Forget the Land of The Long White Cloud, New Zealand could be called the Land Of The Long Left. Raglan Bay, probably the country’s best known wave, would be the poster break for the new tagline. However that iconic 500 metre point break is just the tip of the iceberg. Both the North Island and South Island pick up swell from the South Ocean, the Tasman Sea and cyclone systems further north. And with opposite facing coastlines often an hour’s drive away from each other, every wind is catered for. While it’s never really warm in the water,  the huge number of reefs, beachbreak and points combined with the lack of crowds make it one of the more underrated surf destinations on the planet.

Quick Facts

Mix of beachbreaks, points and reefs on both North and South Island 

North Island is warmer and the best for surf, with Raglan Bay known worldwide 

Summer can be warm, but most surfs will involve a few millimetres of rubber.  

Relatively uncrowded