Pro surfer's guide to stunning Margaret River surfing

The south coast of Western Australia is a surfer paradise, and for up and coming pro surfer, Mia McCarthy, growing up among the pristine beaches of Margert River sparked a passion for surfing unlike anything else.

We caught up with Mia to hear about her experience road tripping in Harry where she grew up in Margaret River. Read on as Mia takes us through her favourite spots and her advice for women in the sport.

So Mia, tell us about yourself!

I’m 22 years old, live in Margaret River. I'm a competitive surfer and Billabong sponsored athlete. When I'm not surfing I study primary school teaching online!

How did you get into surfing?

I used did gymnastics for 6 years and thought I was going to do that forever, until I caught my first wave! I was instantly hooked and haven’t stopped since. Living in Margaret is literally the best spot to live for surfing, you can surf every day.

How was your recent trip with us and what were your favourite things about the van?

So much fun! We didn’t stop laughing the whole time. My favourite would have to be the little stairway that leads to the comfy grass patch on top of the van to watch the sunset.

As a local, what are Margaret River's best hidden gems?

There are so many! Every turn you take along Caves Road leads to a hidden beach you didn't know existed! Our beaches are absolutely stunning, but my favourites would have to be:

• Boranyup Forrest

• Contos Beach

• Gracetown

What’s your best advice to the young female riders out there?

Keep working hard to improve, stay super-fit, surf in all kinds of conditions, make some friends to go surfing with that motivate you, and keep asking experienced surfers lots of questions, you can learn so much from doing this.

Want to win a trip to Mia's hometown?

While international travel is still off the cards, what better time to explore our own country! So we've teamed up with Billabong and Adrenaline to give one lucky winner and a friend the ultimate adventure prize pack!

Discover Margaret River in one of our Camplify vans

Keen to read more about WA? Check out these articles

Camplify Uncovered: Margaret River Camplify Uncovered: The Beauty of Western Australia