Airport Rights, New Zealand
Also within 20 km of Wellington
- Wellington Ocean Sports Centre Sailing spot · 5.1 km from Wellington
- Evans Bay Yacht And Motor Boat Club Sailing spot · 7 km from Wellington
- Te Ikaamaru Bay Surf spot · 7 km from Wellington
- lyall bay middles Surf spot · 9 km from Wellington
- Worser Bay Boating Club Sailing spot · 9.2 km from Wellington
- Lyall Bay Surf spot · 9.5 km from Wellington
- 156.0 Surf spot · 10.3 km from Wellington
- Bombers Surf spot · 10.5 km from Wellington
Watch this spot We email you when Airport Rights is worth the trip.
About Airport Rights
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (203°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (23°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 42). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 13°C in June, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 17°C in February, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February and March, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Wellington. Within 5 km we also list 7 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 29 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to WLG, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL).
See flights MDW → WLG · Skyscanner from about £750 returnAdGetting there. 20 min from the airport to Airport Rights.
Accommodation.
Nearest beds: Wellington, 10 km (about 20 min by car)Ad
Airport Rights is 10 km from the beds: plan on the drive each day you surf.
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Wellington, 10 km away (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Wellington 18 min by car · rooms from £85 a night · 2 places to stay · where Airport Rights stays
Places to stay in Wellington · Booking.com AdPorirua 48 min by car · rooms from £85 a night · 5 places to stay
Places to stay in Porirua · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Wellington · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Wellington · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Airport Rights on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 67, good | 8 ft9 ssoft | 1,071kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 52, good | 6 ft10 ssoft | 671kJ | offshorewind from the north, 19 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 44, fair | 6 ft10 ssoft | 563kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 39, fair | 5 ft9 ssoft | 379kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 10 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 28, too small | 4 ft9 scrumbling | 195kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 17 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 20, too small | 3 ft8 smushy | 138kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 33, too small | 5 ft10 scrumbling | 456kJ | offshorewind from the north, 25 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 20, too small | 3 ft11 scrumbling | 192kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 28 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 6, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling | 38kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 24 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 4, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 24kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 23 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 11, too small | 4 ft8 ssoft | 188kJ | wind from the north-west, 21 knots | 14°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to WLG, changing at DFW and AKL, then 20 min by road. About 29h door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Bombers
Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Airport Rights
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Breaker Bay
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to WLG, changing at DFW and AKL, then 20 min by road. About 29h door to door
The plan picks the best of 9 spots near Wellington each day: 156.0, Airport Rights, Bombers, Breaker Bay, Houghton Bay, Lyall Bay, lyall bay middles, Te Ikaamaru Bay, The Island (Island Bay).
Rough cost
About £1,355–£2,620 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to WLG, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £750–£1,560 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £225–£375 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £230–£430 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£165 |
| Total | £1,355–£2,620 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Wellington
- Wadestown TakeawaysFish and chips · 1.5 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
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