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Mikotai, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of New Plymouth

All 12 on New Plymouth's map

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

New Plymouth - Coastal Walkway
New Plymouth, the nearest town, 5 km away. Photo: Gonzalobaeza, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Mikotai

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

The spot faces N (339°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (159°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 30). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 October, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is New Plymouth, 5.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

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 28 h 55 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. 35 min from the airport to Mikotai.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in New PlymouthAd

    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 New Plymouth · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in New Plymouth · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Mikotai on Google Maps · Directions

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Live webcam

Taranaki from New Plymouth, 4 km away

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct464 ft9 scrumbling175kJ17°C
Mon 19Oct224 ft6 smushy101kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct364 ft6 smushy86kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct244 ft6 smushy83kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct164 ft7 smushy160kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct335 ft6 smushy140kJ17°C
Sat 24Oct304 ft12 scrumbling528kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct345 ft12 smushy625kJ16°C
Mon 26Oct274 ft12 smushy436kJ17°C
Tue 27Oct06 ft7 smushy320kJ17°C
Wed 28Oct06 ft8 smushy379kJ15°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 35 min by road. About 28h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Back Beach

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Mikotai

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 12 kn (22 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 29 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Secrets

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Waiwakaiho River Mouth Reef, Waisys

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 12 kn (22 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to NPL, changing at DFW and AKL, then 35 min by road. About 28h 55 door to door

The plan picks the best of 13 spots near New Plymouth each day: Aquatic centre, Back Beach, Bell Block Reef, Belt Road, Bog Works, Boulders bay, Break water, Fitzroy Beach, Mikotai, Secrets, The groyne, Waitara(WBBRC)-Surf Club Side, Waiwakaiho River Mouth Reef, Waisys.

The trip from New Plymouth, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,360–£2,625 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
Taxiairport and back, shared£25–£40
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£1,360–£2,625

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

Places to eat near New Plymouth

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

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

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.