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The Island, New Zealand

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

Also within 20 km of Gisborne

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

About The Island

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

The spot faces S (170°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (350°). 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 950 m out (1 in 97). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 2 good days in 7; in June and July, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Gisborne, 8.4 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 7 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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From Chicago: about 29 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights MDW → GIS · SkyscannerAd

  2. Getting there. 30 min from the airport to The Island.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in GisborneAd

    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 Gisborne · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Gisborne · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Island on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 19Oct403 ft6 smushy80kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct303 ft9 smushy109kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct332 ft8 ssoft81kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct342 ft9 ssoft73kJ19°C
Fri 23Oct182 ft6 smushy19kJ17°C
Sat 24Oct382 ft10 ssoft93kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct232 ft8 ssoft49kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct131 ft9 ssoft14kJ19°C
Tue 27Oct71 ft9 s5kJ19°C
Wed 28Oct51 ft4 smushy1kJ18°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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Tue 20 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to GIS, changing at DFW and AKL, then 30 min by road. About 29h door to door

  2. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf The Island

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 2 ft at 8 s, wind 1 kn (3 km/h).

  3. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sun 25 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Mon 26 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to GIS, changing at DFW and AKL, then 30 min by road. About 29h door to door

The plan picks the best of 8 spots near Gisborne each day: Big River, Cliffs, Gizzy Pipe, Roberts rd, Sponge bay, The Island, The pipe (midway beach), The rock.

The trip from Gisborne, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,335–£2,580 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 GIS, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£730–£1,520
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£15–£25
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£1,335–£2,580

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

Places to eat near Gisborne

  • Tamarind of GisborneIndian · 1.8 km from the centre
  • Lytton West Fish ShopFish and chips · 1.9 km from the centre
  • Dining Delight0.8 km from the centre
  • Aberdeen Fish ShopFish and chips · 1.8 km from the centre
  • Elgin Fish Shop1.4 km from the centre
  • Makaraka Fish Shop1.5 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

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.