Ahipara - Surf and Fish n Chips

One day we pulled over to go to the bathroom. When we got back in the car fifteen minutes later, I had a surfboard. Obviously, our next stop had to have waves, so we headed to Ahipara.
	This sleepy surf town on the west coast officially marks the beginning of famous 90-Mile Beach – the long sandy stretch of white sand blanketing the west coast that attracts 4WD enthusiasts and sand dune boogie boarders. It’s also a magnet for swells coming out of the Tasman Sea. We freedom camped on the beach and woke in the morning to sun streaming through the curtains and the dull roar of waves breaking on the sand. It wasn’t very big, but it was clean, empty, sunny, and warm, with a few little left-hand rides that made the short paddle out worth it. They do two things well in Ahipara – surf, and fish and chips. The surf got blown out a little after one o’clock, so Care and I headed into town for a bite. The two monstrous pieces of fish that came bundled in stiff white paper along with a gazillion chips (fries) was a slice of heaven. My whole life my dad has been going on about the great food from New Zealand. He’s from the South Island originally, which is a huge reason I’m down here in the first place. After the heaping helping of fishy goodness at Ahipara, I’m starting to agree with him. Carolyn HATES fish, by the way. Don’t worry too much for her survival though – turns out this small island nation also produces more ice cream per capita than any country in the world.

Destination Guide: Ahipara by Shawn Forno Most travelers headed up the Twin Discovery Highways in Northland, will drive right past Ahipara. It’s understandable, since most are keen to reach Cape Reinga to the north it’s fourteen kilometers off the main highway, past Kaitaia. However, a small detour to this...read more