins.