Why No Visit to Australia Is Complete Without Visiting a Surf Camp

Emily Morgan won a competition with Gap 360. Part of her prize was going on our Australia Surf Camp Adventure trip. Read on to hear all about her experience...

Heading up Australia’s East Coast in search of chilled-out Australian surf and beach vibes? Looking for sand, sun and some epic parties? Well, I have just the thing for you. Surf camp. No trip to Australia’s East Coast is complete without it. Here’s why. 

After visiting Sydney I headed up the East Coast on an overnight bus to a place called Spot X, a 9-hour overnight in the bus from Sydney, where I was booked on the Gap 360 7-day Australia Surf Camp Adventure. The bus was actually super easy to catch and I was met at the stop by a rep who helped me double-check everything and board the bus. After a pretty good night's sleep I arrived at the surf camp with absolutely no expectations, all the gear and no idea. 

But little did I realise how freaking awesome this week was going to be! Spot X surf camp is located on Arrawarra Beach a secluded and mind-blowingly beautiful beach that stretches right up the East Coast and is almost entirely private in the sense that it’s so secluded almost only the surf school use it. Not only was the beach incredible, but it was about 20m from where I was camping in this massive tipi which made the surf experience even more epic. I was sharing with 3 other girls who were all doing the surf camp as well, and we drifted through the week in a haze of surf, eat, sleep and repeat. It was heaven. 

Now you might be wondering who was I travelling with, and if I was alone how did I find it? I have been solo travelling for about 3 weeks now, having visited Singapore, Melbourne and Sydney and this was by far the best week of them all! Although I was initially apprehensive about going to a surf camp by myself everyone was unbelievably friendly. The vibe was super chilled with a mix of other solo travellers, people travelling as twos and small groups. The amazing thing about surfing is that it is such a bonding experience and the surf camp really helps to solidify that! There is something so unifying about heading out into the ocean together and after your first lesson, you will find yourself friends, if not for life, then definitely for the week. The surf instructors are also amazing and take you under their wing. There are so many communal areas and everybody is chatting and playing cards or chilling together. By the end of the week, you will really feel like a part of the surf family; yes tears were shed when I left! The community is incredible and no matter who you are, or where you are from people will help you fit in and feel at home. 

But what did we get up to on this camp? Well, most days we would rise early, about 7 am (although this would depend on what time your surf lesson was) and grab breakfast. The food at Spot X was amazing and I was beyond happy to not have to cook my own food for a week! The choices were immense, with fresh fruit, yoghurt, granola, porridge, cereals, roasts and spreads all laid out and no limit on how much you could take. There was even cinnamon, honey and syrup for porridge and vegemite, jams, Nutella and peanut butter for toast! After munching breakfast, usually with an ocean view, we’d head to surf school. The instructors were amazing, helping us gain confidence in the water and getting to know us all on a personal basis with inside jokes by the end of the week. After hitting the waves it was time for a morning coffee or smoothie from the coffee van, time to chill out, sunbathe or explore. Next up was lunch which was equally as good as breakfast, with wraps, bread, different meat and salad selections and toasty machines! In the afternoon you could either pick to chill or opt to take part in additional activities and expression sessions for an extra $99. I personally decided to pay for this and was so glad I did because it was awesome! This package included all your photos, 10hrs of extra surf, ocean rafting and kayaking. 

Expression sessions were 2hr surf sessions out with an instructor where you had more time to practice what you were working on that morning and try to improve. At the start of the week, most people had never surfed before, but by the end, we were all out back catching green waves and feeling like pros. 

In the evenings it was time for a shower and more delicious food which changed every day, before the evening activity. This usually involved a bit of a party (although there was no pressure to drink) but let me tell you - surfers know how to have a good time! Karaoke night, beer pong tournaments and Latino night were all part of the fun, before we would head down to the beach to watch the stars. Then in the morning what better way to cure a hangover than to jump straight In the ocean with a surfboard? 

It was a week of feeling totally stoked and like a pro surfer, ripping up the waves and of course, having my fair share of totally rad wipeouts. Yewwwww! If your looking for a chilled time between Byron and Sydney then I cannot recommend booking the Gap 360 surf adventure enough. It’s a great way to slow down and take in what life on the east coast is all about. Get booking my dudes, it’s totally rad and such great value! 

Fancy catching waves in Australia? Book on the Australia Surf Camp Adventure today!