Every beachgoers nightmare came true today at Ōhope Beach when a shark was spotted in surf just metres from the shore.
Rotorua Daily Post reporter Ben Fraser was strolling down the beach when he and his family spotted a group of people staring at the water.
The family also stopped and discovered what the crowd was staring at: a "fairly sizable shark" swimming no more than10 metres from the shore.
"I'm no shark expert but it was quite big, judging by the distance between its tail and fin," he said.