New Brighton’s seaside
With the iconic New Brighton Pier, and beautifully long coast line, New Bright beach is easily Canterbury’s most distinctive beach.
Whether you’re here for an hour, a whole day, or looking to move here, there’s plenty of room to slow down and enjoy our coastline with early morning walks, summer swims, or a beach picnic!
New Brighton Beach
New Brighton’s long sandy beach is made for exploring.
Walk along the shoreline, watch the surfers from the pier, build a sandcastle with the kids, or find a spot to sit and watch the ocean.
You don’t have to wait for summer to enjoy it either. The cooler months in Canterbury often bring lovely calmy, sunny weather. A brisk winter walk followed by a coffee in the village is a New Brighton classic.
Surf, Swim and Play
New Brighton has a long connection with surfing and ocean sports.
With its long open beach and multiple breaks, New Brighton attracts surfers throughout the year, and hosts Aotearoa’s biggest surf festival – The Duke Festival.
Warmer days bring swimmers, families and people looking to enjoy the water.
We also have New Zealand’s oldest surf life saving club, and four active clubs in the area – make sure you swim at one of these, between the flags, to stay safe.
Swim Safety
New Brighton is a beautiful beach, but it is an open ocean. Waves, currents and rips can be powerful and conditions can change quickly. If you’re not familiar with New Zealand surf beaches, take a moment to understand the conditions before getting in the water.
Swim between the flags
Always swim between the red and yellow flags when lifeguards are on patrol. The flags mark the safest place to swim and are positioned by surf lifeguards who are monitoring the conditions.
Don’t swim alone
Swim with someone else and keep an eye on your friends and family. Children need close supervision around the water. Waves can move quickly and unexpectedly, so keep young children within arm’s reach.
Stay well clear of the pier
Don’t swim around, underneath or close to the pier. Structures extending into the ocean can contribute to rip currents and unpredictable water movement.
Learn to spot a rip
Rips are powerful currents that move away from the beach and can carry swimmers out to sea. They aren’t always obvious, and can look like calm water, or channel through the surf.
The New Brighton Pier
Our pier is one of the most striking and unique parts of Christchurch.
At 300 metres long, the pier reaches out into the Pacific and offers a different perspective on the coastline.
It’s a favourite spot for fishing, wandering, watching surfers, and it makes for stunning photos at sunrise!
