It was a lay day at the #ROXYpro Gold Coast so the Semis were just going to have to wait for another day and more waves, which was okay by us because we knew exactly where to find them…

We packed our things and headed to Byron Bay for a little #DowntimeDownUnder with the ROXY team. It was 6 girls: Stephanie Gilmore, Monyca Eleogram, LeeAnn Curren, Lisa Andersen, Kelia Moniz, and Bruna Schmitz, their boards, and all the other essentials needed for a road trip along the coast. Backseat driver, Lisa Andersen retold stories about old camp days skinny-dipping at night and playing tug of war in the sand setting the stage for lots to laugh about and reminisce on.

It was a scenic drive with Mt. Wanning’ silhouette in the distance, ridiculous valleys on either side, and Lennox, considered Australia’s surfing Mecca, set as the destination. You know, the place where the shortboarding revolution came about and where longboards moved from long to short. A nice place to revel in the history of surfing that Australia is dripping with, and also marked our first wave-checked of the morning.

After suiting up, and by that we mean bikinis, no need for wetsuits at this place in the height of Summer, the girls decided to head to a ‘secret spot’ where Stephanie Gilmore could ride a point break and get some practice in before the ROXY pro Gold Coast semifinals. Everyone obliged, because what doesn’t sound enticing about and open line-up and just your friends progressing together. Thanks Steph, you were so right!

The spot proved to be epic, pumping waves, just a few of your closest friends, and plenty of great surf shots for the team to revel in afterwards. Both LeeAnn and Stephanie put on a show trying some aerials and giving tan-obsessed beach goers and eyeful.

A few hours passed, and lunch seemed like a great idea so we cruised to local favorite ‘The Roadhouse’ for some tacos plates and nourish platters. We quickly realized, there’s really nothing like organic roadside food, reggae music, and coconut coffee (no need for any sugar here!). After filling our faces we were on the road again, with our eye on the prize: BYRON BAY.

As we approached the main street in Byron we felt right at home. A sunny. laid-back Santa Cruz vibe Byron Bay was just what we needed to get away from it all. As we weaved and wrapped ourselves along the coast we could enjoy a flurry of ocean activity including dolphins and turtles. We pulled up at Wategos Beach and we knew we had found the spot. It felt a bit like Kelia’s Aussie version of Waikiki and we couldn’t have been more content.

After a long day of surfing, eating, and road tripping, we set back up to Coolangatta to await the next call of the ROXY Pro. Stay tuned, because Semi finals is next and both Roxy team riders Stephanie Gilmore and Bianca Buitentag are in the lineup. See more from the Pro here