Chilling at St Clair

Chilly Dunedin drizzle was never going to stop French tourist Georgia Bouffard (front, shredding) from enjoying a surfing lesson under the watchful eye of instructor Helena Sodergren.

Hailing from the French Alps ski resort of La Plagne, Ms Bouffard was unperturbed by the 7degC temperature as she tore up the surf at St Clair Beach yesterday morning.

''It's not really that cold ... it's warmer in the water than out of it,'' she explained.

The 22-year-old had been in the country for only a week but had long planned to surf in New Zealand, after previously surfing in Cornwall, Morocco and Canada.

''It was on my bucket list!''

Next up on her itinerary are Queenstown and Milford Sound.