Auckland Tour Company is an exclusive operation specialising in daily tours out of the Auckland region as well as overnight options at the magnificent beachfront Lodge at Tairua Beach on the Coromandel Pensinula (approximately 2 hours drive from downtown Auckland).
Your hosts John and Alison McDermott offer the very best in service to ensure you enjoy a truly memorable experience.
Go to http://www.tourco.co.nz/ for further information.
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THA Golf tournament 2010
Auckland Tour Company this year sponsored the Auckland contingent attending the inaugural THA Golf Tournament held at the spectacular Kinloch golf course in Taupo.
Auckland's Peter, Dave, Ant and John were pitted against formidable opponents from the Hawkes Bay (Richard, Julian, Andy and Bruce) and Taranaki (Steve, Peter, Mark and Kerry) in a 36 hole combined Stableford competition.
For a number of the competitors, playing Kinloch was to be a first and with a reputation for its difficulty (especially in the prevailing South Westerly wind) there were the inevitbable jitters on the first tee.
Despite this course being described by many as one of the country's toughest, it was generally agreed that the spectacular scenery on course and off (the backdrop is dominated by beautiful Lake Taupo and beyond to the Tongariro National Park) made for an amazing golfing experience.
The first day's competition was completed with drinks and dinner at the clubhouse. Despite being an all male crew, without a single wife/partner in the region, the evening was relatively uneventful, as all competitors were conscious of the need to step up the following morning in the best possible physical and mental shape - Teams Auckland and Hawkes Bay especially aware of the monumental effort required to haul back the Taranaki lead.
Day two dawned clear and relatively still although the breeze did start to come up a little prior to tee-off. With near perfect conditions and some experience of what to expect, most of the competitors played improved golf with scores to match. Unfortunately however there was to be no miracle finish by the chasing crews with Team Taranaki able to hold on to its first day's lead to take out the THA Tournament in convincing style. Despite a superb second round by Auckland's Ant Grayson, they were not able to make any inroads on either of the other teams.
A quick drink at the clubrooms was followed by a great finale to the event with a superb afternoon on the deck of the Lakeside residence of Team HB followed by another sumptuous dinnner again provided by Richard - prizegiving and plenty of banter to follow.
Consideration for next year's tournament;
1 round at Wairakei to be included. No naked swimming. Kitchen knives to be used as cooking utensils only. Compulsory town 'visit' on at least one occasion. Richard retain cooking duties. No chipping comp. Savvy stays on ice until after 5.00pm. Absolutely no spoofing.
Auckland's Peter, Dave, Ant and John were pitted against formidable opponents from the Hawkes Bay (Richard, Julian, Andy and Bruce) and Taranaki (Steve, Peter, Mark and Kerry) in a 36 hole combined Stableford competition.
For a number of the competitors, playing Kinloch was to be a first and with a reputation for its difficulty (especially in the prevailing South Westerly wind) there were the inevitbable jitters on the first tee.
Despite this course being described by many as one of the country's toughest, it was generally agreed that the spectacular scenery on course and off (the backdrop is dominated by beautiful Lake Taupo and beyond to the Tongariro National Park) made for an amazing golfing experience. Day one was dominated by the Taranaki team who took a commanding lead over Hawkes Bay and Auckland, respectively. Despite Auckland having taken the opportunity to formulate some team spirit and cohesion by playing Wairakei International the day prior to the tournament, this was to prove a futile exercise as they struggled to come to terms with the unforgiving nature of the Kinloch course.
All teams resided at 3 lakeside homes in Kinloch town with the first evening prior to day one hosted by team Hawkes Bay more aptly, chef extraordinaire Richard Chambers
The first day's competition was completed with drinks and dinner at the clubhouse. Despite being an all male crew, without a single wife/partner in the region, the evening was relatively uneventful, as all competitors were conscious of the need to step up the following morning in the best possible physical and mental shape - Teams Auckland and Hawkes Bay especially aware of the monumental effort required to haul back the Taranaki lead.
Day two dawned clear and relatively still although the breeze did start to come up a little prior to tee-off. With near perfect conditions and some experience of what to expect, most of the competitors played improved golf with scores to match. Unfortunately however there was to be no miracle finish by the chasing crews with Team Taranaki able to hold on to its first day's lead to take out the THA Tournament in convincing style. Despite a superb second round by Auckland's Ant Grayson, they were not able to make any inroads on either of the other teams.
A quick drink at the clubrooms was followed by a great finale to the event with a superb afternoon on the deck of the Lakeside residence of Team HB followed by another sumptuous dinnner again provided by Richard - prizegiving and plenty of banter to follow.There were a number of 'side' haggles including the all prestigious Russian Stableford, for the record won by Kerry Hamilton and Mark Gilmour.
A big heads-up to organiser Steve Lepper with Richard Chambers hosting two of the evenings superbly.
On reflection, a wonderful time was had by all. The location was second to none with Kinloch a true golfing experience of the highest order (Jack Nicklaus designed and ranked in the Top 10 new courses in the world in 2007). The staff both in the clubrooms and proshop made us feel very welcome morning and night!
To be able to travel within 3 hours of Auckland and play two of the country's finest courses was a real privilege - the two courses differ quite significantly, so the opportunity to play both in one weekend made for an ideal combination.
1 round at Wairakei to be included. No naked swimming. Kitchen knives to be used as cooking utensils only. Compulsory town 'visit' on at least one occasion. Richard retain cooking duties. No chipping comp. Savvy stays on ice until after 5.00pm. Absolutely no spoofing.
THE "60 IS THE NEW 40" ROADIE
Jag2/ n.sl. 1 a drinking bout; a spree. 2 a period of indulgence in an activity, emotion etc
Three men, four surfboards, one coffee machine and a whole bunch of enthusiasm with a pinch of apprehension, were the ingredients required to create one epic surf roadie.
Phil, Kevin and John (the writer) set off from Auckland mid Sunday morning in the knowledge that the East Coast still held a lingering ground swell passing slowly down the country. An early afternoon arrival at Mt Maunganui revealed plenty of swell and only a light onshore sea breeze to contend with. A quick trip down the road to Omanu, offered an empty line-up with great 3-4’ left and right banks. With barely a word uttered, we were into the surf and away for the next 2 hours of great afternoon waves.
Toward the end of this session the first incident occurred with a collision between Kevin and Phil resulting in a calf muscle injury to Phil, thankfully recorded on camera ( not so much for the sake of posterity but to cover any legal issues at a later date!). Phil still managed to grab a few more nice right handers throughout the session with Kevin nailing some long peeling rights into the beach. 
A fantastic start to the trip with the surf gods shining down from the outset. After booking in to Belle Mer apartment on the beach at Tay St and grabbing a quick bite and drink it was back in to the water, this time on the south side of the Mount island then across for some ‘muntier’ action on the main beach shorey.
Day one and what a start – 2 surfs in first afternoon. John on dinner, perhaps the only anticlimax with an ominous sign of things to come on the fuel front. Only other concern being Phil’s leg with a history of clotting (his leg, not him); icing and compression were the call of the evening.
Day two, the plan to surf early then start working our way south (to follow the direction of the low pressure) eventuated true to our desires with nearby Tay St firing with a clean 3’ offshore and only a handful in the water. The boys hit it with the enthusiasm of teenagers (Phil limping down the beach like an 18 year old!). Waves galore for all 3; long, well formed right-handers combined with a few fast, grunty, left handers to produce a near perfect session…. Contented with a great surf followed by brunch at the Mount, it was off down the coast. First stop Makatu – something of an unknown we found a great little town on the coast with a small river mouth and while the surf was small, the potential looked excellent with a small right hand break rolling down the point across the river mouth. Over the hill we discovered Newdicks beach – a $3.00 charge to access the beach across a private farm was a small price to pay with another great looking spot – beach break combined with a few rock outcrops forming A frames at the northern end of the beach. Being a bit windblown (although still surfable) it was decided to head straight through to the East Coast.
It should be noted that over the first 24 hours of our trip, the one missing item had been clouds with picture perfect weather to date, however that was all to change as we got halfway through the Waioeka gorge – the clouds descended with drizzle and rain to follow us around for the next 48 hours.
A quick check of the Gisborne coast resulted in the decision to head straight through to Mahia, another hour down the coast, so after a quick stock up in town it was off to pastures unknown. We arrived later that afternoon to our house for the next 3 days at the north end of Mahanga beach. While the south western side of the Peninsula was flat and onshore, Mahanga beach on the ocean side was out of control with little help from a crosswind coming up the beach. The bach being a large barnlike setup is owned by Jeff Bradburn (ex-pat living in France and working for Quicksilver).
Spirits were still high with Kevins I-Phone (the only technically assisted device on tour) promising a wind swing to the southwest and an ease in swell overnight. Dinner was an ordinary mockup aided immeasurably by plenty of wine and good music.
The next morning, despite still being damp and murky, did look more promising on the surf front with Mahanga having settled down a little overnight. Local knowledge care of friend Kim Hemus (regular visitor to Bradburns) suggested we head over the hill to a private access break called ‘Last Chance’. Arrival at the top gate gave us a breathtaking view down the valley with a long pealing left hand reef break and a larger right at the south end of the bay making for every surfers dream. The wind was clean offshore, the size perfect and so with a quick clearance from the landowners we were happily dancing our way down the track to the beach (even Phil!!). Unfortunately our dreams were nearly shattered as we were confronted by a solid dumping of waves on large rolling boulders further complicated by some full on 5-6’ sets pouring through as we tried to find the right access. Thankfully a couple of locals turned up in time to direct us into the lineup without too much damage done – albeit a hectic paddle out between sets.
After a fairly nervous start, working out the takeoff zone, where not to get caught inside and how the hell to get out back again, we were into it with waves aplenty pouring through. There was some variation in swell direction which made life interesting however in general we were treated to some amazing surf – big steep takeoffs followed by long feathering walls all the way through to the inside (then off and gone, scratching for the horizon before the next set arrived). Wave height thankfully settled down to a more comfortable 3-4’ with the odd bigger one sneaking through.
A midday soak at the hot springs in Morere was the ideal remedy for some already aching bodies (over 150 years accumulative age needing some early TLC on this trip) then it was back for more of the same later in the afternoon. Last Chance again, with the tide fuller and the swell slightly smaller, nevertheless we ‘suffered’ the same fate with conditions largely unchanged and only 6-7 in the water all afternoon (9 in total in the morning). With the morning surf under our belt, we were able to surf with more confidence in the afternoon, with all 3 of us keen to seek deeper take-offs and longer rides across the bay.
Thankfully after such a great days surfing, the mediocre food issue was well and truly offset by memories of some of the best waves we could have wished for anywhere in the country.
Morning greeted us with a clearing sky and a much settled Mahanga beach. A quick view from the deak was enough to have the boys togged up and in the water in no time. Off the northern point was a fast breaking solid 3’ left hander. We had read and been advised that this was a fairly innocuous, all round beach break, however clearly today was the exception. This wave was gangbusters – a peaky takeoff followed by a solid drop which formed in to a very fast and very hollow left hand wall that more often than not, broke through perfectly for close to 100 metres. Not much room to maneuver ,more a matter of working the board fast and high to make it through the fast moving sections. For 3 old longboarders, this was perhaps as good a test as it gets with plenty of barrel opportunities surprisingly without too much effort. For the writer, there was nothing more satisfying than paddling out past both Phil and Kev to see them regularly tucking in down the perfect pitching line and more often than not popping out the other end some 40-50 metres down the line.. Again, we played the Ground Hog Day card with a quick fuel-up and then in to another session on the same break. As per the previous day, we weren’t to be disappointed with ‘our’ left hander performing almost immaculately again even on the lower tide.
With a free afternoon and bodies starting to really ache we decided to head back to Gisborne in a hope that the swell would still be getting in further up the coast (and a predicted swing in the wind back to the west). Unfortunately it was all still a bit of a mess in town with poor weather and onshore conditions. Wainui was small and mushy.
A poor choice of Motel near Waikanae beach in town meant a couple of nights of truck and train counting however this was a small price to pay with a sumptuous dinner out on our first night at The Wharf restaurant in town and more great surf to come.
Thursday morning we travelled straight to Wainui relieved to see the swell up and the wind blowing nicely out of the west. 2-3’ and some nice banks up between Whales and Pines (toward the north end) had us back in for yet another great session especially as the tide started to drop. The waves got longer and hollower with a peaky A frame offering options in both directions.
We then visited friends Dave and Doreen Falkner and Dave’s Mum Jan (her house being on the beach at the south end of Wainui….magnifique!!). With a cup of coffee and pie stop under our belts it was off to Makorori Point for some hopeful longboard heaven. While it wasn’t as big as we would have liked, the point was at least working and the wind had remained light (on/cross shore). With only a handful out it looked as though we were in for a fun afternoon, especially with the sun well and truly dominating the sky all day. We weren’t to be disappointed and in fact the wave size was deceptively bigger than we had anticipated after viewing from the car park. The boys feasted all afternoon with some fun, long workable right handers in to the bay and despite the long paddles back out to the lineup the bodies seemed to hold up well.
The next morning dawned grey and wet with the onshore well and truly back to ruin any chance of another surf that morning. After taking a look at Makorori it was decided to drive up to Tolaga Bay for a look at some of the local sites. One thing lead to another so before we knew it we were travelling up Highway 35 toward the East Cape. Lunch at Ruatoria was something of an eye-opener if only to reiterate that there is a real wilderness to this part of the country. Horse back is still a common form of transport and pit-bulls wandering the streets don’t appear to be out of place either. Te Reo was also commonly spoken in the town Café.
Onward toward the Cape, we drove down to a number of bays with Waiparo Bay one of the highlights. A small 2’ wave was breaking halfway down the main beach so we took the decision to get wet if only to get our wave and destination surfing counts up – we were again pleasantly surprised by the standard of wave despite our initial concerns.
After some amazing sightseeing including the rugged, desolate Rangitukia coastline (home of the great George Nepia), and a trip out to the East Cape light house via Te Araroa which revealed some coastline of real potential we drove on to our destination for the night, Hicks Bay Motel. Kevin spied a small break below the motel next to Hicks Bay, called Onepoto (Horseshoe Bay). While the waves looked tiny the south end did have some sort of peak and a backdrop that was nothing short of spectacular. It should be noted that as we had headed across from East Cape to Hicks Bay, the clouds parted to give us a beautiful warm afternoon. With these conditions Phil and John headed out for a quick bodysurf with Kevin, ever the optimist, willing to chance it with the 9’6”. On entering the water a set that got close to 2’ came through which saw John and Phil scurrying up the beach to grab boards and jump back out. Any lack of size or grunt was nicely offset by the setting and conditions – warm, clear and glorious.
Evening back up the hill was a treat with an iconic ‘60’s Motel/restaurant – well patronized by holiday makers and locals alike – friendly atmosphere – interesting hosts – wonderful outlook – surprisingly good food – and a Glow worm Grotto toboot!!
Saturday morning dawned clear and cool and with a distinct lack of swell in the bay below was to mean our last day on tour. We took our time enjoying the sights up the coast to Te Kaha, through to Opotiki and then on home via Waihi.
While there was perhaps a slight air of disappointment at not scoring one final surf especially with so much coastline to choose from heading north, I believe we all felt totally satisfied that this had been one exceptional week for the 3 of us. To have been able to get in 11 surfs at 9 different destinations inside 6 days would be hard to emulate anywhere in the world let alone in this country. What made it very special was the quality and variation of surf combined with some truly magnificent sights that this part of the country so readily serves up and a big dose of good old fun throughout.
A special heads up for the boys’ better halves with Lynne initiating and providing this trip as part of Phil’s 60th birthday celebration. Ruth being a true gem in having to undergo an emergency appendix operation on the day of our departure, yet insisting that Kevin not pull out of the trip. Alison also for being the 3rd wife and I suspect just happy to get rid of John for the week.
As an aside, for all prospective clients of the Auckland Tour Co surf trips some interesting statistics as follows - all numbers inclusive of the 3 tourists;
Surf 1 - Omanu Beach - 4 surfers on left/right peak over 2.5 hour surf.
Surf 2 - Main Beach, Mt Maunganui - dumpy right/left breaks along beach - up to 30 spread over 4-5 banks - crowded but plenty of floaters over 2 hour surf.
Surf 3 - Tay St - right hand bank with odd lefts - 4-5 surfers on near perfect A frame over period of 2.5 hours.
Surf 4 - Last Chance, Mahia - 7 out on left hand reef over 2.5 hours.
Surf 5 - Last Chance, Mahia - 7-9 out on same bank over 2 hours.
Surf 6 - Mahanga Point, Mahia - 5 out on left hand peak over 2.5 hours
Surf 7 - Mahanga Beach/Point - 3-4 out over 2 hours.
Surf 8 - Whales, Wainui Beach - 5-6 out over 2.5 hours.
Surf 9 - Makorori Point - 3-5 out over 2.5 hours.
Surf 10 - Waipiro Bay - 3 out on left/right beach break over 2.5 hours (no other people spotted in this area during entire stay)
Surf 11 - Horseshoe Bay - 3 out on right hand beach break over 1.5 hours.
No hassling entire time - mellow locals as long as etiquitte maintained.
As an aside, for all prospective clients of the Auckland Tour Co surf trips some interesting statistics as follows - all numbers inclusive of the 3 tourists;
Surf 1 - Omanu Beach - 4 surfers on left/right peak over 2.5 hour surf.
Surf 2 - Main Beach, Mt Maunganui - dumpy right/left breaks along beach - up to 30 spread over 4-5 banks - crowded but plenty of floaters over 2 hour surf.
Surf 3 - Tay St - right hand bank with odd lefts - 4-5 surfers on near perfect A frame over period of 2.5 hours.
Surf 4 - Last Chance, Mahia - 7 out on left hand reef over 2.5 hours.
Surf 5 - Last Chance, Mahia - 7-9 out on same bank over 2 hours.
Surf 6 - Mahanga Point, Mahia - 5 out on left hand peak over 2.5 hours
Surf 7 - Mahanga Beach/Point - 3-4 out over 2 hours.
Surf 8 - Whales, Wainui Beach - 5-6 out over 2.5 hours.
Surf 9 - Makorori Point - 3-5 out over 2.5 hours.
Surf 10 - Waipiro Bay - 3 out on left/right beach break over 2.5 hours (no other people spotted in this area during entire stay)
Surf 11 - Horseshoe Bay - 3 out on right hand beach break over 1.5 hours.
No hassling entire time - mellow locals as long as etiquitte maintained.
Auckland Tour Company and Tairua Lodge
Auckland Tour Company offers guests exclusive day tours around the greater Auckland region, specialising in golf, surf, shopping, art gallery and general outings.
Your hosts Alison and John McDermott also operate the superb beachfront Tairua Lodge on the eastern Coromandel Peninsula (approximately 2 hours drive from Auckland city.
See information attached about specific activities available at the Lodge - we specialise in surfing, fishing charters and golf (at The Lakes Resort International Golf Course). The Coromandel Peninsula also offers a wide range of beautiful bush and coastal walks.
For more information go to http://www.tourco.co.nz/ or call us on 64 21 946 656
Your hosts Alison and John McDermott also operate the superb beachfront Tairua Lodge on the eastern Coromandel Peninsula (approximately 2 hours drive from Auckland city.
See information attached about specific activities available at the Lodge - we specialise in surfing, fishing charters and golf (at The Lakes Resort International Golf Course). The Coromandel Peninsula also offers a wide range of beautiful bush and coastal walks.
For more information go to http://www.tourco.co.nz/ or call us on 64 21 946 656
Auckland Tour Company Matakana Coast tour
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Just an hour from downtown Auckland is one of the regions true gems. From Matakana to 'Black Swamp Rd' the options are plentiful. Enjoy a horse ride along magnificent Pakiri Beach, surf any of the coast from Omaha to Mangawhai Heads, snorkel in the Goat Island marine reserve (crays and snapper galore - touch but dont take!), Brick Bay sculpture park, or wander the quaint Matakana town with some of the best Cafes in the country!! All these are available as you desire with the Auckland Tour Company. John and Alison will host you through the region for the day (or two as suits!).
2009 Father and Son Taranaki Tour
One of the pleasures of being an older surfer is the chance to go surfing with your children and enjoy seeing them experience new locations and experiences. An annual Father and Son surf road trip has become a tradition, between two friends and fathers, and their 14 year old boys. A diary of our 2009 trip follows;
Taranaki Tour 23 -26 April 2009
I don’t need an Alarm clock waking up ten minutes before our scheduled departure, something that would never happen if I was going to work! John and Alistair arrive and we load the boards and our gear and we are on the Motorway before 5.30am, bound for New Plymouth.
The morning is cold and clear, with temperatures reaching a low of 1.5 (Celsius) as we approach Te Kuiti, with the promise of a sunny day ahead.
A quick check at Mokau reveals clean offshore conditions and a nice swell. There is an uncrowded “A frame” peak on offer, but John wants to press on confident of even better spoils ahead. Our next stop is to drop off the trailer at Ahu Ahu Villas, our home for the trip, before heading down Surf Highway 45 looking for our first surf. First stop is at Stent Rd. We arrive to great conditions, clean and 3 foot, but with a reasonable crowd.
Concerns raised about the crowd are quickly dispelled. Johnny snares a set wave immediately upon reaching the line up, while the rest of us are still paddling out. Our timing is perfect as the crowd steadily dissipates leaving us a near empty line up.
We have a great session. Ali has a smile a mile wide as he picks off lots of waves and races through section after section. George doesn’t catch as many but throws the biggest spray from a massive cutback on one. Yours truly and John manage plenty of overhead set waves without upsetting any of the locals.Back on shore we are so excited and barely believing our luck in scoring such a good first up session.
That night we settle into the Villa, Johnny cooks burgers, and after a few drinks we are all ready for an early night and in bed by about 8.30pm. What a first day!
Day two dawns clear and bright. Mt Taranaki looks fantastic, bathed in sunshine and dominating the landscape. Our host David and his son Seth join us for a morning session again at Stent Rd. The swell has dropped slightly but we still enjoy a nice session mainly to ourselves.
David takes us on an impromptu tour, the highlight being getting the van stuck on Opunake beach, much to the amusement of all (except John). Our guide shows us all the top breaks in the South Taranaki area including Arawhata Rd, and we also visit some historical Pa sites, and an amazing bluff at Pihama with mountain views inland, and sweeping views of the rugged cliff faces along the coastline in each direction.
We return to Stent in the afternoon to find the swell has kicked. The boys stay ashore as the conditions are quite wild, about 5 ft and a little shifty and windy. Not ideal Stent, but we all still manage to pick off some pretty nice waves at times, with some good takeoffs and solid long walls, if a little lumpy.Home to Pizza for dinner and 20 questions, charades and other games to keep us awake until the ungodly hour of 9pm, before tiredness again overcomes us.
Saturday morning is again fine, but with a strong north east wind and slightly less swell. We pay our respects at a moving Anzac ceremony in Okato, before heading off in search of more waves. We have in mind a session at Arawhata, particularly for the boys, but upon arriving there we encounter too full a tide.
Kina Rd has been mentioned and on checking it out we discovered clean and uncrowded lefts and rights breaking on a rocky beach. The waves get better and better as the session wears on. Ali takes off on some big screaming right handers, showing some real courage, John absolutely nailsit, taking off late beneath the peak, time and time again, racing through section after section, kicking out just before running aground on the reef.
We all catch more than our fair share, before heading to Café Lahar in Okato, where we absolutely stuff ourselves in anticipation of a second surf. However it is not to be, with the dropping tide putting paid to the waves. Instead we laze on the beach and explore before heading back to the Villas late afternoon.
Sunday dawns grey and drizzly, sad to be leaving, but a good day to leave on. We take our time checking out the beach in New Plymouth and again at Mokau on the way home.
This is a truly amazing piece of coastline, laden with mainly reef breaks set up ideally for almost all wind and swell conditions. January to June is the best period to tour the Taranaki coast – don’t hesitate to enquire with John at Auckland Tour Company.
Auckland Tour Company shopping excursions
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Auckland Tour Company surf excursions - Taranaki Coast
The Taranaki coast is arguably the best surf magnet in New Zealand with a vast array of reef and point breaks stretching over 40km. Aptly named 'the surf highway' this region will almost always offer class waves whatever the weather conditions. Accomodation at the Ahu Ahu Lodge at the start of the surf highway is a must.
Wherever you are on this stretch of coast, the backdrop is breathtaking with Mt Taranaki overseeing your every wave!
Don't hesitate to contact John for more details- john@tourco.co.nz
Wherever you are on this stretch of coast, the backdrop is breathtaking with Mt Taranaki overseeing your every wave!
Auckland Tour Company golf excursions
Auckland Tour Company was fortunate to host Alice Coopers lead guitarist, Damon Johnson on a recent tour down under. John and Damon took Titirangi golf course apart (Damon did anyway!) and later that evening met up with the man himself. Another great day out for Auck Tour Co!
Auckland Tour Company surf ventures
Ocean Beach Tairua offers up some of the best beach breaks in the country for all shapes, sizes and ages. Conditions are best between January and May (with water temperatures generally around 20degrees celcius), although winter conditions can provide some amazing surf for the hardier watermen.
Tairua Lodge Golf excursions
For those golfers wanting to combine a round at one of the countries top International Resort courses with some genuine R and R, come and stay at the Tairua Lodge. Just 20 minutes drive from one of the countries newest International courses, The Lakes Resort in Pauanui, you will be treated to a true golfing challenge at the same time taking in the breathtaking backdrop of the Coromandel Ranges. Return for a swim, refreshments and sumptuous meal as you desire.
Current summer and later Autumn conditions will make for ideal conditions both at the Lodge and on the course.
Don't hesitate to contact John or Alison for best available bookings.
Current summer and later Autumn conditions will make for ideal conditions both at the Lodge and on the course.
Don't hesitate to contact John or Alison for best available bookings.
Tairua Lodge current surf conditions Easter 2010
Easter this year came around at almost the perfect time of year for East Coast surfers, and it didn't fail to deliver. From the Wednesday prior to the Easter break there was surf aplenty with a large cyclone sitting straight off the coast producing a ground swell that grew from 2-3' to a pumping 6-8' at it's peak (on Easter Sunday). As the system lingered off the East Cape waves continued almost constantly for another 10 or so days. The only slight downside was a regular South Easterly breeze that came up most days late morning, however by that time most Tairua regulars had well and truly had their fill. There were several predominant banks along the beach that kept surfers well spread and with the rest of the coast as well as a couple of secret spots off shore firing, numbers were easily manageable. As is the norm at this time of year, the weather was very settled so we were all treated to some beautiful days with water temperatures still hovering around the 20 degree mark (excellent fishing conditions as and when the Tairua Bar allowed safe passage).
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