Sydney Australia surfing is some of the best in the world. The country itself ranks as number one on many experts' lists, especially along the Gold Coast around the capital of Brisbane, located about 450 miles north of the city. If you're not going to be going in that direction, you can still find world-class Sydney surfing beaches, some of which are world famous. The best surfing in Sydney really depends on what you're looking for. There are quite challenging beaches for those with more expertise, party beaches for those who also want to have fun, and quieter beaches with gentler waves for beginners and families with children.

Manly Beach surfing entered the world record books in 1964 when the beach in this suburb just north of the Central Business District (CBD) was chosen by the International Surfing Federation as the host of its first official World Championship. This is still an extremely popular beach because of its great waves and proximity to the city. Here, you can have the best of both worlds, with easy and quick access to all the city's many attractions and a beautiful stretch of sand with excellent waves. This area provides the best surfing in Sydney if you're looking for this kind of ambiance and proximity to a sophisticated and cosmopolitan metropolis.

Bondi Beach surfing provides the same two advantages. They are both located more or less the same distance from the city center (five to seven miles), with Manly to the north and Bondi to the south. Both of these areas have luxury hotels and cheap hotels. They also both offer a wide variety of vacation rentals that range from luxurious oceanfront villas to charming little beach cottages and modest self-catering apartments.

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Both of these two excellent Sydney surfing beaches also provide the kind of laid back "beach bum" surfer atmosphere that lends itself to a lively and vibrant nightlife. If you happen to be staying elsewhere, but want to enjoy some of this nightlife, just head to Circular Quay where there are buses to Bondi running throughout the night and ferries operating regularly schedule service to Manly.

If very popular (and more crowded) Sydney surfing beaches aren't for you, then you will find more romantic and quieter Cronulla Beach in the same general area. This is a good place for beginning surfers and for families with children. There are free body boards and a park directly behind the beach with picnic tables and barbecues. Coogee Beach is only about five miles south of the city, and is very popular for swimming as well as surfing and scuba diving.

If you happen to be enjoying the Sydney Australia surfing in Manly during the day, you can catch a late afternoon ferry into the city for some sophisticated gourmet dining, and enjoy wonderful sunset views of Sydney Harbour along the way. Ferries, which provide a vital transportation link for local residents, also account for a significant number of tourists who are seeking inexpensive sightseeing tours. Many visitors enjoy more expensive sunset, cocktail, and dinner cruises on large boats in this harbor. A ferry ride timed right can give you the same incredible views of the landmark Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge at a much more affordable cost.

Perhaps the best surfing in Sydney is actually found south in the small city of Wollongong. This small city is located about 50 miles south of the central metropolitan area. Here you will find almost twenty great beaches, spread both to the north and the south of the city. While Sydney Australia surfing here is excellent, the area can be quite crowded during the peak season. Nonetheless, this is a great place to learn how to surf. Some of the beaches have relatively easy waves, and there are many surfing schools located here. For the gentlest waves, head to the coast north of Wollongong.