Amber's Surf Diary: Sydney, Spot X and Byron

Hi I’m Amber and if you’re following my travel blog you’ll know I met a random dude in a hostel foyer, after an insanely long flight from the UK, and almost immediately jumped onboard a Sydney Weekend Escape with Mojosurf. If you missed it check it out. After returning to Sydney post, epic sand in face failure of trying to stand up on the world’s biggest foam board, I was determined not to let it beat me! I was looking at the 8 days or 11-day volunteer adventure and thought 8 days is definitely not enough. And, hey why not do some good while I’m travelling. TIP: ask the Mojosurf reservations about Mojo Pay, where you can split the cost of your trip into smaller payments before you leave. (email [email protected]) I jumped on the bus bright-eyed looking forward to what lies ahead. We left the hostel quite late and arrived really early at Spot-X surf camp, Arrawarra NSW. The coach was super comfy with free WiFi, so I managed to send a few check-in messages back to the family, then snoozed most of the trip until we arrived. I spent the next 8 days, falling off a big arse foam board, plenty of epic wipeouts, lots of laughs and met loads of new people all in search of livin’ the dream, and that we were. Surfers silhouetted in the whitewash at dusk

Surfers silhouetted in the whitewash at dusk

Then it happened, it was the end of the day most of the group had head back into camp looking for a good feed and a beer, but I persisted until the very end this one day. The sun is going down I’ve got a couple more attempts at standing on this board. And I did. The wave approached, Andy the instructor yelled, up, up, up, yes, just like Adam when I rode the whitewash on the Central Coast, and face planted the sand a week or so before. This time it was different I could feel the energy of the wave through every bone in my body! With everything I had I pushed up and popped up just like we practised on the sand. It took a moment to register, but I was gliding, this my friends is what they call riding a green wave. Yes, I was surfing a wave for the first time ever, gliding along like I was flying, I can’t actually describe this momentus feeling! Then like a scratched vinyl record or fingers scratching a blackboard, I was dumped off the wave and swirling around as if I was in a washing machine with an eye full of salt. But, was it worth it, ah hells YES! I’ll be back, tomorrow after breakfast with or without Andy the instructor. Two surfers walking on the beach at sunset

Two surfers walking on the beach at sunset

TIP: If you’re loving your surfing while hanging at Spot-X with the crew, check out their academy program, I ended up in Byron coming back to do a 3-month course to perfect my surfing, but you can just kick back and upgrade your package if you like! Surfing is uh-mazing, but what’s even better is knowing that while I’m travelling I’m also helping fight the good fight for the environment. Mojocares organises beach clean-ups, which we are happy to participate in, and also provides the chance to help with sand dune regeneration projects in the regions to which we travel. It’s like we release endorphins from surfing green waves then amplify it by helping the environment, there is truly no better way to travel! Hand holding a camera on the beach

Back on the bus, we’re heading North to the World famous Byron Bay, the hippy capital of the World, the place where surfers came in the ’70s to live an alternative lifestyle and never left. Think surfing, yoga, good times and happy vibes – that is what Byron has to offer and so much more. It is really about choosing your own adventure in Byron, for me, it was massages, surfing, vino’s and more surfing, and the night markets on Saturday nights opposite the Community centre on Jonson St! Person doing a yoga pose on a rock by the sea

Person doing a yoga pose on a rock by the sea

But, every essence of my soul was pulling me back to Spot-X to perfect my surfing! Amber xx Ps. check my next travel diary entry about hanging in Spot-X for 3 months!

Planning your own East Coast surf trip? Read our Byron Bay surf guide and check out Byron Bay vs Spot X to work out which camp suits you best.

Want to do the same trip? The Sydney to Byron surf trip (our 6 Day Great Aussie Learn to Surf Adventure) spends five nights at Spot X, and our surf camp from Sydney page explains how to get to Spot X and Byron Bay.