Just got airplane tickets to Australia for myself & family (wife & three young adults) – we are all very excited! We’ll be there June 16 to July 9, arriving and departing from Sydney. Haven’t decided where to stay yet, but part of the time there and at least part of the time up to the great barrier reef area for some diving and warmer weather.
Suggestions? where to stay, where to surf, what to do, best boards to bring (my guess is I will probably bring a shortboard and a bigger wave board and then leave them there), how to get around (rental cars, train trips?) ?
If anybody wants to get together for some waves, that would be great…
I will look into lenox/angourie for surfing…although I really like point breaks too!
I figure we’ll probably have to fly from Sydney to Cairns? or thereabouts for that part of the trip… its a mighty big continent you got there… thought about driving but it would take maybe 60 hours behind the wheel (my own very rough estimate!)
yes the northern rivers early winter no place like it and that will lead you into the gold coast
after that brisbane you would be able to leave your hire car there and grab the tilt train you would need to leave your boards behind as no surf in cairns except the outer hardline of the reef
mybe you could leave your boards with someone on goldy?
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make sure you take a little time coming up the northern n s w coast esp if theres a little groundswell running
Hey Huie!
I just booked a place to stay in Noosa that looks good and was reasonably priced, so staying there for a week.
We plan to drive there from Sydney and I’m thinking of doing it as 3 short drives, one per day?
I think Port Macquarie is about 4 hours north of Sydney (8 hours away from Noosa)…so somewhere in that neck of the woods? Spend 1 night somewhere around here?
Then another 4 hours drive the next day to get to Lennox Head or nearby, then spend 1 night here.
that would only leave about 4 hours to get thru Brisbane and on to Noosa on Friday
Any holes in this plan?
then after a week in Noosa we fly (maybe train?) up to either Cairns or Port (thinking the latter for 5-6 days) to dive the Reef, etc,
then flying back to Sydney for a couple days before heading home.
Can’t wait… looking to lock in some accomodations soon, etc.
Thanks again for the pointers, every bit of information helps.
Hey Keith instead of Port Maquarie you should stop in at Crescent Head Its a small town just to the north of Port Maquarie and has much better surf. Its main spot is the point but there a range of other little beachbreaks that can be found on the back roads. Both rights and lefts. There is a little camping ground smack bang on the point which I highly recommend they have some great little cabins.
thanks Zac and Huie – I wish I’d seen this a day or two earlier, I just reserved a place to stay in Port M, but only for one night, June 19 (short stopover on the way to Noosa, scheduled to get there on the 21st). So still trying to figure out the places to stop along the way, this helps!!
Sure would be fun to meet and surf with any of you Aussies!! as a bonus incentive, I will have a board to give away, since I don’t plan on dragging it (on a plane) up to the great barrier reef… if I don’t find a swaylocker I will just find some kid on the beach and give it to him or her.
also decided to stay in Port Douglas when we get way up north… any pointers on stuff to do up there would be appreciated.
thanks Huie! although I’m really not too worried about getting any money for the board… perfectly happy to give it to a kid or fellow swaylocker!
also we’ll be in Sydney the last 4 days (starting july 5)… there MUST be somebody on sways that lives around Sydney who wants to meet up for a beer or something? No?
Hey mate there are more than a few around Sydney. I don’t think many look in this part of sways, if you just put a post in the main forum that you’ll be in Sydney for 4 days with the date I’m sure you’ll get hits. Enjoy it here mate, it’s winter so you should get good waves, especially up north. Though there’s plenty of good spots everywhere on the east coast this time of year. Let us know how you go mate, post progress pics here too, people places etc and most of all enjoy yourself and get heaps of waves!
thanks… I moved this thread to the main discussion area, since the trip is just around the corner a couple days now. Hope to meet a few Swaylockers in Australia if possible…
Hey Keith
It’s a good plan, but it doesn’t leave much time for surfing? You’re goin to be driving straight past a lot of waves and I think you’ll be kicking yourself if you’ve got no time to look around and catch a few. I’d be happy to put you onto a few spots if you’ve got time, but prefer to do that via PM
yup got the wife and kids with me so it’s not just a surfari… but they don’t mind if we stop for a few hours here and there, either. PMs with any info would of course be greatly appreciated…its a big continent and I’ve never been there before!
8hrs to Noosa from Port Mac? Might be a bit ambitous. The highway is not so good in some spots so please plan to take a bit of extra time. If there is an accident on the highway, it can easily add a hour or two. Around Kempsey cabe a real bottleneck too. Last time we did the trip Coffs Harbour seemed to be the most logical place for a stop to stretch the legs.
There are so many awesome spots from Sydney to the Goldie, just have a look on google earth at the coastline!
Keith, Im in Sydney on the Northern Beaches, Im happy to show you around the beaches and visit a few spots of interest like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House if you like. If youre available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Fridays I have a car available that can take 4 + driver.
while you’re at Noosa you can visit the Eumundi markets which are on Weds and Sats.
it’s one of the best markets in Australia with great handicrafts, art, produce and food stalls.
good outing for the family and only 20 mins from Noosa. From there you could drive up into the hinterland which has a really nice range with small towns, pubs, wateralls and so on if you wanted to make a day out of it.
i’ll be there helping my wife who has a Thai food stall this Wed.
Usually set up her stall, drop my youngest off to daycare and sneak off for a wave before coming back at 10.30am to help her until close.
SW-W winds all this coming week with some pulses of Sth swell on the cards.
Sunshine through to Coolum beachbreaks should be good.
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