Agnes Water

Agnes Water was truly a place where time didn’t exist - I couldn’t tell you what we did each day but the time seemed to move both in slow motion and in the blink of an eye. It’s incredible that a full month passed with days spent at the beach but also oddly jam packed with activities. 

By working at the YHA, we had free surf lessons with Reef 2 Beach Surf School and access to free surf boards. I love the feeling of catching a wave - I’ve always been a fan of boogie boarding or body surfing since I was a kid. The actual act of standing up on a board though…SO. DIFFICULT. Jo was a natural, even stood up before our surf lesson. We had a group at the hostel that would go out surfing most days. When the weather turned stormy and the waves started averaging 4-6ft, I tapped out. Too difficult to get beyond the waves and I did not have enough experience to even try riding one. I’d love to spend more time in Australia surfing so I’ll spend my time improving my plank and pop-up!

Name an activity and we probably did it one afternoon or evening. Greg, the YHA Manager, took us all out one day to fly pirate ship kites. The hostel transformed into a giant hide and seek space with Lisa and Jo impressing everyone with their never-to-be-found hiding spots. Karaoke and Just Dance nights - have Sweet Dreams or Wonderwall ever been sung so well before? Watching The Office with Jo, Phil, and Dilly, we learned it’s difficult to binge watch a show with 4 people but only got into a few fights when episodes were watched without everyone present…cough Jo and Dilly cough cough. We had a few different Quiz Nights, challenging everyone’s trivia knowledge. I organized a scavenger hunt that took us all over town challenging strangers to dance contests and filming scenes from Titanic. Once again, a hostel became a home and a group of travelers became a family.

Agnes Water & 1770 aren’t on most people’s Australia destination list or just view it as a quick stop between Noosa and Airlie Beach. Personally, I loved the small town beach vibes. The town Seventeen Seventy (1770) changed names in 1970 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lieutenant James Cook’s landing , the explorer who discovered and charted New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Surrounded by water on three sides and at the southern edge of the Great Barrier Reef, you can experience some spectacular sunsets here.

I’m grateful for my month here by the beach and the people I met.