Snowmobile

[damian 0]

cheaper than japan. In sydney expect to pay perhaps AUD150pw for a room in a three bed apartment or house near the beach. You can pay a lot more and you can also pay far less.

 

Gold coast, a few minutes walk from the beach expect to pay F-all through to quite a bit depending on the quality that you are after. The gold coast is cheap living as a rule, way cheaper than sydney.

 

Each area has better surf at certain times, but there is still plenty of surf all year round. Winter is best in Sydney (in my opinion). Summer is better on the gold coast (cyclone swells).

 

I really wouldn't get to worried about the season - you are learning and it isnt like the snow season where it is binary. There is surf all year round.

[jared 0]

Two, two week surf trips to the gold coast and I got nothing - both of them ended up being swimming trips. I did get to visit all the places that are in all the surf mags though.

Duneding in NZ is cold, big, fat and sharky but at least its extremely consistent. Travel makes you realise how good home is.

[damian 0]

jared, why dont you just step up and say it: you really dislike australia/australians don't you.

 

If you rocked up expecting to ride kirra or burls every day then sure, you could have been let down.

 

I have been to the same snow resort twice and it rained both times. I went to switzerland recently and it was blizzard 9 days in a row. And I have seen the goldy flat for 2 weeks as well. Christ, I have spent 5 days driving up and down from sydney to the gold coast looking for a wave, and couldnt find one on teh whole 1000km stretch of coast.

 

I would like to compare skill level of the average surfer on the goldy with the average skill level in Duned-wherever.

 

I have surfed for 20 years and met heaps and heaps of NZ surfers. Nearly all have complained for one reason or another about Oz surf relative to NZ surf. My mates and I were always left a little bemused and scratching our heads as we have NEVER met a complaining NZ surfer that could surf better than any of us, or even on par. Or even close to par for that matter. 99% of the NZ guys we have met have been great guys, but their skill level didn't reflect the consistent surf they claim to have. How did so many Australians, particularly Gold Coast residents get so good at surfing if the surf is so inconsistent?

 

I spend a lot of time on the gold coast with my family that live there. Every time I am there I see 15 year old kids that rip way better than I ever have. I wonder how they got so good.

 

It is a simple fact that if one wants to live and breath surfing, 100% pure surfing, there are only a few civilised areas in the world that allow it and have world class surf to boot. The gold coast is one of those areas.

[jared 0]

jezus, thats not what im trying to say - im just bitching about my bad luck. Im saying all we have got is consistency - no heat, not much in the way of hollow waves, big cold water sharks. I have tried twice to surf in oz and i'll try again most likely.

[snowboard_freak 0]

Ender - db summed it up really well.

 

I think i would be heading to Sydney to learn though i think as all the good spots in the Gold Coast area tend to get very crowded when it gets half way decent. Plus the local's can be bit on the heavy side if your not tuned up on the surf etiquitte (sp?).

[dingleberry 0]

SMAN, one of my NZ mates runs a couple of snowmobiles up at Naeba. He is also a professional backcountry guide for the area too. Check out his homepage at http://www.backcountryclub.com

 

Tell him Jason sent you.

 

Cheers

[snowboard_freak 0]

Well thats probably the first "on topic" post in this thread for a while!