Every Thursday afternoon, Banks Peninsula farmers head to the beach in Hickory Bay and ride waves to forget about work. Farmer and surfing coach, Kristin Savage, runs the Surfing for Farmers initiative, which doubles up as an apres surf catch-up and BBQ in the farmyard.

Every Thursday afternoon, Banks Peninsula farmers head to the beach in Hickory Bay and ride waves to forget about work.

Farmer and surfing coach, Kristin Savage, runs the Surfing for Farmers initiative, which doubles up as an apres surf catch-up and BBQ in the farmyard.

The surf therapy initiative, which has 28 chapters around the motu, is helping improve mental health and wellbeing in rural communities.

Listen to Cosmo's story at Hickory Bay

Hickory Bay Farm is located at the end of a steep and winding seven-kilometre gravel road. Kristin and his wife Rachel have been living there for 13 years.

They were first-time farmers when they took over the 500-hectare property, that was previously owned by British banking heir, David de Rothschild.

"We came from Wellington. I was a commerce teacher at Wellington Boys and Rachel was a flight retrieval ICU nurse," Kristin said.

He admits it was a steep learning curve and he's grateful to Rachel's parents, Ashburton farmers Keith and Rosemary Townshend, for their guidance and support.

"They're amazing farmers and I've learnt so much from them and we wouldn't be here without their help, so you know, it was kind of like sink or swim."

The couple, who have three young children, graze dairy cattle and run a herd of Speckle Park, a Canadian breed of beef cattle.

For Kristin, who's been surfing mad since he was 12, the farm's jewel in the crown is the bay and its waves, as well as the beach and the dramatic cliffs on either side.

"The prevailing wind is offshore, so blowing back out to sea grooming the waves, the cliffs make these waves kind of clean and there's plenty of swell. This combination produces the nice peaky, bowly waves that surfers really like.

He started a surf club for local schoolchildren several years ago after turning the old woolshed into the Hickory Bay Surfing Institute. The institute is a Charitable Trust.

"The vision statement is creating community wellbeing through the sport of surfing. So the surfing is the catalyst, but we will get around the fire and cook dinner together on the grill and tell stories."

With the surfing school infrastructure set up, it seemed like a natural fit to get involved with Surfing for Farmers…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details