LAKE CLEARWATER CAMPING SURFARI
Spectacular South Island Watersport Holiday
Lake Clearwater Wing-foil & Windsurf Camping Surfari Holiday
Lake Clearwater Wing-Foil & Windsurf Flexi-Surfari Holiday, ideal for the budget conscious adventurers deep in the Canterbury High Country.
Join us for a camping weekend at Lake Clearwater, add a few days beforehand and make it a mini holiday – our Flexi-Surfari lets you choose the length of your wing-foil and windsurf camp with Water Nomads!
The stunning Lake Clearwater is less than 2 hours drive west of Christchurch and is well known for its fabulous windsurfing and wing-foiling. The strong Northwest wind funnelling down the mountains or the more gentle Easterly thermals coming up the valley on sunny summer days make it the perfect playground for windsports.
Lake Clearwater Camping Holiday Surfari Trip is a low budget trip – bring your own accommodation, breakfast and lunch, we take care of the rest!
FROM
NZD $
450.-
- USD $ 270.-
- EUR € 250.-
2+ nights Lakefront Camping Accommodation
Bring your own campervan, RV, caravan or tent
Meals
Wholesome 2 course dinner for the duration
Demo Gear
Wing foil and windsurf demo gear available for our guests
Alternative activities
Bring your MTB and hiking shoes - there is plenty to do!
Photos
Professional photos taken of you on the water.
What you want to know
Discover the Lake Clearwater wing foil and windsurf holiday dates currently available, your package pricing options, and if you’re looking to travel light, the rental options.
2025 Season
- Core Surfari: Fri 28st Feb – Sun 2nd March 2025 – Book Now!
- Add on days: Wed 26th – Thu 27th Feb 2025 – Book Now!
More trips might be added, sign up for our newsletter for the latest updates and special offers!
Request a date that suits you! Get a crew of friends and join us for a Custom Surfari.
Core Surfari (Friday – Sunday):Â
- Single: $450.-Â
- Family Pass: $1100.- *
Add on days (extend your stay):
- Add on day: $150.- per dayÂ
- Add on day Family Pass: $450.- per day *
* Family Pass includes 2 adults and max 2 children 5 – 15 years old
Rent all wing foil or windsurf equipment required for duration of the trip – by prior arrangement
- Core Surfari: $300.-Â
- Add on day: $150.- per day
Your private wing foil or windsurf lesson, catered to your needs. Perfect if you are trying to nail your jibes, tacks or flying switch etc – by prior arrangement
$60.- per hour on your own gear
What you need to know
Explore everything that is included in the Lake Clearwater wing foil and windsurf holiday package, what you need to bring with you, and what skill level you need to be at.
Core Surfari:
- Lakefront Camping Accommodation (bring your own camper / tent) for Friday and Saturday night.
- 2-course dinner on Friday and Saturday night.
- Be part of the Water Nomads community.
- Demo wingfoil and windsurf equipment available to try during your stay.
- Join us on other activities such as mountainbiking or hiking.
- Weather conditions advice.
- Add 1 or 2 extra days with all the perks of the Core Surfari, starting from Wednesday 18th to Thursday 19th February.
- your own equipment (unless arranged prior).
- 3/2 or 4/3 wetsuit
- sunblock
- sunhat
- water bottle
- insect repellent
- medications
- your own drinking water for the time of your stay
- your own camping equipment
- your own food except for dinner
If you are unsure what equipment you should bring, please contact us.
- This trip is suitable for beginner to expert wingfoil, windfoil and windsurfer (lessons or tuition can be arranged on request).
- Wind conditions can be anywhere from 12-40+ knots
- Water state can be buttery-flat through to large chop, dependent on the wind strength and direction.
If you are unsure if this trip is suitable for you, please contact us.
What to expect
Lake Clearwater with its village of traditional kiwi baches (=small holiday houses) sits in a wide tussok covered valley and is a jump back in time: There is no electricity, no communal water supply, no cell phone coverage. All the baches are off-grid, using solar power for their limited electrical needs and collecting rain water.
The Lake Clearwater campground is a classic kiwi campground right at the lake front with easy launching access. It is very low key, offering a cubicle to hang up your solar shower and basic but clean toilets. Bring your own campervan, motorhome, caravan or tent.Â
Water Nomads can also assist you booking a batch if camping isn’t your thing, though be warned – they are pretty basic too!
A wholesome 2 course meal provided by our local chef will re-energise you in the evening. This includes a rich desert and a lot of tall stories around the table!
We offer a non-alcoholic drink or a complimentary glass of wine with dinner.Â
Dinner will be served in the hall of the campground or at the Mount Potts Lodge.
Lake Clearwater is as far away from civilisation as you can drive. It is the perfect place to unplug (literally). There is no drinking water (bring your own for the duration of your stay), no electricity, no hot showers at the campground, no cell phone reception and only very basic internet ($5.- per day).Â
Be prepared for a jump back in time!
Bevan will be taking professional action shots of you on the water which are available to purchase at discounted rates.Â
Free access to wing foil and windsurf demo gear is available for our guests.Â
Activities
Lake Clearwater and the surrounding Ashburton Lakes offer a fantastic high country experience and an awesome adventure playground. The thermal winds arrive often early afternoon, leaving plenty of time in the morning to enjoy some none wind-based activities. Explore the surroundings or just relax with a good book and soak up the views.
Lake Clearwater lies in a wide mountain valley. The 2 dominant wind directions are Northwest (coming off the mountains) and East (blowing like a thermal wind up the valley).Â
On sunny summer days, the Easterly thermals are super reliable and usually come in around 2pm with 15 knots, sometimes they build up to 20 knots wind strength. With the campground and launch spot being towards the eastern end of Lake Clearwater, the water is nice and flat in Easterly winds, perfect for learning or practicing new tricks.
The Northwest wind coming off the mountains is a different beast. It develops when there is a low pressure system off the West Coast off New Zealand. It is a warm and usually dry wind (unless some showers are actually making it across the mountains) funneling down from the Main Divide. Wind speeds can often exceed 30 knots!
In late February / early March, the weather tends to be more settled and we expect to get mainly easterly sea thermals at Lake Clearwater.Â
Of course, water sports are our main goal!Â
The Northwest wind can blow any time of day or night, wind from the East acts more like a thermal breeze and kicks in after 2pm, giving you time for other activities in the morning.
The mornings are often incredibly calm and the lake is just like a mirror. Perfect for a cruise on your SUP or kayak across the lake to the island.
There are countless MTB trails around Lake Clearwater and the surrounding area, ranging from flat and easy to steep and gnarly. A short loop around the lake or a 5 hour mission up the range? It’s up to you!Â
Don’t forget to bring your bike!
Go for an easy stroll around the lake or hike to the top of Mount Guy and get rewarded with stunning views!
There is a good variety of walking and hiking tracks around Lake Clearwater, ranging from 3 – 8 hours. Some of them you can start right from the campsite.
Our Reviews from Trips around New Zealand
I just finished the 5 day lakes surfari and I'm so glad I did. It was absolutely amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone out there who loves winging and windsurfing. Heidi and Bevan were so nice and accommodating while keeping it fair and professional. They took us to these amazing lakes so we could see and experience a different spot every day (weather depending of course), organised an amazing catering that kept us very well fed the entire time and I didn't even need to bring my own gear as the gear rental price was very reasonable. The photos they took are also amazing. Thanks for the experience, Heidi and Bevan. I'm looking forward to next year's.
Enjoyed another epic Lakes & Mountains odyssey with Water Nomads recently. Superb water, incredible surroundings, the best wing foiling, quintessential hosts (Bevan & Heidi), delicious food, and the best company. My second year done, superb photos provide by Water Nomads providing great memories; I'm now busy planning the next trip.
We had a fantastic trip to the the Canterbury Lakes with excellent organisation from start to finish. We were picked up in Queenstown and driven to great accommodation in Twizel where we were based for 5 days of windsurfing and wing foiling on the surrounding lakes. The food was both excellent and copious with complementary wine in the evening, Heidi and Bevan had superb knowledge of the local conditions and had us in the right places each day and we had plenty of time on the water. Bevan is an experienced photographer and produced a curated slide show each evening of action and candid photos. Thanks team. I'll be back!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Lake Clearwater wing foil and windsurf camping holiday is pretty relaxed, and the flow is usually dictated by wind and weather.Â
We will be there from Wednesday midday onwards. There is no fix program, but if there is wind, we will be on the water. If there is no wind in the mornings, we might suggest to go for a bike ride or a hike – it’s up to you if you wanna join or not.Â
The group size is limited to 10 guests, though there might be other people on the campground.Â
Lake Clearwater is located in a mountain valley, close to the Main Divide. These mountains help to keep most of the rain away, resulting in a semi-arid landscape. Due to it’s altitude, it doesn’t get as hot as in other parts of the country, but expect warm sunny days, with the temperature droppping in the evening.Â
Lake Clearwater is a lot smaller and shallower than most other South Island Lakes, hence the water is usually a lot warmer. Expect a water temperature of about 20 Degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
In the summer months of January to March the wind is very reliable at Lake Clearwater. As a rule of thumb you will either be experiencing a Westerly frontal system (bringing a Northwesterly blowing down the lake) or an Easterly thermal system (starting up early afternoon).Â
Most other lakes of the Ashburton Lakes are either too small or are a nature reserve with no windsurfing / wingfoiling allowed. Lake Clearwater is perfect positioned in the valley to capture the best wind.Â
The journey from Christchurch Airport to Lake Clearwater is 150km which is a 2 hours drive time. For the last 10kms the road is not sealed.Â
No, dogs are not allowed at Lake Clearwater and the surrounding area.
We recommend to bring at least 5 liters per day per person of drinking water. This means you are not using that water for washing or doing dishes.Â
Lake Clearwater has no facilities. There are no shops, cafes or rental facilities.Â
There is a small General Store in Mount Somers Village (30 kms) which will cover the basics. The next bigger supermarket is in Methven (60kms).
Got more questions? Try our Surfari Trips Frequently Asked Questions: