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Surf with the locals at Waitārere Beach. Whether you’re a grommet or an experienced surfer, the Waitārere (Okatia) Beach break offers both left and right hand waves. Keep an eye out for west-northwest swell combined with an offshore wind direction from the east for the best local surf conditions.
Unspoilt views and its very own buried shipwreck make Waitārere Beach one of the best-kept secrets of the North Island's west coast. With a lovely swimming beach and good fishing, this is the place to go when you want to get away from it all.
Did you know: Established in 1936, the name Waitārere translates as copious water, which relates to a water wheel at a nearby flour mill constructed in 1853/4. The original name for Waitārere Beach is Okatia Beach. In mythology, Okatia was a taniwha who lived inland but strongly desired to reach the sea.
Okatia did not let anything stop him from getting his desire, thus carving through the land on his journey, leaving behind the formations of Te Āpiti (Manawatū Gorge) and the Manawatū River. These formations remain as reminders of the power of Okatia, and his relentless desire to reach the sea where it is believed he floats still on the horizon and can be seen today by those who are pure of heart.
