A turf war's broken out over one of New Zealand's best surf breaks - over a live camera broadcasting surf conditions.

Sports website Surf2Surf has recently been broadcasting live footage from Ahipara's Shipwreck Bay for its subscribers - and locals aren't happy.

The camera was vandalised, and the family whose holiday home it was broadcasting from were allegedly threatened.

The site's director believes it's the surf community behind it, and has now taken the camera offline to avoid an escalating and "dangerous" situation.

He said it's most likely locals who don't want to share their waves.