Pakiri beach, New Zealand

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Mangawhai, 22 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: WRE (WRE), 63 km.

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About Pakiri beach

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

The spot faces NE (34°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (214°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 32). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 15°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January and February, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Mangawhai, 22 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: WRE (WRE), 63 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 26 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Auckland International Airport (AKL), changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
See flights MDW → AKL · Skyscanner from about £740 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h 45 from the airport to Pakiri beach.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Mangawhai, 22 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: WRE (WRE), 63 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Pakiri beach · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Pakiri beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pakiri beach 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 Pakiri beach, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	8, too small	1 ft4 smushy	3kJ	wind from the south-west, 7 knots, offshore	16°C
Mon 19Oct	8, too small	1 ft7 shollow	5kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 7 knots, offshore	18°C
Tue 20Oct	9, too small	1 ft8 shollow	6kJ	wind from the south-west, 6 knots, offshore	17°C
Wed 21Oct	8, too small	1 ft7 shollow	5kJ	wind from the south-west, 9 knots, offshore	17°C
Thu 22Oct	10, too small	1 ft8 shollow	7kJ	wind from the south-west, 10 knots, offshore	17°C
Fri 23Oct	6, too small	1 ft6 shollow	3kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 8 knots, offshore	17°C
Sat 24Oct	4, too small	under 1 ft7 s	2kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots	17°C
Sun 25Oct	4, too small	under 1 ft6 s	1kJ	wind from the east, 2 knots	17°C
Mon 26Oct	3, too small	1 ft4 smushy	2kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 8 knots	18°C
Tue 27Oct	20, poor	3 ft5 smushy	38kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 11 knots	20°C
Wed 28Oct	32, too small	2 ft5 smushy	22kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 6 knots	18°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 1h 45 by road. About 26h 35 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: under 1 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 1h 45 by road. About 26h 35 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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