Mokau, New Zealand

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, New Plymouth, is 61 km away. Nearest airport: NPL (NPL), 51 km.

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About Mokau

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

The spot faces W (285°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (105°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 161). 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 21°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, April, May and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, New Plymouth, is 61 km away. Nearest airport: NPL (NPL), 51 km.

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

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From Chicago: about 28 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. MDW to AKL, changing at DFW.
See flights MDW → AKL · Skyscanner from about £740 returnAd
Getting there. 3 h 35 from the airport to Mokau.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, New Plymouth, is 61 km away. Nearest airport: NPL (NPL), 51 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Mokau · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Mokau · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Mokau on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Mokau, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	15, too small	2 ft9 smushy	91kJ	wind from the south-west, 11 knots	15°C
Mon 19Oct	25, too small	2 ft7 smushy	49kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots	14°C
Tue 20Oct	36, fair	3 ft6 smushy	53kJ	wind from the north-east, 5 knots	14°C
Wed 21Oct	18, poor	3 ft6 smushy	51kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 11 knots	15°C
Thu 22Oct	10, poor	3 ft6 smushy	76kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 16 knots	15°C
Fri 23Oct	37, fair	4 ft6 smushy	74kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots	15°C
Sat 24Oct	49, good	3 ft12 smushy	292kJ	wind from the west, 6 knots	15°C
Sun 25Oct	43, fair	3 ft13 smushy	258kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 6 knots	14°C
Mon 26Oct	12, poor	3 ft12 smushy	231kJ	wind from the north-west, 16 knots	16°C
Tue 27Oct	7, poor	4 ft7 smushy	115kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 23 knots	16°C
Wed 28Oct	47, fair	5 ft7 smushy	230kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 6 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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 3h 35 by road. About 28h 20 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Mokau
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 24 of 80.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 13 of 80.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Mokau
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Mokau
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 3h 35 by road. About 28h 20 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,205–£2,360 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return MDW to AKL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£740–£1,530
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£100–£170
Food	7 days eating out	£230–£430
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£100–£165
Total		£1,205–£2,360

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

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Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

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Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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