About Christchurch Surf Travel
Hickory Bay:
A session at Hickory encapsulates most of the features that come to mind when thinking of the quintessential south island surf trip: amazing scenery, plenty of driving, the use of binoculars to check the surf from afar, gravel roads, cold water, and a wee tramp through sheep and their plentiful droppings, and of course some quality waves.
Located on the eastern edge of the Banks Peninsula (formed from the twin craters of two ancient volcanoes) the Bay faces southeast, and is well protected by high cliffs at both ends end of the beach. From Christchurch its a good hour’s drive by the time you’ve driven through, up, down and around the Bank’s Peninsula however it’s a popular spot as it often provides waves in conditions that aren’t suitable elsewhere.
You can have a rough guess at the quality of the waves from the sealed road at the top of the ridge. Its worth doing this, as it’ll save you the effort of driving the narrow gravel road to the carpark at the bottom where you’ll need to still to walk a few minutes before you can check the surf. Even then, the waves are over a kilometer away across a farm, a small stream and a driftwood-backed beach.
Stoney Beach:
Similar to its closest neighboring breaks at Raupo Bay (which is just 4km west from here), and the more popular Hickory Bay (a 13 kilometer drive to the east), Stoney Beach is a beautiful beach backed by a healthy array of stones and rounded rocks (hence the name!). Choosing between the three breaks often comes down to local knowledge of swell and wind, whilst on weekends, crowds can factor into the decision making process. Of course we’re talking Kiwi crowds here, not the nasty, board-bumping, fist-throwing, testosterone-fueled crowds associated with better-known breaks worldwide. No, what we’re talking about here is having to share a peak with someone other than your carload of mates.
Check the swell and wind conditions through your binoculars from the road that follows the crest of the summit of the ancient volcanic rim. It could save you hours of valuable surfing time.
One of the benefits of Stoney Beach is that it peaks up a slightly different swell direction to both Raupo, Hickory, and the Christchurch breaks, and as such is often worth checking for the slightly cleaner and or bigger wave.