If you fancy trying out a new activity on your Australian road trip, why not give surfing a go? You’ll be in good company, with up to 2.5 million surfers in Australia, according to the Sweeney report, and that’s before you include the tourists. Whether taking your east coast car hire south to Adelaide, or up north to Queensland, there’s always a beginner-friendly beach nearby. You’ll find willing surf instructors at plenty of beaches and they can really help you perfect technique and spot the perfect wave.

Which beaches should you head for?

Queensland: Home to the aptly named Surfers Paradise, some of the world’s longest waves can be found at Snapper Rocks, Coolangatta. Beginners should head next door to Greenmount Beach for gentle waves that’ll give you plenty of time to crack standing up and staying up. Further south, First Point at Noosa comes highly recommended as the surf is nearly always suitable for beginners.

Victoria: Known for the Great Ocean Road and the famous Bells Beach, Victoria offers gentler waves at Ocean Grove and Jan Juc. Near to both are beaches suitable advanced surfers too – handy if you’re travelling in a group.

NSW: If you’ve got a few days taking in the sights of Sydney, it’s easy to schedule in some surf time with numerous beaches around the city suitable for beginners. Hit the famous Bondi Beach for easy waves or head to popular Manly Beach for guaranteed breaks. If you make it out of Sydney and are heading north, popular Byron Bay is home to Clarkes Beach which is well-protected for newbie surfers and The Pass with perfect beginner waves. South Australia: From Adelaide, you don’t have to travel far to reach the beaches of the Fleurieu Peninsula where there are plenty of beginner swells. Middleton Beach is a good option, as is Goolwa, and both have local surf schools. Kangaroo Island offers learner beaches at Stokes, Vivonne and Pennington Bays. Not only do you get the surf, there’s beautiful white sand too.

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Jul 24, 2018 at 9:00pm PDT

Learning to surf

If you’d like some expert input before jumping into the big blue, there are plenty of options Down Under. Surfing Australia’s side site is Learn To Surf, listing loads of places to undertake short courses all over the country. You can hunt by region for surfing, stand-up or bodyboarding lessons. Alternatively, there are surf camps at various coastal locations and surf schools at many of the well-known beaches.

Get your car hire booked online so you can get your adventure underway.