Travel Archives - Page 10 of 12 - New Zealand Surf Journal

Chasing Giants: Hunting The 23.8m Swell That Broke Records

Derek MorrisonMay 13, 20190

A group of Southern surfers chase a record-breaking swell as it lines up a remote reef break buried deep in the Catlins. What transpires has it all: blood, guts, an inhospitable peak and the rise of a new talent in big-wave surfing. New Zealand Surf Journal takes you inside one...

UPDATED: Elliot Paerata-Reid and Billy Stairmand Make Top 100 After Krui Pro

Derek MorrisonApr 30, 2019July 30, 20190

Elliott Paerata-Reid and Billy Stairmand have launched into the top 100 in the World Qualifying Series after their performances at the Krui Pro held at Tanjung Setia Beach, Lampung, Sumatra. Stairmand was the form surfer of the event dominating through his early heats on his journey to the finals. The...

Surf Photography: Secret Surf Missions In Our Rural Heartland

Derek MorrisonMar 13, 20190

Surf photographers go to extraordinary lengths to capture our waves and those who surf them. One of New Zealand’s finest even employs SAS-level training and wears a specially made sniper suit to roam the coastline completely undetected. He does it to capture line-ups that you’ll never find. He makes sure...

Photo Essay: East Coast Pumps Part 2 – Gisborne

Derek MorrisonFeb 28, 2019July 31, 20190

The February swell that swept into the East Coast and drifted south made a direct hit on Gisborne. The wonky, wobbly swell hit with such intensity that only few breaks could properly handle the volume of water moving around. The unusual easterly swell direction added to the confusion. But if...

Photo Essay: East Coast Pumps Part 1 – Coromandel Coast

Derek MorrisonFeb 28, 2019July 31, 20190

A swarm of tropical cyclones swirled through the Pacific in the first half of February. As they dissipated they tracked south east and got trapped off the East Coast by a blocking high over New Zealand. That scenario created the perfect long range and sustained swell engine for the East...

Meke. This Is Elliot Paerata-Reid

Derek MorrisonJan 24, 2019February 8, 20191

There is no doubting that Piha local Elliot Paerata-Reid is on a performance surge right now. His 2018 Indonesian season was sensational in and out of competition, but the Mega Swell of late July saw him paddling into some of the most intense waves ever witnessed at his favourite Indo...

Elliot Paerata-Reid’s Wild Wild West: A Film By Jono Smit

Derek MorrisonJan 24, 2019January 24, 20190

Filmmaker Jono Smit and pro surfer Elliot Paerata-Reid team up for a Catlins strike mission only to have the rug pulled out from under them as the weather bomb flushes up the Tasman at the last minute. In an opportunistic stroke of madness they give chase along the West Coast...

Subantarctic Surf Discovery, Part 2: Enderby Island

Derek MorrisonJan 7, 2019July 2, 20200

Chasing waves on Enderby Island starts with getting to know the locals. They’re furry and blanket the place like lolling beach bums of the south. A little respect (and a lot of patience) will go a long way in this remote part of the Southern Ocean perched on the western...

Book Review: Barbarian Days, A Surfing Life by William Finnegan

Darren EadeJan 4, 2019February 8, 20191

“Surfers are self-centered arseholes sometimes.” I’m sure the surf obsessed among us recognise this sentiment. It’s in that moment when your partner catches you looking out the window at the toetoe plants for wind directions, and checking the tides at the most inconvenient times of the day. I suspect this...

Subantarctic Surf Discovery, Part 1: Campbell Island

Derek MorrisonDec 31, 2018December 31, 20180

Finding new waves on planet earth these days is a pretty tough ask. Sure the odd slab might be unearthed here and there, but the goalposts are well out on any significant discoveries. Especially here in New Zealand. So when I was given the chance to join an expedition voyage...