Trifter

Surfing  Australia is no doubt a number one surfing destination for travelling surfers. Hordes of travellers flock here to catch an Aussie wave.  Because Australia is so bloody massive if you really want to get lost amongst it all, well it’s not too hard, there are just so many nooks and crannies in the coastline whether it be in South Australia, WA or the south coast of New South Wales you could still trip over a kangaroo or a wombat, well in theory anyway.

Australia has 25,760 kilometers of coastline, and more than half of this has access to surfing, and we haven’t even mentioned the Great Barrier Reef.  That’s a lot.  For Australia is only slightly smaller than the 48 States of America.  The terrain of this flattest of all continents, is a mixture of arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north. The lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m and the highest point: Mount Kosciusko 2,229 m. The natural hazards here are cyclones along the coast in the Australian summer, severe droughts, floods, and forest fires. 

There are lots of other nasties but, I guess you would have seen it all on TV.  If its sharks you are now thinking of and that dreaded Jaws movie tune is going through your head Doon,doon,doon, don’t worry about it, it’s super uncommon here for an attack and thousands of Aussies are in the water everyday all year through.

Surfing Australia  & Getting around

Hitching is a dyeing trade these days and there are heaps of transport options. Hire cars are everywhere and you can now also hire camper-vans at a great rate too.  The prices vary so need to shop around for a good deal.

Flying is a great way to move quickly here and its cheap Virgin blue and Jet Star always have deals going and also Tiger airways are worth a squizy.  These airlines fly all over Australia and can drop you off in some awesome surfing spots such as the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and many more.

Trains are another option in the city but are slow if you want to go a long way. Buses are also similar and do the long haul too, but truthfully unless you are scared of flying or want to go to a unique destination don’t bother, waste of time and hard earned cash.

Walking, well as discusses before it’s a bloody big country and I think you would wear your shoes out before you get anywhere.

Surfing Australia how much does it cost

It’s like most places you can go for cheap or super expensive.  There are still pack packer options with beds starting from $20-25 and hotels on the Gold Coast starting from $65.  These prices can vary in the peak holiday time.  And the best surf is usually right in Peak Season, sorry but us Aussies are clever buggers !

Plane tickets can start as low as $65-90 from Sydney to the Gold Coast and the trip takes about two hours.  The airport is right on the beach so you could literally be in the waves quicker than you could say COOOOEEE or throw another snag on the Barbie.

ACCOMMODATION

As mentioned above it varies in price and is super easy to find, but if you are coming in our holiday period in Easter or Christmas you must book ahead otherwise you might be sleeping on the beach and that sand gets cold.

DANGERS

Crocodiles, Sharks, dangerous snakes and spiders,

Yes we have them all, but the truth is driving a car is much more dangerous. Where shoes in grassy areas in the country to avoid getting bitten by ants, we have some real nasty ones that sting like hell and can jump too.  No bullshit, Hopper ants jump from limb to limb just to get you, but these are found mostly in Rain-forest areas.

Also, if you like bushwalking or looking for that secret surf spot keep plenty of water with you. You have more chance of becoming dehydrated than stumbling across a King Brown snake.  If you do come across a snake just stand still and let it pass on by.

When is the best time for Surfing Australia

Australia has waves all year round.  The west coast fires in winter with big Indian Ocean swells marching on their way to Indonesia, yep we get them first.

Victoria and Tasmania have great waves all year too, but you will need a wetsuit and maybe even booties and a Hoodie, depend how tough you are

Queensland and New South Wales have great waves all year with the north getting cyclone and north swells in summer and the south catching winter swells and cold offshore breezes.

Northern Territory and north Queensland just forget it, unless you want to meet with an un-friendly sea creature that likes to nibble on you like a chicken nugget.

BE CAREFUL

Be nice to locals and have respect on the beach Aussies love their home turf and are prepared to protect it. This doesn’t mean they will slash your tires but they won’t stand for any nonsense in the lineup. Just say “Gidday” and wait your turn for a wave,.

Always lock your cars in remote areas and don’t leave any valuable in there, sorry but it does happen.  Put on plenty of sunscreen, the Australian sun can be bloody scorching in summer and spring.

Surfing Australia is great surf destination and if you need any more pointers please feel free to contact me at www.worldboardridersclub.ning.com There are plenty of other members there who will also give you some great tips, and there is also great surf report links.

All the best Happy Surfing and Stay wet Marty

Surfing Australia