Te Awanga

Te Awanga is a relatively sheltered right-hand point break in southern Hawke's Bay, and one of the friendliest waves in the region. It peels a soft, fun, well-shaped right that suits longboards and mals beautifully and makes a forgiving place to learn or progress. It picks up more push on a NE swell, likes a SW or SSW offshore, and can be surfed across all tides. On a bigger day the wall finds more drive for shortboarders, but at heart this is a cruisy point, not a heavy one.

Sitting near Clifton and the road to Cape Kidnappers, Te Awanga is twenty minutes from Hastings and an easy after-work or weekend session for Hawke's Bay surfers. It is popular and gets busy when it is working, so there is a settled local crew and a queue for the peak on the good days. Share the waves, take your turn, and you will find it one of the most enjoyable longboard points on this coast.

• Bring a longboard or mid-length to get the most from this wave; shortboards only come alive when there is real size and push, so leave the small board for the bigger days.
• When it is working it draws everyone, so beat the queue by being first in the water at dawn and claim the peak before the crew arrives.
• If the point is jammed, sit a touch wider than the pack and pick off the runners that swing through past the bunch at the top, taking the waves others let go.
• Make a day of it with the strong food-and-wine scene around Te Awanga and neighbouring Haumoana (Elephant Hill, Clearview and others nearby), then drop down the road to the Cape Kidnappers gannet colony for a proper surf-and-explore day.

• The takeoff bunches right at the top of the point, so the real skill here is crowd management. Sit wide of the pack, stay patient, and never drop in on someone already up and riding.
• It is a shingle and cobble beach, so watch your footing on the slippery rocks as you enter and exit, especially at the top of the point.
• Point-break currents strengthen as the swell builds, gently pulling you down the line and off the peak, so keep an eye on your position and paddle back up between sets.
• The local crew is settled and protective of their wave, so earn your place by waiting your turn rather than paddling straight to the front.

Getting there

Te Awanga is on the coast about 20 minutes south-east of Hastings, signposted off the Clifton road toward Cape Kidnappers. Park near the beach and the point at the south end.

Parking

Roadside and reserve parking by the beach and the river mouth. Park and walk to the point at the south end of the beach.

Toilets & showers

Public toilets at the Te Awanga domain and the campground area. No surf-club showers, so bring water for a rinse.

Shops, cafes & fuel

Te Awanga and neighbouring Haumoana have cafes, a store and a strong winery scene. Fuel and supermarkets in Hastings or Napier, 20 minutes away.

Accommodation

The Te Awanga and Clifton motor camps and holiday parks, plus baches and Bookabach options. Hastings and Napier have the fuller range 20 minutes away.

Camping

Te Awanga Holiday Park and the Clifton Motor Camp (toward Cape Kidnappers) are the beachfront camping options, with powered and tent sites. Hastings District Council freedom-camping rules are restricted along this coast, so use a holiday park.