From the moment Aussies first clapped eyes on the sight of Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku carving up the waters of Freshwater Beach in 1915, surfing has been a national obsession, and perhaps nowhere more so than in the Harbour City. Sydney boasts oodles of beachfronts where you can paddle your board out and ride a wave. But because you can never have too much of a good thing, a vast new 45-acre resort with a huge artificial surfing pool will soon begin construction close to the Hawkesbury River in Sydney's north.
The massive leisure development, Wisemans Surf Lodge, was approved by the Hills Shire Council on November 25, paving the way for breaking ground to commence next year. The luxury facility will feature a wave pool the size of four football fields, which will produce reliably bodacious waves, reaching a peak of 2.5 metres, every 10 to 12 seconds.
The resort will also have a nine-hole golf course and beautifully manicured grounds surrounded by more rugged bushland for guests to explore. A hotel currently found on the site will undergo a top-to-bottom refit to become a five-star destination, designed by star architect Kelvin Ho whose work you will have admired if you’ve ever visited the Newport or Palmer & Co.
This inland surf oasis will not be open to everyone, however. Access to the Surf Lodge will be by membership only, and given the luxe finesse of the plans, we’re assuming that privilege may cost a pretty penny. Fortunately, you’ll have until 2022 to save up. Or you could just keep surfing Sydney’s numerous beaches for free. Juss sayin’...