Noosa World Surfing Reserve, dedicated February 21, 2020. Designation as the 10th World Surfing Reserve recognises the world class quality of our five point breaks, the strength of our local surfing community and the commitment of the environmental activists who came before who fought to protect the green canvas on which our surf breaks are painted. The Reserve, from North Sunshine Beach to the Noosa River, is a symbol of best practice in town and environmental planning. The local stewardship committee pledges to defend the integrity of the breaks, and promote a spirit of co-operation and sharing enabling future generations of surfers to enjoy our waves safely and harmoniously. The Noosa World Surfing Reserve is a not-for-profit association dedicated to the preservation of Noosa as one of the great surfing destinations of the world. It is proudly supported by: • GemLife Resorts • Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club • Noosa Shire Council • Tourism Noosa • Accom Noosa • Fuyu Surfboards • RACV Resort • Noosa Malibu Club • Noosa Boardriders • Land & Sea Brewery • Hinter-Coast Transport • Noosa Festival of Surfing Noosa World Surfing Reserve Guidebook is published by the NWSR Committee with the assistance of Noosa Shire Council. Edited by Phil Jarratt Designed by Sharon Brasen Printed in Australia in January 2020 by Fast Proof Press, Queensland. ISBN 978-0-646-81412-4 COVER PHOTO: Noosa World Surfing Reserve Stylish Noosa longboarder Nic Brewer drapes five ambassador Dean Brady deep inside Eno’s. and glides across a perfect First Point peeler. Photo Nathan Tyack. Speed blur photograph by Paul Smith Images. NOOSA WORLD SURFING RESERVE 3 CONTENTS Message from Noosa Mayor Surf Life Saving 6 Tony Wellington 38 Message from Noosa World When Surfers 7 Surfing Reserve 42 Discovered Nirvana Why Noosa? The Clubs 8 46 NWSR Map The Festival 9 47 The Breaks Stewardship 10 50 Noosa’s Indigenous Heritage Our Ambassadors 32 57 Settlement Our Happy Place 34 58 The Battle for Noosa Noosa Surfing Directory 36 60 Where would you rather be? Photo by Andrew Shields. 4 NOOSA WORLD SURFING RESERVE Where would you rather be? Photo by Andrew Shields. NOOSA WORLD SURFING RESERVE 5 FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK It’s a kind of miracle – or at least a geographical marvel – that Noosa should enjoy a series of world-class point breaks. And there are five – count them! – idiosyncratic point breaks, each with their own character, and all within a delightful walk of one another. My favourite used to be the most easterly break, Granite, with its thick-set take-off and barrelling finish. But these days, with political responsibilities luring me away from the beach, I rarely have time to go past Nationals, right at the entrance to the National Park. Nationals has its own character, with multiple take-offs and lots Committee of 2015, dedicating the Noosa National Surfing Reserve. Tony Wellington standing left. of sections: somewhat less sausage-machine regularity than the more status-laden All this is to say that Noosa is blessed in true. And arguably everyone in Noosa, surfer Tea Tree. so many ways. First, because over half of or not, is living their own dream. But all these waves are so damn good it century of political activism has ensured it Tony Wellington, Noosa Mayor seems churlish to rank them. And when didn’t get developed into a cookie-cutter the points aren’t working, or the wind’s copy of so many other coastal locales. And Tony Wellington is a writer, photographer, artist, from the north, there’s always the open second, because this surfing mecca has film-maker and environmentalist, as well as a beaches, including Sunshine Beach with its attracted some of the nicest, most laid-back mayor! A founding member of the Noosa National long gutters, or A-Bay for those who like to and friendly surfers on the planet. Surfing Reserve Committee back in 2013, he surfs combine bushwalking with their surfing. To be one of these surfers is a dream come the dawn patrol every day there’s a wave. 6 NOOSA WORLD SURFING RESERVE FROM THE DESK OF THE NOOSA WORLD SURFING RESERVE By Phil Jarratt, President of Matt Horder from the Sunshine Coast Sports Federation, who felt it was high time After a four-year campaign fuelled by Noosa became a National Surfing Reserve. blood, sweat and tears, and a couple of With the help of important stakeholders NWSR president Phil Jarratt with Save The Waves disappointments along the way, it all came like Noosa Council, Tourism Noosa and Coalition executives Trent Hodges and Nik down to me waiting on an international representatives of the surfing community, Strong-Cvetich, Davenport, California, May 2019. phone call in the wee small hours of Friday, we put together a committee representing 17 November, 2017. Finally the phone rang. has been my privilege to serve with a all beach user groups. I was elected chair, I swooped on it and a voice from the other dedicated and hardworking Local Stewardship with Drew Pearson (Tourism Noosa board) side of the world, in a tiny beach town called Council which, in 2020 consists of: treasurer and Juanita Bloomfield (now Terry) Punta de Lobos, miles from anywhere in from Tourism Noosa secretary. Joining us Phil Jarratt (president) Chile, whispered: “You’ve got it!” were Omar Bakhach (Parks and Wildlife), Michael Court (vice-president, representing This was how I learned that the 19-member Chris Doney (Noosa Heads Surf Club), Libby Noosa Boardriders Club) Vision Council of World Surfing Reserves had Winter (Noosa Parks Association), Di Cuddihy Di Cuddihy (secretary, representing Noosa Malibu Club) voted overwhelmingly in favour of Noosa (Noosa Malibu Club), and Cr Tony Wellington Libby Winter (treasurer, representing becoming the tenth World Surfing Reserve. and Alison Hamblin from Noosa Council. Noosa Parks Association) WSR and its parent body, the Save The Waves Noosa was dedicated as a National Surfing Dan Bedford (communications officer) Coalition, have their headquarters near Reserve in March 2015, and we moved Drew Pearson (representing Tourism Noosa) Santa Cruz, California, but the reason the call Chris Doney (representing Noosa Surf straight into a campaign to become a World came from Chile was that the announcement Lifesaving Club) Surfing Reserve, hosting members of the had been made at the annual Vision Council Omar Bakhach (representing Noosa National Park) WSR Vision Council so that they could draw meeting at the dedication of the Punta de Matthew Horder (representing Sunshine Coast their own conclusions about our surfing Lobos World Surfing Reserve. Sports Federation) community and breaks, and preparing a far Dr Javier Leon (representing Sunshine The 2017 decision marked a major milestone more detailed submission. Through this Coast University) for the hardworking committee that came whole process of stewardship, which really Cr Jess Glasgow (Noosa Council observer) together in December, 2013 at the instigation only begins with our dedication ceremony, it Cheryl Pattison (Noosa Council observer) MESSAGES 7 2) environmental characteristics: the area’s WHY NOOSA? environmental richness and fragility; 3) surf history and culture: the spot’s broader significance to surf culture and history; By Nik Strong-Cvetich, Executive Director, and 4) local support and capacity: the local Save The Waves Coalition community support and capacity needed to For decades Noosa has been a leader in both protect its surf ecosystems. surf and conservation culture in Australia, Noosa meets all of these criteria in spades; and worldwide. Its series of righthand there is a variety of world-class breaks that pointbreaks, protected by the Noosa accommodate a wide range of levels and National park and adorned by some of the This magnificent aerial view by photographer surfing styles, which break consistently last remaining stands of lowland coastal Paul Smith shows Noosa World Surfing Reserve in its through the year. Similarly, Noosa’s rainforest, makes it a surfer’s and nature- entirety. Opposite: Noosa World Surfing Reserve. coastal habitat is among the most intact in lover’s dreamland. The experience of walking Queensland, with endemic species found the coastal track to one of the many world only in its stands of remaining lowland class pointbreaks, untouched by human Nik Strong-Cvetich and Phil Jarratt coastal rainforest. Noosa’s long and rich development, is unique in the surfing world. work on Noosa’s surf history has spawned many world class It is for this reason Noosa was selected as stewardship plan, surfers, paddlers, and shapers, influenced the 10th World Surfing Reserve. WSR headquarters, and inspired by its coastal heritage. Lastly, Davenport, Noosa’s forethought and management of A program of Save The Waves Coalition, California, World Surfing Reserves (WSR) identifies May 2019. the National Park is unparalleled within Australia, and its local community is and preserves the world’s most significant completely dedicated to the protection of its surf ecosystems and their surrounding World Surfing Reserves is simultaneously a coastal resources. habitats. Drawing upon conservation coastal conservation program and a public awareness program—a way to achieve models established by UNESCO’s World As the world sets its sites on protecting conservation outcomes and communicate Heritage Program and National Surfing 30 percent of our marine environment by the essential value of surf ecosystems to the Reserves Australia, WSR builds coalitions 2030, Noosa serves as a model of how we local community and the rest of the world. with local surfers, NGOs, local government protect what we love, while safeguarding our and businesses in surf communities to Selection as a WSR is based on four criteria: environment for future generations. Noosa protect, steward and defend ecologically 1) quality and consistency: the diversity and joins the network of WSRs around the world valuable and historic surfing locations.