Back Beach

Back Beach is New Plymouth's most exposed and most powerful beach break, a sweep of black volcanic sand sitting at the western edge of the city just below Paritutu Rock and beside Port Taranaki. Because it faces more to the west than Fitzroy it pulls in noticeably more swell and sits sheltered from easterly and some northeasterly winds, which is why it is so often the only beach in town with a wave when the rest of the coast is flat. It works best on a SW or W swell with an E or NE offshore behind it, through mid to high tide, breaking across shifting sandbars into three main peaks of lefts, rights and A-frames that move with the banks. Surf Seeker rates it 8 out of 10 and calls it punchy, powerful and top quality, and that power is the whole story. On a moderate swell it is fun and open to everyone, but when winter westerlies stack a solid 2 to 3 metre swell onto the banks it turns into a serious, heavy wave with real hold downs that rewards fitness and experience.

The setting is dramatic. Paritutu Rock rises straight up behind the beach, with the islands scattered just offshore. Those islands are Ngā Motu, the Sugar Loaf Islands, a marine protected area with a New Zealand fur seal breeding colony and thousands of nesting seabirds just off the lineup. A big sand dune at the Paritutu end draws families down to roll and slide, and the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway begins nearby, so the whole city and everything you need sits a few minutes away.

• This is the New Plymouth summer fallback: when SH45 and Fitzroy go flat, its westerly aspect means it is often still catching the prevailing SW swell, so on a small January day drive to the western end of the city and check here first.
• Mid to high tide on a clean SW or W swell with an E or NE breeze behind it is when the three peaks come alive, so time your session to the rising tide rather than the bottom of the low.
• If it is too big or too raw here, Fitzroy Beach about seven minutes back through town is more forgiving, while Oakura down SH45 is the next call south.
• Climb Paritutu Rock either side of a surf, a short steep chain scramble up to one of the best views in Taranaki straight over the lineup, and take on the big dune below it while you are there, a local rite of passage for kids and adults alike.
• Take time for Ngā Motu, the Sugar Loaf Islands marine reserve offshore, where seals and seabirds are often visible from the beach and headland, and walk a stretch of the Coastal Walkway that starts near the port for an easy non-surf outing.

• When it has size this is a heavy, powerful wave with long hold downs, so be honest about your fitness and your equipment, and if it is beyond you, read it from the car park rather than paddling out.
• There is no surf club patrol on this beach, so you are entirely on your own judgement; check the banks and the sets from the car park above before you commit and never paddle out into more than you can handle.
• Rips run strong off the shifting sandbars and Good Surf Now lists rips as the main hazard, so read the water before entering, use a channel to get out rather than fighting it, and if caught stay calm and let it carry you wide before paddling across it.
• The sandbars move constantly, so the peaks shift week to week; take a few minutes from the elevated car park to spot where the banks are actually breaking before you choose your peak.
• It is a very popular beach with swimmers and bodyboarders sharing the water, so keep control of your board, give people space and watch who is around you on the inside.
• Ngā Motu and the seals just offshore are a marine protected area, so give wildlife a wide berth and never approach a hauled-out seal.

Getting there

At the western edge of New Plymouth below Paritutu Rock, beside Port Taranaki. From the city centre head southwest on Devon Street West (SH45), turn toward the port via Breakwater Road and Ngamotu Road, then onto Centennial Drive; just past Rangitake Drive turn into the Back Beach car park. It is around a 10 minute drive from the central city and the beach is also reachable off the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway.

Parking

A large free sealed car park sits at the top of the beach off Centennial Drive (near 84 Centennial Drive, the same access as the Paritutu Rock track), with steps leading down to the sand. It is elevated, which makes it the natural place to read the banks before you paddle out. It can fill on fine summer weekends and sunset is a busy time.

Toilets & showers

Public toilets and showers at the beach car park itself are not reliably confirmed, so do not count on them. The nearest certain facilities are a few minutes around the headland at Ngāmotu Beach on Ocean View Parade, which has public toilets and showers, and the central city has toilets throughout.

Shops, cafes & fuel

No shops at the beach, but you are on the edge of New Plymouth so everything is close. Around the port at Ngāmotu Beach and the Lee Breakwater you will find Chaddy's Cafe, Catch & Co and Gusto a few minutes away, and full supermarkets, fuel and the rest of the city are within about 10 minutes.

Accommodation

New Plymouth has the full range of motels, hotels, holiday rentals and baches, with dense Bookabach and Airbnb options across the city. The closest holiday park is Belt Road Seaside Holiday Park, about 1.5km from the CBD overlooking the Coastal Walkway, offering oceanview powered and unpowered sites, cabins and motel units.

Camping

There is no camping at Back Beach. Across the New Plymouth district, tent camping on public land is banned and self-contained freedom camping is tightly limited to a maximum of three nights in 30 days, with Lake Rotomanu the marked spot for non-self-contained vehicles. For a powered site or cabin near the coast use Belt Road Seaside Holiday Park rather than parking at the beach.