NORTHLAND SEASON 2024

Our busiest Northland Surfari season so far!

Our 2024 Northland Surfari season has just come to an end, and we had a great time again in the winterless north. 2024 was our busiest season here in Northland to date, with 5 Surfari Trips (up from 3 last year), one of them being our inaugural Wahine Northland Surfari Trip.

The secret is well and truely out, Northland is the place to be in winter in New Zealand. Our Water Nomads Northland Surfari Trips are getting more and more popular, and this year was our busiest season in Northland to date. Last year (in 2023) we had 2 trips planned and added a third bonus trip due to high demand. So for this season (2024) we started of with 3 trips, but soon realised that we need more. So we added a Wahine Trip (women only) and another general Northland Trip, bringing the total up to 5. All of them booked out well in advance. We also managed to get our hands on some PPC M1 demo wings (which proved to be just as good as what their reputation is) for all of our guests to try during their Surfari Trip.

Being at the back end of an El Nino year, which usually brings a lot of westerly winds to New Zealand, we expected that to continue into winter. However, the El Nino influence weakend, and the wind and weather conditions we encountered this season in Northland were as versatile as our Water Nomads Surfari groups. Now, after 2 months in the winterless north, we possibly had as many strong easterly winds as westerlies.

To our dismay, the forecast for our first Northland Trip of the season over Matariki, looked absolutely dire: A record high pressure system settled over the North Island and it looked like Thusday afternoon (=arrival day) would be the only day with wind. Those who could take the day off and arrive early made the most of some nice 15 knots in Rangiputa with crystal clear water. Friday and Saturday both woke us to stunning sunshine, breakfast on the deck, and no breeze at all. However, there was a slight chance of wind in the forecast for the afternoon. And sure enough, Rangiputa delivered two beautiful light wind session with about 10-12 knots both days – success!

This trip also marked the 15th Surfari Trip for our most loyal customers – Jill and Richard Cooper. They supported us from day one and are always keen to get on the water. Thank you guys, and looking forward having you on many more epic Surfaris!

Next up on the calendar was our inaugural Wahine Northland Trip. This was a late decision add on at relatively short notice, and a lot of the women who contacted us indicating their interest couldn’t make the dates. Lesson learned, next years trip dates are out already! We ended up with two keen Wahine, one winging, one windsurfing. Friday was a day of tease breeze. It looked windy but disappeared the moment we were on the water. Saturday and Sunday however were absolutely perfect 18-20 knots westerlies at Rangiputa and we had an absolute blast! It’s always amazing how different the vibe on women-only events is – can’t wait for next year!

Mid July we had a group consisting mostly of loyal repeat customers, who asked to have an extra night added to their trip. Sure, we can do that! As we had other guests also enquire about longer Northland Surfaris, we will include this in next year’s schedule – The Northland XL-Surfaris!

Our mid July Surfari group had to endure half a day of rain (after exploring some beaches in the morning), but was then rewarded with 3 days of fantastic and sometimes wild conditions! Rangiputa and Tokerau Beach were our playgrounds, and all the wings, from smallest to biggest, did get wet at some stage.

For our Surfari at the end of July, another huge high pressure system pushed over from Australia. We filled the days with exploring the Karikari Peninsula, playing in small surf in Ahipara, and enjoying good food and stunning views from our accommodation. There was no wind anywhere in New Zealand for about 4 days (except maybe Bluff)! This was a first for us. Considering we are doing Surfari Trips now for 5 years, this isn’t too bad of a record me thinks.

The Northland Bonus Trip in August was never really advertised much and booked out within a couple of weeks of releasing the new dates on our website. This group was rewarded with 3 days of moderate wind in Rangiputa, perfect for honing in those new skills and maneouvers. As the wind only started after lunch every day, there was time in the morning exploring the beautiful beaches of the Karikari Peninsula or going for a surf in the morning before winging in the afternoon. Great times and dinner was earned by everyone!

Between our Surfari Trips we enjoyed life in the winterless north to the fullest: relaxed breakfasts in the sun, fishing off the rocks, long beach walks, and of course some more awesome windsurfing and winging. Our wingfoil friends Babs and Derek from Christchurch came for a few weeks to hang out with us and explore Northland – it was great to be able to show them our little piece of paradise and spend quality time together.

It was also fantastic to connect with some of the super enthusiastic group of wingfoilers from the Bay of Islands. Looking forward to exploring the countless possibilities in this area more.

For us it is soon time to move further South again, but not just yet. I thing we stay up here for a few more weeks……