Desserted Beach! What's that about?

Today, was a great summer’s day down here in Christchurch, New ZeaIand. It was warm and sticky. I headed to Waimairi Beach with surfboard in toe. Unfortunately, the waves were flat which meant no surfing. There were a couple of keen guys still having a go. I had my camera with me so thought this was a pretty good back up plan.

When I was messing around with my camera it kept crossing my mind just how under-utilized beaches are in New Zealand. Every time I have visited this summer I have noticed under usage. There was hardly a man and his dog to be seen which is pretty sad. Who knows?, I may feel differently if the beach was packed chock-a-block with people. But, you would think there would be some Kiwis out trying to tan up their milk bottle legs … hehe. It just can't be warm enough for them.

Even if the waves had been pumping there wouldn’t have been a lot of surfers. One advantage of this when surfing is that dropping-in is never a problem. It sounds like this can be a real issue among surfers at other beaches, particularly overseas. This wave theft can lead to arguments and even violence.

With the warmer weather we are currently experiencing, local Kiwis should put their play stations down, stop sitting on the Internet or in front of the tele and get along to the beach. International surfers and tourists are of course welcome too.

Here are a few photos taken at Waimairi Beach -