When people hear the word “backpackers” they generally think of cramped smelly rooms and having to listen to the intimate noises of strangers in the middle of the night. Although the Piha Beachstay is officially a backpacker’s it’s more like someone’s very stylish beach house that you can stay at any time you like, and it’s only a half hour drive from Auckland. As soon as I arrived I knew there was something special about it (and it wasn’t just the sexy Dutch surfer who was sunbathing outside). When I checked in I met May, who helps run the place, and we arranged to go for a surf that afternoon. I also encountered Buddy, May’s gorgeous and giant-sized cat. He must have thought I was a new potential feeder because he followed me like a shadow, constantly trying to steer me towards the fridge and his bowl. Carefully sidestepping him, I dumped my gear into my room and then hit the beach.

After some reading and sunbathing I joined May and Bart (the Dutch guy) and followed them out into the waves for my first real Piha surf. I’d tried surfing there about a month before, but since I’m a beginner and used to the more mellow Mt Maunganui waves it was a bit of a disaster. A friend was with me and it was her first time on a surfboard. We hired one for her from a young guy in the car park for $10, and he watched as we went out and got completely nailed. From the disbelieving stares the other surfers were giving us I should have realised that we were out of our depth before we even got wet.  Somehow we managed to get out the back and I caught a wave… but then realised I hadn’t actually caught it, it was closing out and I was getting severely dumped! When I recovered I looked around to see Marnie hanging onto her board at the top of another big wave, and she only just managed to pull back and avoid a similar experience. The rip was really strong that day and overall my impression of surfing at Piha was a fairly frightening one. But I wasn’t ready to give up that easily…

Watching May paddle out was an impressive sight - she’s tiny and extremely fast at getting through the water. Something about her graceful and persistent paddling style made me think of a baby turtle heading out to sea, head down in determination and flippers rhythmically churning away… for some reason that image gave me the giggles but I had to snap out of it quickly and focus on getting past the whitewash. The waves were only three to four feet but because it was unfamiliar territory I still felt nervous. Bart was in NZ on a surfing holiday and was obviously an experienced surfer - he was already showing off while we were struggling to get out the back. He did hang around at times to give us some encouragement, and it helped having someone to yell when to go for a wave. Although I was having a lot of fun my surfing stamina is not the greatest (yet!) so after a few good rides I was the first out. I sat on the beach and watched for a while, amazed at how people seem to keep going and going, like some kind of weird energiser battery-powered surfing machines.

It was Saturday night and a few of us from the Beachstay went to the RSA for dinner. Initially I was slightly suspect about going because my few previous RSA experiences had not exactly been mind-blowing, but the locals said this one was different and an essential part of the whole Piha experience. There aren’t many other options for going out in Piha… it’s either the RSA, the Surf Club, or the Bowling Club. I gave it a go and was glad I went - we played pool, drank beer, ate good food, and ended up being the last people to leave! 

Sunday morning was overcast so I stayed in bed and read a book I’d found in the lounge. It was May’s copy of Surfs Up: The Girls Guide to Surfing by Louise Southerden, and I learnt a few useful things by flicking through it, from the “PLF method” (“Paddle like F---!”) to “10 ways to avoid being attacked by a shark”. A standout quote from the book was on this subject, from someone called Alison: “I don’t really worry about sharks. I just think that, you know, I’m really big on grooming and I’ve had a shower very recently using a very nice Crabtree & Evelyn soap product, and there’s 15 boys out there who are peeing, at this very moment, in their wetsuits and probably haven’t had a bath since September. They’re going to smell so much more appealing to sharks than me!”

When I got up I made sure I had a nice long shower with lots of soap before going for a morning surf to try out the PLF method for myself. It was another fun play in the waves and I was beginning to realise that Piha could be quite addictive. Bart originally went to Piha for a quick visit, but because he loved it so much he was still there two weeks later. Since he only had about a month in NZ it surprised me at first that he was willing to spend so much of it in one place, but it made a lot more sense after staying there for a couple of days myself. That evening was his last chance for a surf before he had to head away the next day.

Things were looking pretty average when we got to the beach, it was about 5pm , the sun hadn’t been out all day and everything seemed cold and grey. But almost as soon as we got in the water (which was actually quite warm) the sun started to come out from below the clouds and light everything up with a golden glow. As we paddled out it was like the waves were breaking in slow motion, with sunlight filtering through them. Behind us was a stormy dark blue sky, with a vivid rainbow, and when we both caught the same wave we held onto each other for a few seconds laughing and trying not to smash our boards together… it was so beautiful and romantic it would have made a perfect scene for a cheesy film.

Then I had the most incredible surfing experience I’ve been wanting to have ever since I saw the film Blue Crush (which is also a bit on the cheesy side, but I love it anyway) – a perfect wave appeared, and as I rode it all the way into the shore I reached out and skimmed my hand along it’s face, watching the sun turn the spray into tiny diamonds. After that I couldn’t bring myself to get out of the water, and kept saying “one more wave”, until I was so exhausted I didn’t have the strength to paddle anymore.

Another long shower later it was time to make use of the well-designed kitchen. I still hadn’t met Geoff, the owner of the Piha Beachstay, and I was curious because I’d heard he was quite a character. In 2004 he built the place with his mate Hamish, a long-time Piha local. They’re both keen surfers who know the area well and are happy to share their wisdom. When Geoff arrived that night he’d been to a wedding and was full of joy, love, and beer… we all watched a surf film and then sat around the fire as he entertained us for a while.  Somehow he wasn’t in quite such an entertaining mood on Monday morning, but he did manage a few coherent words of farewell. 

I was giving Bart a lift back to Auckland and as he said goodbye to everyone I’m pretty sure I saw a tear in his eye. (He still managed to look manly though.) I’d only been there a couple of days but I felt sad too, it was one of those magical times that are hard to let go of.  After promising to come back and giving Buddy one last squeeze, we drove off into the sunset (well, it was actually mid morning). I turned up Piha FM on the stereo and remembered something I’d read in the Surfs Up book:

“A lot of surfing comes down to not thinking too much… be where you are. Don’t think about the next wave, don’t think about the last wave, don’t think about your boyfriend or your shoes or what you’re having for dinner tonight or the guy behind you who’s singing bad folk songs in an off-key voice. Surfing is all about being in the moment.”

And that’s what I call paradise.

 

Piha Beachstay:

http://www.pihabeachstay.co.nz/

Images and story by: Amy Taylor

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