top of page

Surf Trip Sydney-Brisbane

When I decided to do my study abroad exchange semester in Australia, all I could think about was to achieve one of these great road trips. The simple fact to have my own car and hit the road into the wilderness of Australia was a dream I had since I had seen all different kinds of documentaries and heard stories of friends who had done it. But beyond a simple road trip, with seven other friends, what we did was far more thrilling and entertaining as we decided to focus on the national sport: surfing.



Therefore, we rented one big camper for 6 people and one little hippie van for 2 that my best friend and I absolutely loved to drive. It was old and messy, but the vintage side covered it up with its stickers all over it and its shape, recalling the mythical Volkswagen van. And even if the tank was only 30 liters, forcing us to stop every two hours in gas stations, and reaching 120 km/h made the engine overheat turning the inside of the car into a smoky furnace, I never took as much pleasure to drive a vehicle than during these holidays.


So, we drove through the east coast, never knowing where we would sleep at night, totally free, like explorers discovering the land. The only constraint we had was to get back in Sydney before the next Saturday, which left us 9 days to go up to Brisbane and then go back down. We had the best spots in mind: Lennox Head, Seal Rocks, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa.


But the best part of a road trip is that you can go wherever you want to go and this is what we did on our second day. After having slept in a fantastic spot in Seal rocks and visited the lighthouse, we went back on the road and decided to stop someplace near the beach, and it was it, the dream: a large beach, completely free of people, with perfect surf condition. We were absolutely alone in the water enjoying the moment for two good hours in the waves making me realize this was precisely how I imagined a road trip to be.



After that it was surprise after surprise: passing by Lennox head, the famous Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, and always leaving our prints by surfing on those spots with nearly perfect conditions. Then Brisbane, this big city we, unfortunately, had to pass through quite fast because of our lack of time but most of all because of our desire to go a little bit more north to visit the well-known natural park in Noosa. After Noosa, we were in kind of a rush to go back to Sydney and drove 3 to 5 hours a day to make it in time to give back the vehicles.


Furthermore, except for the beautiful landscapes we were lucky to see and the fantastic surfing experience, the moments I enjoyed the most were the meals we shared together every night. Sometimes in camping, sometimes in the wild, cooking good food to restore the energy lost in the ocean and having tremendous fun with each other was unforgettable moments that strengthen my friendship with each and every member of the crew.

Clément VALOT

Spring 2019

France, ESILV

Instagram : @clementvalot

255 views0 comments
bottom of page