The Wairarapa’s coastline is wild and beautiful. For decades its prized surf breaks, stretching from Lake Ferry in the south to Castlepoint in the north, have served local surfers well and attracted others from afar. Whether in search of reef, point or beach breaks, those that surf here also find adventure, freedom and friendship. By Katie Farman. Main photo by Esther Bunning.

The rhythm of the waves got under the skin of a group of Wairarapa friends in the late 60s and never left. Alistair Welsh was eight years old and a mad keen fisherman when he first saw the ground-breaking documentary film The Endless Summer. The Bruce Brown film followed two surfers on an around-the-world surfing adventure in search of the perfect wave. Closer to home in the Wairarapa, it inspired Alistair to borrow his sister Christine’s surfboard and take it out in the bay at Castlepoint.

“It was 12 ft long, a huge beast of a thing. It was so big; it was like standing on a boat. I stood up and that was the end of it … sand between my toes and smelt that salt air. Boy, I was gone,” recalls Alistair.

Alistair, along with his good friends Simon and John Cameron, Lawson Campbell and Murray Mills, became captivated by surfing. In an era when surfboards were scarce and wetsuits scarcer, good old kiwi ingenuity came to the fore.

“We’d make leg ropes out of fishing cord and inner tubes from bicycle wheels and attach them to the surfboard after having drilled a hole into its fin. We’d make our own surfboard wax out of candle wax from my Mum’s preserving jars and smile wryly when she asked ‘where’s my wax gone?’ and I’d reply … it’s on Simon’s board.”

As youngsters the boys’ parents would drive them from Masterton to Castlepoint. Their reward? Catching white water back to shore. As they grew older and more confident, the boys would paddle across the basin to the Gap, one of four surf spots at Castlepoint. Big swells would roll in from the Pacific Ocean and squeeze through the gap between Castle Rock and the limestone reef before breaking on the golden sandy beach. It was a magnificent and addictive playground for the boys and, at times, a headache for their safety conscious parents because the conditions could be dangerous. “We gave up cricket. Gave up church. Gave up school,” says Alistair.

Inevitably word got out about the surf breaks here including Christmas Bay to the south, the main beach in front of the store (great for beginners) and Slipperies to the north which is a left-hand break. Some of the first out-of-towners Alistair recalls were from Palmerston North and then later from Lyall Bay in Wellington.

From time to time media reports would surface highlighting territorial tensions between locals and out-of-towners, but these days it appears the huge cross section of surfers are respectful of each other.

Forty years later and boys still surf. The wetsuits are warmer, more flexible and streamlined while technology has improved the boards. Surfing has offered them a life-long gift of friendship and a deeper appreciation of life.

Alistair now lives permanently at Castlepoint with his wife Helen and shares his love of surfing with son Alex. They’ve travelled to surf hot spots such as Indonesia, but always return home.

“It’s unique and it has its moments when it drives you nuts – surf-wise especially. But there’s something deeper here that just gets under your skin.”

Surfing generations

At 7.30am most weekends, 13-year-old Bella Beetham and her dad William grab their surfboards and search for clean waves near Riversdale.

“It’s amazing that time of morning. There’s usually no wind and it’s very peaceful,” she says. “It’s also nice surfing with Dad.”

Bella learned to surf as a seven-year-old at Castlepoint and near Gisborne, the latter where her dad taught himself to surf as a teenager. While William was partly inspired by his high school peers including Maz Quinn, a four-time New Zealand surf champ and the film Kelly Slater In Black and White, Bella’s inspiration stemmed from the water itself.

Alistair Welch, Simon Cameron, Murray Mills. Photo by Charlotte Hedley.

“I just love being out in the sun and in the water as I find it really relaxing. I love all water sports and do a lot of surf lifesaving. It’s also nice having that family time even if it does get competitive at times,” she laughs. “Usually it’s me saying ‘hey that’s my wave’!”

Even though she’s endured bumps to the head, sand grazes to her face and felt paranoid surfing over rocks at Ngawi, she’d like to see more girls and women involved so they can experience the same feeling she had of catching her first wave.

“Oh my gosh, it was so cool. I was standing and going down the face of a big wave just literally hanging on.”

Surf lessons at Castlepoint. Photo by Charlotte Hedley.

William is thrilled Bella shares the same passion for the sport that has given him so much over the years.

"Surfing is a constant challenge mentally and physically. You’ve got to be fit and strong and there’s a constant pursuit of trying to be better,” he says.

It’s also a great antidote to his job managing Beetham Pastural and being the Wairarapa provincial President of Federated Farmers. Surfing gets him off the fifth-generation family farm he lives on in the Wainuioru valley, east of Masterton. However his love of the land and water combine regularly when William espouses the merits of surfing to land-locked farmers up and down the country.

“There are formal initiatives that shine a light on mental health issues in rural communities and encourage farmers to get off the land and hit the waves. This may sound a bit odd, but the cold is really good for you. When you are chucking yourself around in cold water it takes all your attention and concentration to stay warm and to perform those movements, that everything else just disappears into the background,” he says.

William will spend the summer watching the weather constantly. If conditions are good, he’ll be joined by wife Emily and Bella’s younger siblings Charlotte and Alfie. Bella is equally excited about the months ahead. There’s no place she’d rather be than on the beach with her mates.

“I've made so many new friends through surfing that it just makes me really happy."

Character Building

It takes a certain character to abandon the safety and warmth of their car, put on a wetsuit and plunge into the icy cold ocean along the Wairarapa’s South Coast in the name of fun. But Ian Manze is one such hardy soul.
"Surfing on the South Coast is unique in that it is fairly isolated, and the weather conditions can be fickle, so you need to be somewhat resilient. There are no sandy beaches, so it is not really suited to learners," he says.

There are many prized surf breaks dotted along the sparse, wild and windswept landscape from Lake Ferry to Cape Palliser and further north to Tora Point. They have names such as Craps, Bombora, and Shipwreck and their appeal is few crowds and amazing waves - whether big or small. The cold waters mean a good wet suit is vital.
Ian grew at Paekakariki north of Wellington and from a young age was "hooked" on the ocean and being on some kind of surf craft. So much so, he’d eventually turn his passion into a career.

Under the label "Hotwire Surfboards", Ian designs, handshapes and custom-makes surfboards from his Palliser Bay home. His specialty is short boards, especially quads (4 fin surfboards ) and developing performance-focused hybrid designs using bio-based epoxy resins and a variety of unique materials and techniques in his construction.

"I started shaping after returning from Australia in the early 2000s and being frustrated that the boards I wanted to ride were unavailable. I also had a desire to experiment with alternate designs and construction techniques," he says. "I started making boards just for myself but over time more people would ask me if I could make one for them. My business grew from there."

When he’s not making boards, talking about boards or doing “ding repairs, of which there is a steady stream due to the rocky coastline" Ian is surfing with his mates.

"Things are pretty laidback in the South Wairarapa. I am lucky to have a lifestyle where I can use the skills I’ve developed to do something I love. I get to integrate my passion for surfing, design, art and engineering to build unique creations that keep surfing fresh for me and my customers, and of course the most important thing is it gives me an excuse to surf more."

Viticulturalist Shayne Hammond, who established the popular vineyard and venue Poppies Martinborough with his winemaker wife Poppy, is also a fan of the south coast. When he’s not tending to his vines or welcoming guests, he is in the ocean.

“The adventure with mates, the lifestyle and simply the feeling is inexplicable to those who don’t surf. It’s magical. I love big waves and the feeling of being on the edge of my ability,” he says.

Shane remembers his first time surfing vividly. He was 16-years-old.

“(It was) Whangamata and a perfect calm beach break 2-3 foot. I got drilled many times over … and then bang, stood up and surfed my first wave... hooked me forever. It was the most unreal but natural feeling.”

Since then Shayne has travelled and surfed various breaks around the world. “Surfing is not just about the actual surf, half the fun is the adventure of getting there, hanging with mates and the healthy lifestyle. The travel is epic – you get to some pretty crazy places.

“Poppy, my wife, comes on all my surf adventures. She has major FOMO and just loves hanging out ... loves the crazy and remote places and is always super supportive and my biggest fan. She makes me feel like I’m surfer Kelly Slater when I come in.”