F
reshwater Beach, Sydney will always remember that day in the Summer of 1915 when the great aquatic Hawaiian, Duke Kahanamoku gave an amazing exhibition of wave riding. ‘The Duke’ fashioned a solid board from local timbers, modelled on the very type used by him in his native Hawaii. It was here he first introduced to Australians the ancient craft of Hawaiian kings - the art of surfboard riding. Out through the surf-break The Duke paddled. He turned around and having paddled onto the face of a breaking wave, caught the wave back into the beach while standing tall on this newly carved timber surfboard. This exhibition of skill and grace captivated the imagination of all those present. Surfing came to Australia in 1915 when the Duke demonstrated his style, but it was not until the 1950’s that this sport became popular here. Today an estimated 1.4 million Australians use a surfcraft of some kind each year. The surf industry which began with the manufacture of boards, ‘togs’ and ‘wetties’ in the 1960s, is now worth $400 million annually. Thousands turn up to watch professional surfing events, which began in 1973 with
the Bells Beach Surfing Classic (now Rip Curl Pro), the world’s longest running and most prestigious. Surfing in Australia is for anyone and everyone. It’s a great healthy summer activity and more importantly it’s fun. 60 year old Malibu riding veterans, young kids with short boards, frontier surfers looking for remote breaks in impossible places and even 50 year old mums like me who took their first surf lesson recently at Sunshine Beach, near Noosa. A long list of locally bred world champions such as Midget Farrelly, Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew, Nat Young, Mark Richards
area, talk to locals and get some advice on conditions. Best to surf with a mate and always check the weather. Are you keen? Well read on for the lowdown on where to get some barrels and have fun at Australia’s best surfing spots. Gold Coast, QLD. Beautiful weather and great waves make this major holiday area an obligatory stop on any surfing safari. Expect big crowds in the water at certain times of the year. Highlight – surf one of the world’s top breaks at Kirra Point. Noosa, QLD. Here your morning is greeted with long glassy conditions and surfers running to get amongst some
Surfing in Australia is for anyone and everyone. It’s a great healthy summer activity and more importantly it’s fun. and Mark ‘Occy’ Occilupo have helped make Australia one of the great surfing nations. A huge range of surf schools and surf shops can be found at major surf destinations around Australia. Novice surfers can take advantage of the local knowledge from surf instructors by signing up for lessons before going out. If you are experienced but unfamiliar with the
of the best surf anywhere in the world. Surfing at Noosa really starts at Sunshine Beach and continues right around the national parks coastline and onto the North shore. A distance of approximately 12 km. The breaks are: Sunshine Beach, Alexandria Bay, Granite Bay, Tea Tree, Boiling Pot, Noosa First Point, Noosa Beach, Noosa River Mouth and North Shore.
Surfers at Bennetts Beach at dawn, Hawks Nest, North Coast NSW Courtesy of James Pipino; Tourism NSW