Belt Road / North Island / New Zealand

Belt Road is found right in the centre of new Plymouth, just to the north side of Taranaki Port.  The break isn't really anything unusual, and it only breaks rarely these days, but it is for experienced surfers only due to the hazards of the local environment.

The beach is a mixture of sand and pebbles, with a grassy area separating it from the houses behind.  It doesn't get many surfers during the week, but can be crowded at weekends and during holidays especially if it is really going off. Water temperatures reach highs of maybe 21° C in summer, and lows of about 13° C in winter.

This place will work when the wind is blowing from the south-west or the south and the swell is coming up from the north, north-west or west. It works with the water at the mid and high tide positions, and the swell will start at less than 1 m before holding up to a maximum of around 2.5 m. It breaks the left over a reef, and the waves are fairly fast and ledgey.  Length is usually between 101 50 m, though if you catch it on a good day you might get up to 300 m out of it.

The beach doesn't have any facilities, but the city has plenty to offer and should be all to supply anything you need. There is an airport nearby, or you can drive here from one of the other cities on the island if you are making this a stop on a tour.

Be aware that there are quite a few rocks around here, and the undertows can be quite strong. The concrete wall of the port is only just to the west, so don't get too close to that either.