A Winter Wonderland

Winter in Gisborne is a time of year characterised by large long period swells, often arriving on the back of bitey cold snaps generated from afar. When the offshores kick in they tend to hang around all day. It's a sought after season especially for the surfers that live to chase that energy. This year, from the end of June all the way through July the region experienced a golden run of back to back 6 foot days - sometimes lasting an entire week. The swell direction was predominantly from the East, at times broken up with a combination South swell of equal size. Safe to say this brought the local beaches to life. I took the opportunity to head out and have some fun with my camera, shooting a few angles I normally wouldn't or had been thinking about for a while - avoiding the full frame front on view as much as possible. This selection of photos was captured over a number of days, a couple of hours here and there - generally while the morning light was blazing. A snapshot of the Gisborne winter - please enjoy. DM

Waking up to the rumble of a powerful groomed swell in the township of Okitu can’t be a bad way to start the day.

A freight train right-hander steams it’s way down the beach during one of the multiple July pulses from the East - framed up by the iconic Pines.

When Wainui is on there are take-off zones the size of a large sports stadium // Four surfers watch on as this one peels away unridden.

That first lick of light brightens up the landscape with a stiff offshore on the scene.

Golden hour at Wainui beach with swell pouring in - it’s a mystical sight.

Jacob Kohn threads the needle of a pines bomb as the entire carpark watches on.

Morning glory - Wainui beach.

Blair Stewart picked his landmarks and seemed to be in sync with the stretch of sand he chose to sit on, nabbing a number of classic waves in the space of a couple of hours.

Joel Pollock and one of the last waves he rode with this board fully intact.

Brent Rasby clocked up some good ocean time in the month of July. In the scheme of things this would probably be one of the smaller, tamer waves he rode over that time.

Split peaks at the centre of the beach. The left hander might be considered breaking at Wainui - while the right hander peels off into Okitu territory.

From where you’d rather live.

Ben Galbraith takes off on a medium sized gem while his shaper Tommy Dalton looks on from the shoulder.

The chalky cliffs of Tuaheni Point darkened by overnight rain.

Wainui Beach, July 2023.

Magic moments out East.

Unknown - threading the needle.

Guy Burns at the bottom of a nice left-hander at Pines.

Blair again - he did this all morning.

It’s 7:53am - you pull up and see this.. Do you go to work or get to work?

Unknown charger navigating the morning session.

Empty peaks unloading with a Southerly front looming out at sea.

Happy campers sharing the goodness.

Another bomb evades the crowd.

A would-be closeout twists and warps itself into something worth the paddle.

Early morning sun lighting up the foam ball deep inside the barrel. If you’ve seen this from the inside looking out you probably didn’t see much.

Elusive Okitu postcard shots.

Thanks for enjoying!
Images are available to be ordered as prints - please take a look here