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// HOT SPOT

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MY JOURNEY //

RIDING THE WAVESOF ENLIGHTENMENT

T he Surf Goddess Retreat (SGR)website reveals that a surf goddess, among other things, “Smiles with her eyes, laughs

from her belly, appreciates life’s simple joys and loves the ocean!” Hey, that’s me, I thought.

My initiation as a surf goddess starts when I and 10 other females from the US, Netherlands, Australia and the UK, arrive at Bali’s acclaimed SGR filled with delicious expectations — and apprehension — for our seven days ahead.

Concierge, chef extraordinaire and “mother hen”, Joyce, shows us round our new home. We might be here for surfing and yoga, but we’re ecstatic to discover this retreat is far from being a surfer’s budget hang-out or detox “boot camp”.

“We’ve created a pampering space fit for a goddess, a luxurious surf retreat for a special way to learn to surf,” says SGR founder Chelsea Huntley.

SGR’s colonial-style villa reflects Bali’s relaxed lifestyle, reinforced with a generous-sized pool and door signs

proclaiming “Gone to the beach”. As an all-female retreat, fanciful feminine touches include custom-blended spa products and scented candles. A blissfully peaceful oasis, Villa Serena actually lies in the heart of Seminyak, Bali’s trendiest enclave, with stylish shops, bars and restaurants right on our doorstep.

Our first-night orientation session resembles a girl-power party, with supreme surf goddess herself, Chelsea, and surf goddess guides (SGG) Jade, Joyce and Melinda greeting us with frangipani garlands, beaming smiles and whoops

of delight. We nervously introduce ourselves. Our group is typical of SGR guests: professional women aged 22 to 49, predominantly solo travellers. While all here for personal reasons, we all want to learn to surf. Turning 40, Jude wants to try something new every month this year, while Jennifer is here because “there’s not much opportunity to surf in Memphis.”

The seven-day SGR program is a balance of surf, yoga, healthy cuisine and pampering — but surfing is pivotal. Chelsea originally devised it with the belief that “surfing is more than a sport, it’s a state of mind and way of being. When women surf we can empower ourselves and grow confident.”

Retreat schedules are designed around the tides, hence breakfasts, like our first one, often start at 6.30am. But even at

At Bali’s famed Surf Goddess Retreat, surfing, yoga, gourmet cuisine and laughter are all part of the one-week plan to transform you into a surf goddessWORDS SAMANTHA COOMBER

When the surf’s up, it’s time to head for the beach where fun is the order of the day

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// MY JOURNEY

this ungodly hour, infectious laughter rings out, and Joyce makes things easier, providing treats fit for goddesses, like ginger and banana pancakes drenched in Borneo jungle honey. Fuelled-up for the day, our magnificent posse of 11 is shuttled to nearby Rip Curl School of Surf on Legian Beach. I feel like a child on her first day of school again.

Clad in sky-blue rash vests emblazoned with “surf goddess” (just so everyone knows), we re-group on the beach. Conditions are perfect: gloriously sunny, manageable waves, sandy-bottomed warm seas. Our tailor-made Rip Curl surf program teaches us basics — water safety, board handling, paddling techniques and turning — and enough skills for surfing independently.

“My goal was to stand-up by the week’s end,” confesses Jennifer, but she, along with everyone else, achieved it on day one.

To soothe our sore limbs, we are whisked off to Seminyak’s Prana Spa, a decadent Moroccan and Rajasthani-influenced sanctuary. My lavish “Goddess Glow” treatment is custom-designed for surf goddesses. “It’s hard work being a surf goddess!” laughs Lara after two hours of pampering.

SURF GODDESS RETREATS BALITel: +1 (858) 997 0808www.surfgoddessretreats.com

TAKE ME THERE

Cooking, a comfortable retreat and spa treats are part and

parcel of being a surf goddess

Next up, daily yoga in the garden pavillion. There are audibly louder groans as the week progresses with increasingly difficult yoga stances. Several of us have fallen by the wayside by week’s end.

Days roll into a carefree haze of surf, pampering, yoga and amazing dinners — a true highlight because of the witty conversations with fellow diners. On the final evening, we scrub up for sunset cocktails at very hip Ku De Ta.

Upon our farewell, we are given a group surf DVD and get to keep our tote bag and rash vest. But we

walk away with so much more. “It’s a welcoming and nurturing retreat where you don’t have to think about anything, which opens up your mind,” says Lara.

If I wasn’t a fully-fledged surf goddess before, I certainly am now!

MY EPIPHANY

I found my fellow surf goddesses insightful, inspirational, extraordinary and riotously funny. Although I had a brief surf lesson a few years back, I had a fear of moving on to the next surfing level and dealing with those big crashing waves further out. Surrounded by novices and individually coached, I accomplished both. I learnt all the basic surf moves and techniques and, amazingly, I’ll be able to surf by myself next time. Sure, I wasn’t as proficient as some, but as the oldest of the group, I felt I accomplished more than enough. As Chelsea says, “It’s all about personal goals.”

“A welcoming and nurturing retreat where you don’t have

to think of anything”

FROM ONLY AU$179Jetstar flies direct to Bali from Darwin,

Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Singapore.

Book online at