North surfers ride Pam's fury

Steve Thompson catches a monster wave off Langs Beach, after being towed in by jetski. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The wild weather is gone but the swells have arrived.

Surfers including Whangarei's Steve Thompson are having an exhilarating time catching waves off Northland's coast and making the most of the huge surf before it drops away tomorrow.

MetService has predicted sunny spells with occasional showers for the rest of the week.

Mr Thompson was out riding waves he described "as big as power poles," which were breaking about 500 metres offshore at the southern end of Langs Beach yesterday.

"These waves come around every five years or more. They don't happen very often so, when it happens, we're on to it," he said.

Mr Thompson launched off Langs Beach on a jetski and said riding such big waves was an emotional mix of fun, fear and exhilaration.

"We take turns riding the waves every five minutes. It's cool."

While riding the waves was a buzz, he said, wiping out "felt like getting a beating when lying in a ruck during a rugby match".

He caught about 80 waves during more than five hours of surfing. MetService forecaster John Law said the "residue" of the cyclone was likely to ease from today.

"You will still have some showers and blustery southwesterlies, although they won't be anywhere near those experienced in Gisborne and further down south.

"Fresh southwesterlies come in with occasional showers today but they will mostly be felt in the west around Dargaville, as opposed to Russell," he said.

The best swells would be today. Clear skies are expected in Northland tomorrow, on Thursday and Friday. Whangarei recorded the country's highest temperature at noon yesterday of 24.7C.

Northland Regional Council figures showed Glenbervie recorded the highest rainfall, at 67.5mm in the 21 hours to 9am yesterday, while the maximum wind gust of 118.5km/h was in Cape Reinga on Sunday.

Tony Phipps, group controller for the Northland Civil Defence emergency management group, said his officials had received no reports of serious damage or injury linked to the cyclone. Fire service area commander for Whangarei and Kaipara Mike Lister said only five minor calls were received, mainly to report trees which had fallen on to roads. Far North fire chief Colin Kitchen said the region got off lightly.