Surfing on Sand

This weekend we went to the Gold Coast to explore a new area of Australia. We took a day trip to Moreton Island to go snorkeling and sandboarding. When we got to the island, we took a van through the forest and arrived at a large area of sand dunes. It was beautiful! We learned that Moreton Island is one of the largest sand islands in the world! We grabbed our boards (long, narrow pieces of wood) and climbed to the top of a really large, steep sand hill. Once we were at the top, we were given pieces of wax, similar to waxing a surfboard or snowboard, and told to cover the bottom of the boards. It was necessary to wax the boards before each ride down the hill so that the wood would glide smoothly over the sand. Once we did that, we were given instructions to lay down on the board and use our arms to pull up the front to create a sled shape. Then, we were pushed down the hill for our first ride. I was surprised at how fast we got going! It was such a thrill! After a few more rides, I attempted to go down standing up. This was much more similar to snowboarding and surfing and a much bigger challenge. Balance was extremely important and it took a lot more concentration and athletic ability. It was such a unique new sport to try! I was able to use some of my experience surfing and snowboarding to get the hang of it. However, it was still very different and was an awesome new Australian sport challenge.