Surfing and body boarding in Victoria

Catch a wave on the Great Ocean Road. Victoria’s surfing capital is Torquay, home to the Surfworld Australia Surfing Museum, which features the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame, a wave-making tank, surfing videos and board-shaping demonstrations. Nearby Bells Beach hosts the Rip Curl Pro world surfing championship each Easter.

There are three main spots to head for when the surf's up: Phillip Island, the back beach of the Mornington Peninsula, and the Great Ocean Road.

Seasons and surfing
Weather patterns produce different swells at different times of the year. The best time for waves in Victoria is autumn when it's bigger and the wind and weather conditions are good. During summer it's smaller but there are still plenty of waves around.

Starting out
Talk to locals and surfshop staff before you paddle out, and make sure you know exactly which rips, rocks and undertows are at work in the water around you. If you haven’t ridden waves before, there are a number of learn-to-surf and body-board schools around Victoria that specialise in helping beginners to stand on a board by the end of a two-hour session.