When we started the MI OLA Brand Ambassador program (less than a year ago), we hoped to meet awesome and active women from all around the world. And we did. We’ve met rad, adventurous women living in Norway, Canada, Indonesia, Canary Islands, Australia, France, the United States and many other spots. We love that our ambassadors are so diverse, from working mothers to young women, like Brand Ambassador Rachel Palmer. From Sydney, Australia, this 16 year-old is super active and loves the outdoors. We recently chatted with Rachel about her home surf break, Avoca Beach. Check it out!
Surf Guide: Avoca Beach
My name is Rachel Palmer and I am 16 years old. I have lived in Sydney, Australia all my life and I am surfing obsessed! I’ve been surfing since I was 10. I often compete, but I also love free surfing. I also play representative [competitive] volleyball, netball and I do a lot of running. My heart is with the ocean; Avoca Beach is where I learnt and is my all time favorite beach.
Location: Avoca Beach, Central Coast, NSW, Australia.
The Central Coast is a region in New South Wales, located on the North coast of Sydney. There are many good surf beaches all along the Central Coast, including Macmaster’s and Copacabana. In my opinion Avoca is the best! Avoca is a very popular destination situated on a mainly residential coastline of surf beaches, bushland, hills and lakes. Avoca is a long beach featuring a stretch of golden sand bordered by two headlands. On one end is a large rock pool- made of a rocky outcrop, and the other end is North Avoca, also great for surfing.
Where to Surf: Basically you can surf wherever along the beach looks good to you! Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the ideal swell angle is from the East. The surf is best when the tide is going down.
Here are a few particular spots:
Pines
Pines is a right and left sand bar break. It is suitable for a novice to a pro. Pines can easily be located because it is in front of the four huge pine trees. When it is pumping, the waves are hollow, fast, fun and ledgey. Pines is the one of the most consistent breaks on the beach.
Avoca Point
Avoca Point is a right point break. This area is not for beginners due to the rocks, a little bit of localism and a strong current you can use as a conveyer belt to get out there. It starts working at 3ft and can reach 10ft. If the beach is crowded and you want a more empty line up, this spot is a good call.
Crowd Factor: During winter the line up at Avoca is considerably empty and mostly made up of locals, however during the summer it becomes very crowded. Despite the crowded lineup, the vibe is pretty cruisey. During Spring-Summer, you are also restricted to surfing outside the red and yellow flags for swimmer safety.
Other Activities:
Some other activities at Avoca include bushwalking the nearby headlands, swimming, snorkeling, or exploring the rock pools and rock shelf. If you are feeling adventurous, you could try taking a dive down to see Ex-HMAS Adelaide, a former Australian warship that was deliberately sunk to create an artificial reef.
There is also Avoca Lagoon located in the middle of the beach where it occasionally meets the ocean, depending on the tide. There you can swim, or hire a kayak or pedal boat- this is especially good for families.
If the weather and surf isn’t in your favour you could catch a movie at the Avoca Beach Picture Theatre. It is a picturesque little vintage movie cinema.
How to get there/Where to stay: Avoca is approximately 1-2 hours drive from Sydney along the Pacific Motorway and Central Coast Highway. The beach has a car park next to the surf club, but it is impossible to get a park in summer. There is a wide range of accommodation- houses and apartments to rent, B & B’s, or caravan parks and resorts.
Apres Surf: On the actual beach, there is a fish and chip shop, a kiosk, and a restaurant underneath the surf life saving club. Avoca also has a local shopping area that has a surf shop, and many great places to eat, including Italian and Chinese, and cafes. To go to a large shopping centre you can make the quick drive to the nearby Umina.
I recommend: Avoca Beach Pizzeria and Restaurant, Avoca Thai, Chopstix Avoca, Avoca Beach Surf Lifesaving Club
Water Temp: During Winter (I would say April-September) I would definitely recommend a steamer wetsuit (3/2 full wetsuit), more because of the air temperature. During the Summer (I would say October- March) your MI OLA bikini is perfect- the water is a minimum 20 degrees Celsius (68 farenheit).