Arawhata Rd

Arawhata Road is a rocky right-hand point on the South Taranaki coast, just north of Opunake and one of the named breaks in the famous Stent Road cluster. The main wave is a right that peels off the point, with a left breaking off the southern end of the beach, and while it can throw a hollow drop-in on its day it is mostly a softer, more forgiving wall than its heavy reputation suggests. It works on a SW swell with an E to NE offshore and rewards intermediates ready to step off the beach as much as the experts who know the rock.

It sits in the heart of Taranaki's reef country, a stretch of working farm coast threaded with gravel roads and side-tracks down to the rocks. On a clear day the lineup sits framed against the snow-capped cone of Mt Taranaki rising inland, one of the most distinctive backdrops in New Zealand surfing.

• Arawhata is one of a tight cluster, with Stent Road, Kumara Patch and Graveyards all a short drive away, and because each switches on in slightly different swell and wind, the move is to drive the coast and look rather than commit to one spot.
• Match your board and your end to the day: it is forgiving enough for a step-up or a fish on the smaller swells off the point, and the left off the southern end is worth a look when the right gets busy or wind-affected.
• Base yourself in Opunake, only a few minutes south, and you can roll through and check Arawhata and its neighbours on the way past, with cafes, fuel and beds all in town.

• It breaks over a rock bottom and rocky point, so the reef is the main hazard: mind the rocks on take-off, through your turns and especially when you come in.
• It can throw a hollow drop-in on its day, so be ready to make the first section and not get caught behind on a set.
• The shape shifts with the sand and swell, so the sets do not always land in the same spot on the reef, and it pays to watch where they are breaking before you pick your position.
• This is a tight local point with a long-established crew and pecking order, so watch a few sets, sit wide and earn your waves rather than dropping straight in.
• It is cold, exposed Tasman water with no patrol and the nearest help back in Opunake, so suit up properly and surf within your limits.

Getting there

Off SH45 in the Oaonui area, just north of Opunake and about 40 minutes south of New Plymouth. Turn onto Lower Arawhata Road and follow it, sealed then gravel, down toward the coast.

Parking

Rough rural access with no formal carpark. Park at the road end, it is only a short step to the point, so leave it tidy and do not block farm gates.

Toilets & showers

None at the break. The nearest toilets, playground and a beach rinse are at Opunake Beach, about 6 km south.

Shops, cafes & fuel

Nothing at the break. Opunake, around 6 km away, has the nearest Four Square, fuel and cafes, including Sugar Juice Café.

Accommodation

None at Arawhata. Opunake Beach Holiday Park, 6 km south, is the closest base, with motels and baches in Opunake and more options along SH45.

Camping

No camping at the access. Use the Opunake holiday park nearby, and note that freedom camping on this coast is controlled under the South Taranaki bylaw.