What's around the corner?

By James Court | Pics Tim haxell

I've been driving to the Wairarapa coast for over ten years now. Some seasons a lot. Sometimes just once or twice. We've had some good wave sailing at most of the common surf spots on this stretch. One of the best sessions being in a northerly at a reef break called Ning Nongs. It was memories of this session that prompted another trip this year and the rediscovery of a new gem with potential to be one of the best wave sailing breaks in New Zealand.

On sighting of the south coast's Cape Palliser, it looked promising with a fresh warm northerly fanning big rooster tails off a strong, clean southwest groundswell hitting the Cape Palliser Points. All the breaks we normally check looked good but were all exposed to a reasonable cross chop. At Ning Nongs Chris Norris suggested checking out another surf spot just around the corner called Windies.

On coming 'round the corner we were greeted by a very clean barrelling right hander on a reef just off the local Golf course. It was barrelling top to bottom for a couple of hundred metres off the fourth tee. The first things that popped into my head were "holy crap" quickly followed by "is it sailable?"