Hawke, along with the man who taught him to surf, Doug Young, flew to the island last week to take advantages of some once in a lifetime conditions.
Hawke, who has just started a bachelor of science degree at the University of Otago, was at home in Christchurch last week when he got a call from Young.
Young wanted a ride to the airport after deciding to fly to Tahiti when he saw the weather forecast and a big swell predicted on the beach of Teahupo'o.
"I just had my nose operated on and was at home watching the cricket and us getting smashed by the Aussies.
"Doug rang me up and asked if I could give him a ride to the airport," Hawke said.
"When I got to the airport he asked if I wanted to come. I couldn't say no."
So he put the trip on Young's credit card, and within hours found himself sleeping on a Tahitian beach.
The next day conditions started to build and by last Thursday the big waves had well and truly arrived.
The waves were so big that the only way to ride them was to be towed out by jet skis.
"The waves were quite massive. There were guys there from all over the world.
"They said it wasn't that hectic, but there seemed to be quite a lot of guys there to me."
As the day drew to a close, Hawke and Young found themselves all but alone when the biggest wave of all came along.
A wave which had a face on it of about 12.5m had Young towing Hawke into its centre.
"All those cameramen and others were scrambling to get out of the way.
"But I caught it at just the right time. It was a huge volume of water."
Hawke rode the wave in its entirety, and managed to find himself thrown on the reef as the wave crashed.
"I came up with a bleeding nose, blood coming out of my ear. I thought I'd rebroken my nose.
"But it was amazing. I'm so lucky to have the chance to have a shot at it.
"When I let go of the tow rope I thought this is where I use everything I have learnt about surfing.
"I had to make sure I got to the bottom of the wave and ride it out from there."
After being rescued from the reef, Hawke knew he had ridden his final wave at Teahupo'o.
"I was euphoric. That was it for me. Nothing was going to top that."
Hawke returned to Christchurch on Sunday, with a sore body, and spent yesterday trying to catch up on his studies.
But his wild ride may have further rewards.
His ride has been entered in the Billabong XXL Big Wave awards, a global competition rewarding the world's best big wave surfers.
The awards, with a $50,000 first prize, will be handed out in Los Angeles next month.
