“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain
Margaret River has been absolutely amazing and I have loved every single minute. I have met some of the friendliest, good hearted people and I have had more experiences than I can count on my fingers and my toes. Justin and Mara have been absolutely wonderful and shown me around Margaret River and the surrounding area, taking me on adventures and made sure that I have had the best trip imaginable. It has been so good to be able to spend time with them and i’m going to miss not seeing them when I get back to Jersey.
Margaret River is absolutely stunning, even more so than I had imagined. The coastline is so raw and rugged and there are so many beautiful places to discover. There are stunning beaches, perfect point breaks and huge forests which are backed by vast fields of vines for the local vineyards. The people are so friendly and hospitable and the atmosphere in the water was fantastic during each surf. I have met so many awesome people who I will hopefully meet again along my travels and it was so nice to feel so welcome whilst I was in town.
Wave wise there are so many choices it is unreal. Although I didn’t surf loads of them each one that I did surf was great in it’s own way. I enjoyed every surf from the beach breaks in Gracetown, the reef at Gallos, the fun left at Huzzers and North Point. Surfing the reefs and point breaks has definitley improved my confidence and I have been out in conditions that normally I would question paddling out in. The power of the ocean is so intense and It has helped me respect the ocean even more than I did before (particuarly as I was usually holding my breath hoping no ‘men in grey suits’ would turn up!) Surfing with dolphins almost every day has also been a highlight and something that I will never forget. It is amazing how close they will come to you and once the initial fear or spotting a fin passes it is just breathtaking watching them.
I was also lucky to be able to watch the Margaret River Pro whilst I was in town. It was so amazing to watch the top surfers in the world surf the waves of Main Break. I have always wanted to watch Carissa Moore and Julian Wilson surf and I was treated to that during the semi-final and finals days. The level of the womens surfing in particular blew my mind and It is so great to see how much they are upping the game and standing their ground against the men. The atmosphere at the competition was incredible and I met so many friendly people during the event both on site and in the water. It is definitely a massive change to compared to Queensland!
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” ― Jawaharlal Nehru
Around the surfing I have made sure that I explore as much of the area as I can. I visited Mammoth cave and it is incredible how vast it is and how many other caves stretch along the coast. We also did a late evening cave adventure which after initially worrying that Mara may not be taking us the right way was absolutely epic. Justin and I definitely had to apologise for telling her off (we were definitely being scardy cats!)
We also visited Hamlin Bay which is one of the most beautiful places that I have been to on this trip. It is partciuarly special as huge rays come right up to the shore line as fisherman throw the offcuts of fish into the water. You can get so close to them as they do their loop up and down the bay. I loved it! On the way home from the bay we passed through the huge Kari forest and stopped off at the fairy stop off to take a few photos – it is stunning there! Mara and I also managed to fit some horse riding in around all the surfs and adventures and it was great to be back in the saddle and the one eyed pony I rode was brilliant fun!
It has been the perfect end to an absolutely amazing trip. I have made so many memories, met new friends and discovered new places. I have tested myself in so many ways and learnt so much about who I am and what I want to be. I feel healthier than I have in a long time and I finally feel completely free of stress from an experience that I had carried with me for a long time. Although it will be sad to end my travels there is so much to look forward to. It will be amazing to see my family and spend time at home in Jersey after I compete at the English Nationals next weekend. I can’t wait to see Ben again and we can start planning our next adventures which will take us to Spain and then back up to the snowy mountains. I am so grateful for this experience and I can’t wait to look back over the photographs, mementos and stories that I have collected along the way.
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”― Tim Cahill