Kaikoura Magic!

 
As I will be soon be returning to my beloved Portland, and since I have spent the last two months living surf starved in Nelson, it was high time for one last, good, surf-related road trip.  Unfortunately, the forcast was truly crap.  Undeterred by incoming rain and onshore winds, I steered the faithful surf campervan south to the legendary and gorgeous Kaikoura peninsula.   Kaikoura has a well deserved reputation as a surf and tourist hub.  The highway here hugs the coastline in and out of town, while gorgeous mountains loomed straight out of the surf.  I cannot describe how wonderful it is to drive with seal colonies on one side, lush hills on the other and sit in a line up staring at snow capped peaks in a sunset light.  This is the beauty of the place.  The town is small, but has lots of hiking and walking to do in town and nearby.  For those with more savings than us, this is also a hub of whale watching and dolphin swimming, so it really is a town where you shouldn't get bored.  As for me, I was looking for one last good surf and found it in a big way.  I already mentioned the view, but even with a shifty, small, somewhat onshore forecast, I pulled up to several small breaks, none of them working, until we parked on the side of the highway north of town and walked across the railway tracks to Mangamaunu.  The initial glance looked a bit junky but as I watched the solitary surfer out, I was amazed as he whipped his longboard through sharp turns for over 200 meters on a beautiful 4 foot point wave with a seemingly endless shoulder. 

Paradise found!  I ran back to the van and squeezed into my now battered suit not caring how many semi trucks drove by, I had to get out there.  I was rewarded by the longest rides of my entire trip, on waves from two to four feet in size.  Kaikoura is known for its point breaks and Mangamaunu (say that five times fast, or once for that matter) is a classic, with several sections and regularly reports rides of over 400 meters.  Over the two days I surfed there, I regularly saw the locals getting rides so long they would get out and walk back up the point.  Although I wasn't scoring rides that long, I put in my fair share of turns and got plenty of time to practice my cutbacks, including a truly fantastic head over heels dismount.  Two days of gorgeous views and waves, well worth the trip, I highly recommend stopping in for a few days if you're ever in this neck of the woods, even if you don't surf.  Although I find it easy to recommend this popular spot readily, I have long been struggling with an issue close to the heart of many surfers and I believe is extremely important to any surf writing, mainly, when to keep a spot secret.  If you have noticed a gap in my blog, it is because I spent a while in a fantastic surf region that is somewhat off the tourist map.  For me, it is in part so genuine and worthwhile because its not a tourist town, and I believe it is important it stay that way as long as possible.  If you come to New Zealand for surf or any travel really, you will not be disappointed and with a little effort, may find your own out of the way place.  So I will share a few stories from the past months that have yet to be included, but I may not include break names or even specify a region.  Each of us must keep up our own search, respect the locals and the effort that pioneered the breaks we arrive at, if we are to keep the magic of surf travel alive.