First time surfing!

The northernmost places on the east coast of Australia that allow surfing are Agnes Water and 1770, and they are about 480km north of Brisbane. We heard from some friends who traveled down the coast a bit faster that there are surf lessons available there for $17, and of course we didn't want to miss the opportunity.

We arrived in Agnes Water around noon and then had lunch in a park. After that, we went to the Visitor Centre to inquire about the surf lessons. There is a Visitor Centre in the town, even though it is so small that it doesn't even have a store from the major supermarket chains. But there are loads of backpackers who all want to learn how to surf there. Including us. In the Visitor Centre, we had a choice of 3 courses and we decided on a $20 course that offered small groups and free photos taken by an action cam on a board. When the friendly lady at the Centre tried to book it for us, we found out that the course the next day was scheduled for 6:30am due to the tide times. That was impossible for us because we wanted to spend the night in the nearby Eurimbula National Park and then have to drive 1 hour through the forest in the morning twilight. Besides, that was already an inhumane hour to be so active and we were also afraid that it might be too cold for us. Because now we are no longer in the tropics and it cools down quite a bit at night. Even in the morning, it's not really hot until 6 am, but rather around half past 8 or so. For all these reasons, we decided on another surf course that costs $17 per person, starts at 10 am, and we had to register on site.

After visiting the Visitor Centre, we went to the library for a while. I wrote a bit for my blog and Andi read some news. In front of the library, there was a small cart selling books for 50 cents, and Andi and I each got one. When we have read them, we can exchange them for others at the next library, as there are usually book exchange points there.

After the library, we headed to the aforementioned national park, and the route there was truly breathtaking. It was my favorite time of day (between 4:30 and 5:30, the sunlight is so ideal that everything looks beautiful), and we drove a 4WD track through the forest. First, there were individual trees with perfectly even grass as the ground, then increasingly dense forest, and finally jungle views with a narrow, sandy "road". In the open forest, a group of kangaroos hopped in front of us across the road and we were able to follow them for a while between the trees. It was a totally idyllic sight.

The campsite was located a few meters from the beach in the forest, and after we arrived, we first checked out the beach. It was super beautiful! The sun was low, the water was sparkling, and due to low tide, we were able to walk far towards the water. After a short walk, we prepared our bed and for dinner, we had delicious Bolognese. Later, I went to the toilet alone again, which was not far away, but when you walk through the absolute darkness of an Australian forest alone and armed only with a headlamp, it feels strange. This time there were no nasty spider surprises, and later it became brighter again when the moon came up.

The next morning, we set off fairly early so that we could arrive on time for our course. We were 45 minutes early, but that wasn't a problem because we browsed the surf shop, packed our bag, and applied sunscreen. Unfortunately, Andi accidentally broke the back clasp of my bikini top, and now I have to see if I can somehow repair it. It wasn't my only bikini, but I don't have that many things with me.

At 10:10 am, it started, and as always, we had to fill out a form with our details and agree that we understood the risks. Then our whole group, which was already quite large, walked to the beach. On the way, we picked up the surfboards and very stylish surf shirts. Two people shared one board and took turns in the water. That way, there weren't as many people in the water at the same time, and we also had regular breaks. But before we could get into the water, we had a theoretical introduction. We learned how to paddle in the water, catch the wave, and then stand up. So far, so good, everything was quite easy in theory.

Now onto the practice and into the water. Andi and I shared two boards with another couple, so we could go into the water together. We were in the first group and, of course, the others watched us closely. But the first attempts went surprisingly well. I even managed to surf quite a distance on my knees! And it was soooo much fun!! The waves were sometimes quite strong, and if you don't catch the wave properly as a beginner and get washed up on the beach, you get a lot of water up your nose and occasionally the board hits your head. But still, it was fun, and the first 15 minutes went by quickly. Then we switched. It was only when I got out of the water that I realized how much I had to breathe and how exhausting it was! I really didn't expect that, but I was quite out of breath. The break came just in time!

After 15 minutes, we went back into the water, and so it went back and forth a few times. I think we were in the water a total of 4 times. Unfortunately, I never managed to stand up and surf standing. But I had everything from lying on my stomach, kneeling, to half-standing :D Andi managed to stand up a few times. It looked really good. According to the surf instructor, we also had some bad luck with the waves, as they were very short and we had little time to catch the wave and stand up before it broke on the beach again. These are not the best conditions for beginners, and considering that, we did quite well. It was a bit annoying that there were so many people in the water because we constantly had to watch out not to collide with anyone. And especially at the beginning, nobody has any control over the board, so there were some collisions. But everything turned out fine.

The course was over at 1 pm, and everyone had to get out of the water. I couldn't have gone back into the water again. I was so exhausted because both endurance and muscle strength were required, and it was the most strenuous thing we have done in Australia so far. But it is definitely one of the coolest things, and Andi and I definitely want to borrow a board again sometime. Now we already know how it works.

After the course, we took a group photo together, then had to return the boards and pick up the certificate at the surf shop. After that, we were quite hungry, and we drove to 1770 to eat our remaining Bolognese in a park. By the way, the place is called 1770 because that's where Captain Cook first set foot on the land in 1770, which now belongs to Queensland. That's why the place is also called the birthplace of Queensland. The beach there was quite nice, and a natural harbor was formed by a sand island further out from the coast, where the water was completely calm and where many stand-up paddlers could be found.

After eating, we drove to the southernmost point of the peninsula where 1770 is located and enjoyed the view there. Then we went back and headed towards Bundaberg. But we didn't take the regular road, but once again through a national park. It was right on the beach, and the road was very sandy. We wanted to test driving on sand because of Fraser Island, so we chose this test track. Ultimately, we didn't find the surface overly sandy, and it wasn't particularly difficult to drive if you paid attention to a few things. The route itself was very beautiful, and we also stopped once to admire the beach and sand dunes. It would have been ideal to spend the night at one of the national park campsites there, but on wikicamps, we read that it is supposed to be a mozzie paradise, so we didn't dare. We preferred to keep driving and then found a caravan park in a village that only cost $10 for the two of us. In principle, it wasn't really a caravan park because it didn't have a camp kitchen or hot water, but we didn't know that beforehand. The washing machine only cost $3, so we did some laundry in the evening, and the other washrooms were old but clean. It was only this morning when we wanted to take a shower that we realized there was no hot water. It was a bit uncomfortable, but we managed.

Today, we drove the remaining distance to Bundaberg, and that's where we are now. Let's see what we can do here and how it goes from here. Stay tuned!