Surfing in Oz

One Cold Hand

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone could help with some information, or point me the right direction. I'm heading off to Oz in a few months for a year or so. A few summers ago I was in San Diego and did a (very small) bit of surfing. Anyway I'll be working in Oz but I'd like to work near a good surfing area. Just wondering if anyone has done this, or if ye know of any good website with some info, or anything else that might be useful!

Thanks!

Spud83

Sydney and Melbourne have good surfing within driving distance, Perth is supposed to be good and you can live near the beach there cheap. otherwise for smaller towns there is places like bryon bay, and surfers paradise along the east coast. Adelaide has a problem with frequent sharks i believe, so does south of perth.

cornbb

alanmurphy83 wrote:

Adelaide has a problem with frequent sharks i believe, so does south of perth.

Kind of puts the jellyfish I saw in Fanore last week in perspective!

Would be nice to go surfing somewhere a wetsuit isn't needed though.

neon_glows

Im in the same situ as One Cold Hand. Thinking of buying an old van out there and cleaning the back of it out, putting down some nice carpet and using that to live n travel out of

Spud83

cornbb wrote:

Kind of puts the jellyfish I saw in Fanore last week in perspective!

Would be nice to go surfing somewhere a wetsuit isn't needed though.

Plenty of box jelly fish in Oz too. So I would just pay attention to any warnings. Most towns have information centres which have advise on their waters.

neon_glows wrote:

Im in the same situ as One Cold Hand. Thinking of buying an old van out there and cleaning the back of it out, putting down some nice carpet and using that to live n travel out of

Well we bought a van. But there was six of us in it and we lived in camp sites while travelling. Camp sites are good and fairly cheap. They dont like people sleeping in vans on public roads or carparks, expect in rest stops onlong the motorways. So you would prob find yourself using campsites anyway.

neon_glows

so where wud you think would be a good town/place/area to stop at first to probably fuind a second hand van, and some surf to prepare for a trip in either direction for surfing, would you start sydney and head to pert or what?

Bernard Hopkins

Go to any hostel, there will be a notice board up with people selling their vans, boards etc before they go home again.

also internet cafes are full of backpacker ad's.

Spud83

We bought our van in melbourne, there seemed to be a good few on sale, but Sydney is were most backpackers sell on their vans I believe. Not perth a lot of people dont even go to Perth or if they do they fly so not alot of vans for sale their.

Markham

Living in Manly, near Sydney, for the time being. Rent is a bit pricey (if you're picky) but surf is reasonably consistent, and the northern beaches are at your doorstep. You can't turn a corner without walking into a surf shop. I live over one, and my neighbour is the manager of another, two minutes' walk away. Plenty of surf around Bondi, Coogee, which are in the coastal (eastern) suburbs of Sydney, but on the south side of the harbour.

Brisbane is cheaper and you're on the Gold Coast. Melbourne cheaper too, but far colder. Take your pick.

neon_glows

Markham do you think you could ask if any of those shops would give myself a job