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Arawahata Road, New Zealand

Stay in Ōpunake: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Ōpunake

Watch this spot We email you when Arawahata Road is worth the trip.

About Arawahata Road

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (233°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (53°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 87). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7; in July, September and October, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ōpunake, 7.1 km away (about 15 min by car).

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 29 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to NPL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL).

    See flights MDW → NPL · Skyscanner from about £745 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 20 from the airport to Arawahata Road.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in ŌpunakeAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Ōpunake · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Ōpunake · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Arawahata Road on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Arawahata Road does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct444 ft9 ssoft207kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct334 ft6 smushy129kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct494 ft5 smushy64kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct275 ft6 smushy173kJ15°C
Thu 22Oct06 ft7 smushy267kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct414 ft6 smushy77kJ15°C
Sat 24Oct295 ft12 smushy605kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct385 ft12 ssoft741kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct324 ft12 ssoft412kJ17°C
Tue 27Oct74 ft8 ssoft227kJ17°C
Wed 28Oct06 ft9 smushy449kJ15°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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to NPL, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 20 by road. About 29h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Green Meadows

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Arawahata Road

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf op

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 3 ft at 14 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Arawahata Road

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to NPL, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 20 by road. About 29h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Ōpunake each day: Arawahata Road, Green Meadows, op, Puniho road.

The trip from Ōpunake, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,435–£2,755 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to NPL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£745–£1,550
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£100–£170
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£225–£375
Food7 days eating out£230–£430
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£165
Total£1,435–£2,755

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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