Former professional surfers and board makers have chosen this small coastal paradise as their home, but with smaller waves, what makes it so special?
Angus Darling was tripping around the country in a caravan with his wife and children when he made a stop at Agnes Water, a coastal town in central Queensland.”But it’s not until you live here and you start connecting with people and it really does draw you into that Agnes bubble,” he said.
ABC News: Nandini DhirPart of the town’s “bubble” are ex-professional surfer Zane Harrison, who runs a local surf school, andAgnes Water is known to have some of the most northerly point breaks on Australia’s east coast, with “secret” secluded beaches part of its allure.Supplied: Surfs Up Eastern SuburbsIt didn’t take him long to be elected president of the Tide n Turn Boardriders Club — a position he has held for two years now.” really started as a group of mates coming down to hang out and camp, and they used to get waves … but it was more just about that connection,” Mr Darling said. The surf community in Agnes Water has grown, particularly with the influx of young families in the area.An avid surfer himself, Mr Darling said the club had seen a surge in memberships from young families who moved to the region around the pandemic. Paul White has lived in the town for the past 25 years and has helped foster the community’s love of surfing.”There’s surf right along the coastline to where the Great Barrier Reef chops off … so there’s all these little magical beaches,” he said. Mr White is the director of the local longboard classic surf competition, an event he said has grown as more families chose Agnes and the nearby town of Seventeen Seventy as their homes.Supplied: Surfs Up Eastern SuburbsHe said while the waves were not always consistent, surfers here have a better chance out on the water. “You go out surfing for the day, and you get 30 to 40 waves in your session here at Agnes Water, and you feel really great because you’ve done what surfing’s about,”A competitor at the Agnes Water Longboard Classic.With a population of less than 3,000 people, Agnes Water has become a laid-back tourism destination. Amber Rodgers says the gentle waves at Agnes Water and 1770 make the beaches appealing to beginner surfers.President of Discovery Coast Tourism and Commerce, Amber Rodgers, said the town’s population roughly tripled during peak holiday periods. “Essentially for us, domestic visitors are really our number one bread and butter, all year-round, and from all parts of the country,” Ms Rodgers said. “We see caravaners from Adelaide and Victoria, we see a lot of local people from just within our 400 radius close to here, and they often love to visit more than once a year.”Ms Rodgers said the region had an average of 300 days of sunshine, and the main beach offered beginners excellent conditions for learning to surf. According to the most recent census data, from 2016 to 2021, the Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy area grew in population by about 25 per cent.Despite its popularity, locals said visitors don’t generally come for the waves, which can be irregular or small.ABC News: Nandini DhirSurf instructor Amber Walker moved with her family to Agnes Water and has been a member of the boardriders club for about a decade. “The waves definitely don’t attract people because they’re not consistent, but it’s more so the small town and the community that you only get in small country towns,”The town is known for its sense of community and love of the outdoors.She joined the club for social reasons and later became an instructor at a local surf school.She had surf lessons with Ms Walker for about a year.ABC News: Nandini DhirMs Klicker said she used to be apprehensive about getting into the water but felt welcomed by other surfers. “I used to be super scared going out because there weren’t that many girls that surf … but recently there’s been a lot more girls getting into it,” Ms Klicker said.”We’ve got some secret spots, and you’ll never see anyone at them, so they’ll have to stay secret … but it’s super fun if you look for them,” Ms Klicker said.Email address
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