It does it lots & lots billboard....was living at Whangarei for a while & when ever it said 3 metre swell or bigger would jump into the EH Holden station wagon & get there. That pic is of the first break at Ahipara. Generally speaking the further you drive around the headland the bigger it gets.
Amazing when its all linking up coz your on one section & then there's another...& another...& another...etc
Heaps of sand hills further around...you half expect a camel to come trotting over them.
Quite isolated once you get further around.
The funniest sight I saw there was this dude in a suit carrying a briefcase walking along the beach in the middle of nowhere ??

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GizzieNZ said...

The funniest sight I saw there was this dude in a suit carrying a briefcase walking along the beach in the middle of nowhere ??

Well it is NZ mate

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GizzieNZ said...

Ahipara (also known as shipwrecks) near Kaitaia....is a rocky headland that those big swells from the south wrap around creating a series of breaks that on a really happy day link up together to make rides nearing a kilometre long. Quite fun driving through the night to get there also
Never buy a second hand car from kaitaia though....they drive them along the beach heaps!!

geez, that looks like a left hand snapper, lm, rainbow, greenie, coolie

^^ That was the first thing I thought of LL

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CMC said...

My best 2 left waves ever:

Backsides at Flatrock Ballina. First proper reef break ever. Did not want to paddle out, 6 foot spitting barrels.

Sat out there for about an hour freaking out. Fish everywhere, waves cracking on the rocks. Finally took one, got completely picked up and went head first in the lip. I was sure I was dead. I did not hit the bottom and came up easily. If I survived that there was no dramas. Spent the next 3 hours getting wave after wave and had the best surf for a very long time.

Next was Ulu's. 6 - 8 feet. First surf in Indo ever. High tide, climbed down the old bamboo ladder into the cave that was washing through and rebounding. Made it out and sat there for ever. So spooked. Eventually paddled for a set and was dropped in on by 2 Brazo's. I got faded and went over head first in the lip. Lived, no scratches and once again had an amazing surf.

I remember those first 2 waves more than any of the others from those sessions.

It was a bit like that for me at Ulu's the first time. It was a massive step up from Kuta Reef. The bamboo ladder and the paddle through the cave was tricky and once out there it's bigger than it looks and the sneaker sets. Spooky place for sure but the best rides ever. Wasn't overly crowded in 1980. Got some pics of it at 15 feet plus and one lone knee boarder out. Turns out it was Albert Whiteman from Maroubra. I was happy to just watch it that day. Massive freight trains breaking in slow motion.

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laceys lane said...

GizzieNZ said...

Ahipara (also known as shipwrecks) near Kaitaia....is a rocky headland that those big swells from the south wrap around creating a series of breaks that on a really happy day link up together to make rides nearing a kilometre long. Quite fun driving through the night to get there also
Never buy a second hand car from kaitaia though....they drive them along the beach heaps!!

geez, that looks like a left hand snapper, lm, rainbow, greenie, coolie

i ride goofy that place is parradise for me

go old cock

this is a no brainer.....Grajagan

Yep Billboard its a sweet wave - you almost had me there until I realised that the spelling was incorrect - but its not your fault!! I was always a fan of that part of the wave myself.....we used to camp behind the dunes there in the good old days. It was great as when Raglan got to 8ft you knew it was time to jump in the car and head north as the next day it would be pumping in at Shippies. An old school friend of mine grew up Bluehouse - the old farm house at the end of the peninsular and where the waves first break. Awesome spot.

As Gizzie says it does break pretty often but the sad thing is that its very predictable so half of the country turns up. Supertubes and Pines are also good breaks on their day. It really reminds me of Nossa in reverse - the further you head out around the points the bigger it gets......If Shippies is waist high you know it will be smoking around the corner.....when its overhead at Shippies you need to make sure you have packed yourself a big board as the it will be big with loads of water moving around the corner!!

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arkgee said...

this is a no brainer.....Grajagan

Yep I hear ya......but I am wanting to head somewhere other than Indo. If I was going to go back there I would head to North Sumutra but it looks like I will only have a few weeks this trip so it rules a decent mission out up there.

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GizzieNZ said...

Ahipara (also known as shipwrecks) near Kaitaia....is a rocky headland that those big swells from the south wrap around creating a series of breaks that on a really happy day link up together to make rides nearing a kilometre long. Quite fun driving through the night to get there also
Never buy a second hand car from kaitaia though....they drive them along the beach heaps!!

How good is that

Here is the trailer for a video a good mate of mine made about 6 yrs ago. Some old footage now but you will see some of the north islands left hand breaks....lots of them!!! Shippies is in there as well. The chick singing is the little sister of one of our other mates. Top voice.

Desert Point is another incredible setup and although I have never been there its been described as the best left in the world. That place in Kiwi looks fun.

Cheers Ted , nice right at taranaki & she does have a nice voice yeah

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Ted the Kiwi said...

Here is the trailer for a video a good mate of mine made about 6 yrs ago. Some old footage now but you will see some of the north islands left hand breaks....lots of them!!! Shippies is in there as well. The chick singing is the little sister of one of our other mates. Top voice.

Nice one Ted...she has got a nice voice....southerly onshore here at the moment so my tongue was almost hanging out at the sight of those nice waves.....liked the sheep reference at the beginning also lol

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GizzieNZ said...

It does it lots & lots billboard....was living at Whangarei for a while & when ever it said 3 metre swell or bigger would jump into the EH Holden station wagon & get there. That pic is of the first break at Ahipara. Generally speaking the further you drive around the headland the bigger it gets.
Amazing when its all linking up coz your on one section & then there's another...& another...& another...etc
Heaps of sand hills further around...you half expect a camel to come trotting over them.
Quite isolated once you get further around.
The funniest sight I saw there was this dude in a suit carrying a briefcase walking along the beach in the middle of nowhere ??

Hey gizzie - Ive spent a bit of time in Ahipara and I think I can safely guess what was in the briefcase mate !

We normally stay in ahipara and jump between there and taupo bay/hendersons depending on the weather. IMHO its the best part of NZ and have had some amazing surfs at blue house right thru to shippies. Hate to say this, but it would be the best sup break in the world - maybe one day.

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billboard said...

Hey gizzie - Ive spent a bit of time in Ahipara and I think I can safely guess what was in the briefcase mate !

We normally stay in ahipara and jump between there and taupo bay/hendersons depending on the weather. IMHO its the best part of NZ and have had some amazing surfs at blue house right thru to shippies. Hate to say this, but it would be the best sup break in the world - maybe one day.

Good to hear. I have been fortunate a few times recently when heading home and getting enough swell to head up that way. Love it up there in the north. Henderson Bay and a few others round there have the whitest sand beaches in NZ - I love the squeaky noise the sand makes as you run across it. Beautiful spots.

So what takes you to that part of NZ often?

Have you driven down thru Omapere and Highway 12 on yr way back to Auckland? Not that many renowned surf spots but its stunning.

I agree that Shippies and beyond would be unreal on a SUP. The perfect weapon for the current!!!