surfing — a true journey into life

taking my first steps back into surfing

Upon returning to Ibiza in early 2019 I wanted to learn to surf.

Spending the last three Summers in New Zealand with my sister and her young family, watching them all enjoying surfing from the sidelines—I decided it was time.

It was 43 years about time—considering I’d grown up living between Auckland’s North Shore beaches and close by Java’s surf break I had no excuses anymore ! I had boogie boarded as a child but literally only one surf lesson under my belt in Bali when I was a teenager.

So I had a good talking to myself, booked a week-long women’s surf retreat in Morocco and jumped on a plane.

Having never been to Morocco before I realised I had very romantic visions—my first impressions however were quite the opposite ! Rubbish everywhere and the buildings and landscape not entirely what I had imagined all these years. Of course I was nowhere near where people normally visit though—way down the west coast where the waves were.

Still, I kept my focus on the prize—becoming strong and healthy, learning a new sport.

Creating new synapses and inspiring myself to think bigger.

The girls on the retreat and the two running it were very sweet—all in their late 20s and early 30s so I was the eldest by far. But somehow I tend to not look my age (hmmmm now I'm wondering if it's my relentless childlike curiosity about everything?!)—so, thankfully I easily fit in with the younger generation.

For me it turned into a beautifully curious (of course) deep dive into the world of millenials—and very much the instagraming ones that do not lack confidence in the slightest, and have never ending passion !

After our first gorgeous dinner spread Moroccan style, we were up early for a morning surf session and back in the afternoon for another. Pop ups sussed in the morning and I was out in the white wash, graduating to the green waves by the afternoon.

The second day arrived and boy was my body in pieces. Thankfully for my previous experimenting with orin therapy I was healing my strained muscles overnight. I'm sure I confused the cleaners somewhat..!

Anyways, another idea for an article—it’s been a life saver for me many times for so many different ailments and random uses.

Still, it was quite a brutal week-long workout. We had one day off after our two day initial battle with the surf—and an afternoon or so aside that. I skipped the camel beach tour, the poor things looked exhausted. The hike was magical though—up into the springs and surfing down sand dunes.

The Moroccan girls making the meals and running the villa, alongside the guys who were coaching us were just amazing. So gentle and smiley. Beautiful souls. And all the other wonderful locals I connected with as we explored the different surf breaks.

Not entirely convinced by the sewage exit directly unloading at one of the breaks however ! I was so surprised no one else mentioning it—the smell was pretty telling..

Overall though what an incredibly special journey. I would recommend going on a surf retreat to anyone who wants to push beyond their comfort zone, shift themselves deeply and learn something new—fast.

The power of the ocean, the sunshine on your skin, the flow you can feel, the letting go you have to do—and the physiological taking charge you are forced to take on.

And trying something new just feels great.

Nothing else like it. I was hooked (just like I was when I first heard trance music lol)

I flew back to Ibiza with a bounce in my step, feeling like a surfer (lol). I was now paddling into waves by myself, catching them and even riding them !

The next time I surfed was in Sardinia, Italy when we were crusiing around in BarbieY our motorhome late that Summer in 2019. I rented a foamie and played in some smaller waves that come in with the westerly Autumnal winds in the Mediterranean.

I didn’t catch much, but the feeling of fulfilment was like no other. Just sitting out on my board, pondering life was worth it.

Returning to New Zealand in late 2019, Summer open wide. I was itching to jump in the ocean and try out my newly found sport. Great Barrier Island was to be our next stop.

But frustratingly my dreams of surfing didn’t quite pan out for the next five years.

I bought a surf board which I thought was a soft top (a ‘Mick Fanning’ - one step up from an entirely foam board)—which was anything but soft.

I wrestled around for a couple of days with it but it was too heavy and hard. I couldn’t catch anything—and if you’ve ever tried surfing you will know you are constantly falling off and can easily get bonked on the head if not careful.

I had a few lessons from local surfing legend, born and bred Kelly O’Toole and that got me up and going—he lent me a foamie again and I was off !

He suggested I was ready to buy a fun board—which I did. But sadly that didn’t work out either. It was hard to touch but much lighter than the other board I bought, so I felt comfortable with it—but now my boney hips rocked it back and forwards and I was all out of balance !

I also bought myself a wetsuit—actually two of the same type so I could alternate. But they almost drowned me. The length of the body was way too short for me so pulled the neck down leaving water to flood in—with no escape due to my ankle leash being tight blocking the exit below.

I didn’t notice at the time but I had become like a bloated Michelin Tyre man.

This one day, having paddling out the back, with relentless, hefty waves coming in I had decided to flag it and go to shore.

Tired from paddling and unbeknownst to me—completely filled with water—right by the shore I was knocked off and got sucked under. But because of the weight I was carrying I wasn’t able to get up easily to the surface to catch a breath.

Literally about 4m from the beach and I couldn’t get out. It was deep and the waves were coming in wide and with power, one after the other - a period of around 6 seconds I would say.

I’m not sure how I made it out—but I did.

I dragged myself out of the water and crawled up the beach collapsing to just breathe, finally.

This episode set me off on a journey of fear. And the frustrating thing ? Somehow I didn’t even realise it was my wetsuit that created the entire saga.

It took me another year and a half to figure it out…

But it was too late already, I was terrified of waves all of a sudden.

I didn’t feel like I could even dive through them or under them any longer—all because of that day when I couldn’t get up and out again due to the weight of my suit pulling me under.

And of course I couldn’t. I was still wearing the same suits !!

I even bought a third suit, same size, same brand, but warmer— a 4:3.

I sold all three (for half the price)—even though they were pretty much new—as I’d been so tentative to go surfing anymore.

I bought another one—different brand which seemed to fit ok.

But I wouldn’t know for sure until I’d grown back into it…because you see, in this time period since covid, living on a remote island (we ended up buying a house on Great Barrier Island instead of going back to Ibiza to live)—and all the things to do with life—I was fading away.

I was struggling physically with everything imaginable—low energy, shingles, skin issues, tiredness, losing weight, brain fog, muscle loss, pulled tendons, frustration mentally, nothing healing fast—mercury poisoning mainly being the root of it all..through my teeth.

And just couldn’t seem to gain weight—no matter how much I ate.

Turns out there were a lot of layers to this—which is for another article..but fast forward a year or so to today and I’m SO much better.

Healed SO much and feeling stronger than ever :)

So much so I’m ready to go surfing again--minus wetsuit (still didn't fit!)

But 2025 arrives and Giulio and I are really feeling it.

After our trip back to Ibiza in 2024 something has shifted.

A feeling of newness to step up and enjoy life and engage with the world again.

We’ve had our five years of deep journeying, learning, playing, enjoying, observing, creating, writing and dreaming—here on the ‘barrier’ island.

And now we’re ready to rock and we’re going back home to the magnetic island—Ibiza !

We’re trying new things and making them happen.

First thing up—surfing. Me for a break through and to get confident again—Giulio to learn.

So we contact competitive surfer Aimee Brown, a beautiful local girl who won the Raglan ‘Queen of the Point’ surf comp in May last year—and arrange a surfing immersion with her.

We’ve realised recently, If you want to learn something fast—go to the best.

And so we did. And it was amazing.

She’s a brilliant teacher. Confident, supportive, attentive, inspiring, exceptionally knowledgeable—and intuitively knows the best way to teach you.

And the best thing about it ? It’s not just the gift of surfing we learned.

The knowing that you can learn anything at any age. And your body will respond !

Giulio’s approaching his 62 years of running around this realm, and me 50—so to tell yourself and inform your body that you can do different things, you can learn new stuff—just means you CAN.

and a beautiful reminder that cascades over all of life—if you can let go, and go with the flow—that’s when the MAGIC HAPPENS…and that’s one thing you have to do when surfing…

Thank you Aimee for your patience and attentive spirit—you really have a special gift—not only in surfing but sharing the art of surfing too.

And thank you to Mariela O’Toole for lending me her wetsuit—without which I would have frozen and not gained the beautiful experience and insights I did.

Looking forward to surfing some waves when they come out to play on Ibiza !

Hope you enjoyed my sharing, and it inspired you to just go for it—in whatever excites you !

—you’ve only got great things to gain :0)

x Simone

And if you're over Great Barrier Island way, reach out to Aimee—she's always keen to coach people and share her passion ! You can find her on fb here: https://www.facebook.com/aimeejane.brown

Giulio & I super happy after 3 days of training with Aimee Brown

Aimee Brown—our epic surf instructor !