Driving from Sydney to Phillip Island- where should we surf?

[womble]

your key would be to call me

Call you what ... what would you like them to all you ...

[Bob]

While driving, when you see the signs for Byron Bay and then for Noosa you are getting closer.

[KenM]

Been watching the quik pro/Gold Coast, watch out for the Blue Bottles.

[analbirth]

we drink out of brown bottles ken

[KenM]

That the cure for Blue Bottles AB?

[albert]

Havent seen bluebottles down this way for months, they typically only come in when there are prolonged periods of easterly winds.

As far as surf on the way down, its very easy to drive past a dozen or so spots that could be firing if you dont have the right guide/information sources. Steeno is spot on! best thing to do is ring him, give him a quick assessment of what you see when you pull up to beach X and he'll tell you where to go! Trust me, I did the exact same thing every day for nearly a year while I was travelling up and down the coast.

Ill PM you my number too, Ill be leaving on the 13th and taking three days to get down there (travelling with the family so I wont be covering lots of km's in one go). At least if you give us a ring I can give you a report of what its like in Phillip Island.

Talk soon Tom!

[red]

The Sydney/Melbourne trip is a crap shoot (like most surf travel). I've done it countless times and come up zip for waves. But there have been other occasions...

You can spend the entire time in peri urban madness or you can hit the open road and explore wilder beaches. There are many accurate surf guides. Here's my synopsis:

Anywhere above Cape Howe (the one in Victoria, not WA) it depends on swell wrapping around Tassie to hit the east coast. Spots between Wilsons Promenade and Eden are pretty much in the wave shadow most of the time. If you follow the internet reports you can plan to move or stay when there are waves.

You can surf a zillion places when there is swell and conditions are right. When it's small I make Ulladulla a definite port of call. It gets more swell than much of the coast. There are about 10 breaks within a stone's throw. You've still got a long drive ahead of you, though.

Stop at the pie shop on the main road just before the Duras turnoff. Best pies in Australia. Bring me a frozen family steak and kidney pie and my wife will love you forever.

Once you're down at Eden the road goes inland through the forests. It's a long drive to the coast but if it's big, then it's worth checking out Bushranger Bay (not sure if I got that correct - it's early for me).

Once you cross into civilisation (Victoria), if you have time to veer off the road, then check out garbage dumps at Mallacoota (Australia has an inordinate number of spots in front of garbage dumps). If you feel lucky, then head to Cape Conran (I've had it once in 10 years) or Lake Tyers for Red Bluff (?), another inconsistent wave that's good on its day.

When you get past Lakes Entrance, then you're in beach country (90 mile beach - it really is!). Again you're inland. It's a tough call to shoot to the coast in this stretch without local knowledge. It's about a 5 hour run to PI.

If you want a scenic trip and the weather's good (and you might even get waves if there's swell and the wind is anywhere out of the east), then take the coastal route and pop into Wilson's Prom. Continue up the coast to PI. It's a nice drive and there are lesser known surf spots all along.

Most importantly, take time to relax. Surf travel shouldn't be about staring out of car windows.

[randiego]

If you're looking for surf down the south coast, best to check in with Steen, Slats or Waka.

We'll be making our South Coast run on the backend, south-to-north. As soon as they turn off the lights in PI, I'll be headed straight to my favorite sandbar just over the Vic border in NSW.

You south coast louts keep an eye out for us the week after...

[C.P.Odom]

Randy;
Sounds good. We are doing the surf trip both directions.

[analbirth]

so red, let me get this clear, if anyone brings your wife a frozen steak and kidney pie from said pie shop your wife will " love them long time"

[wolruss]

Reckon Bud, Albert & Steen & Red have just about covered it - especially Red's advice re: Ulladulla picking up the swell. As I said in my PM to you Tom the minister & I will be camping on the way down at the locations I mentioned, if you guys happen to call in at those spots you'll be most welcome at our camp fire.

Cheers Wolruss

[wolruss]

Oohh your a cheeky bugger AB.

[Tom Linn]

thanks for all the suggestions guys. Right now we are leaning towards hitting Noosa by way of Aussie Pipe then on to margaret's River. From there we head to Burleigh Heads where we are ready to call Sunny out if he gives us any stink eye. Good to know that we don't need to lock the motorhome the entire trip because the locals are so friendly.

Or, we might just call Steen and Albert.

thanks again!

[Mike Fernandez]

They say the water at Alice Springs is shark free, and warm.

[Tom Linn]

Hey Steen, Thanks for the offer to give us some guidance on the South Coast. What is your cell number? We will definitley give you a call as we leave Sydney on Sunday. Saturday we are surfing North narrabean with the Novakov's. My cell number is 949-584-9427. cya in the H2O, Tom