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The Best Areas for Surfing in Australia

by Kryssie Maree

The first place that usually comes to mind when you talk about surfing is Hawaii. Hawaii has sweet waves and beautiful weather which is perfect for surfers. However, Hawaii can be a dangerous place for newbies who would like to feel the excitement of riding a wave from start to finish without being squashed by a tremendous wall of water.

The good news is that Hawaii is not the only place for surfing, there are many other beaches around the this world where you can discover how to surf or if you are already an experienced surfer, catch great waves. We're going to focus on some sweet surfing destinations located in Australia.

Australia is a country that has a bunch to offer surfers, it is somewhat of a cloud nine where all sorts of conditions and wave sizes can be found.

Lets talk about the locations in Australia that offer first-class conditions for those who enjoy to surf.

The first thing you should understand about the Australian beaches is that as you go farther into the north you run the risk of encountering the beautiful but extremely dangerous jellyfish. Before you get in the water it is always a good idea to get information about the areas that are most likely to have a high degree of jellyfish.

Victoria: Victoria is the south most state of Australia; it is open to the cold waters of the Antarctic and is the place where you can find a lot of virgin beaches, if you are planning to surf at one of the Victorian beaches then the most important thing to consider is to bring your wetsuit because this is not a tropical area, things can get very cold particularly during winter. A great place to visit is the Bells beach and you can find optimum surfing conditions during the autumn season.

South Australia: Just like Victoria, South Australia is also broadly exposed to the Antarctic Ocean so bringing a wetsuit is again a requirement. Surfers in Adelaide typically have to head for the tip of the Yorke Peninsula because Adelaide is on a gulf and does not get decent waves. South Australia has many virgin beaches and much of its coastline is not easily reached but if you want to explore the area then renting a four wheel drive vehicle is absolutely a must.

New South Wales: Another awesome place to catch waves. The state is located south of Queensland and the entire area provides amazing surfing conditions. The best times to visit New South Wales and catch great waves is during the summer and autumn seasons. If you head towards the northern parts of this state you will find amazing point setups at Lennox and Angourie.

Queensland: Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and is placed in the south most part of the state close to New Wales and it is exactly around this territory where you can find more near perfect surfing conditions. Kirra and Burleigh are world famous break points where you can catch amazing waves. As you trek farther to the north, surfing conditions start to get worse because you will hit the great barrier reef. This is also well known to have a lot of jellyfish.

West Australia: Some places can get really muggy and the water temperature can make it into the mid 80s. The best places to catch waves are Esperance and Albany, among these beaches you can find good waves but access to this area is intricate. If you head to Esperance or Albany it is good to know that their beaches get the same swell as Indo.

As you probably noticed, most of the areas we have talked about and recommended are located at the southernmost part of Australia, as you head towards the north you will find a lot of jellyfish which is definitely not a good thing for surfers, so remember to keep that in mind.

Kryssie Maree is a freelance travel writer who writes for Find a Hobby.

Published November 7th, 2008

Filed in Hobby