URBNSURF Sydney: Everything You Need To Know

Drop into Sydney’s first-ever wave park to score epic surf, day and night.

URBNSURF Sydney is the city’s first wave park, which is great news for those who live in Sydney’s west and even better news for those who want to work on taking their surf skills to the next level.

What is URBNSURF Sydney?

URBNSURF Sydney opened in Sydney’s Olympic Park in mid-May, offering perfect waves for young and old frothers of this hugely popular sport and pastime. Forget the paddle battle. Don’t worry about kooks dropping in on you. Overcrowded line-ups. Surviving the clean-up set. Or getting stuck in a meaty rip.

The wavegarden pool produces almost perfect ocean waves. (Image: Ed Sloane)

It cost more than $75 million to bring the revolutionary surf park that first launched in Melbourne in 2020 to the NSW capital. And judging by the hordes who are here on this sunny, bright autumn day, URBNSURF Sydney is a great plan B when it’s Flatsville, Tennessee.

It’s the perfect place for beginners, experienced surfers and thrill-seekers.

The wave park spans a vast 3.6-hectare patch of land in Sydney Olympic Park and is designed to accommodate more than 1000 visitors daily, seven days a week.

URBNSURF Sydney caters to all levels of experience.

Things to do at URBNSURF Sydney

Go surfing

The proudly Australian company behind URBNSURF developed world-class Wavegarden technology to deliver up to 12 perfect waves for each surfer during a one-hour session. Best of all, URBNSURF Sydney caters to surfers of all abilities with six different wave settings ranging from fun, gentle point-break style waves with easy take-offs up to heavy barrels reserved for experts.

a surfer riding a huge wave at URBNSURF Sydney

URBNSURF developed world-class Wavegarden technology.

Everything from boards to wetsuits can be hired at URBNSURF Sydney and the wetties undergo a deep clean at the end of each day before being stored in a drying room.

a surfer holding a surfboard at URBNSURF Sydney

You can hire all the gear if you need it.

Duty manager Raffaello Pellegrini said the difference between surfing at URBNSURF Sydney and the ocean is that there is one surfer per wave and each surfer has plenty of time to paddle for a wave. After a safety briefing, the surf instructors in charge of each group explain where the take-off point is and lead the paddle-out.

There is one surfer per wave so you’ll get plenty of time to paddle.

Lessons at Surf Academy

Sydney’s only surf park offers lessons with professionals both night and day. It’s the perfect place for beginners, experienced surfers and thrill-seekers with lessons under the following categories: beginner, beginner progressive, cruiser, progressive turns, intermediate, advanced turns and barrels. There are beginner lessons for those who have never surfed before and those who want to take up the sport.

a group of surfers during a surf lesson at URBNSURF Sydney

There are beginner lessons for those who have never surfed before.

One of the most popular personalised lessons is aimed at intermediate surfers who want to perfect their technique and improve their rights or lefts. The participants in each group all wear different coloured rashies so the lifeguards can keep a lookout and the classes are kept contained.

surfers in the wave pool at URBNSURF Sydney

Intermediate surfers can partake in personalised lessons to perfect their technique.

Boog in the Bay

There’s no denying that part of the appeal of both surfing and boogie boarding is being at one with the ocean and visiting wild and varied surf spots. URBNSURF Sydney is a great Plan B for boogie boarders when the elements such as swell, tide, and wind speed don’t align.

Where else can boogers (and surfers) gather where the waves are 100 per cent guaranteed? Boog in the Bays is aimed at beginner surfers to learn to ride broken waves and ankle-slappers in the front of the lagoon.

a lifeguard walking on the poolside path at URBNSURF Sydney

Lifeguards are always on the lookout.

Play in the Bays

Thankfully, URBNSURF is not all about high-performance athletes. One of the most common questions asked at URBNSURF Sydney according to duty manager Raffaeilo Pellegrino is whether visitors to the park can swim in the lagoon.

Thankfully, there are sessions for beginner surfers or those new to surfing to try in the front of the lagoon, with broken waves. The lagoon has a cement bottom so all those entering the water need to undergo a safety briefing. Helmets are available for hire.

Play in the front of the lagoon. (Image: Ed Sloane)

Swim

There’s a very small, heated leisure pool onsite that on the day we visited was filled with children and their parents. There was a dad throwing classic catches to his cricket-keen kid. A pregnant woman is sitting in the water watching her older children ride the waves. And a solo female is making the most of the heated pool to do some wintry laps.

people sitting at the poolside area under the umbrellas at URBNSURF Sydney

Supervise children from the poolside.

Relax lagoonside

URBNSURF Sydney is destined to become a popular spot for parents who want to encourage their children to pursue a healthy sport such as surfing. Luckily, there are lots of spots to relax by the lagoon while surfing sessions are underway.

Some pay the entry fee and decide to make a day of it, ordering lunch at Sandy’s while seeking a bit of sunshine. Others are sprawled on towels at the edge of the lagoon. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of vibe.

Nab a spot at Sandy’s come lunchtime. (Image: Ed Sloane)

Book a private cabana on The Lawns

The private cabanas constructed on the lawn along the beautifully landscaped fence line are prime real estate. Order a double cheeseburger to go from Sandy’s and lie back in your own lounging area while stoking on the view of the line-up.

Located on The Lawns, the cabanas are priced at $300 per cabana for four hours of frothing, making them popular for birthdays and special occasions.

Pick up food from Sandy’s to eat on The Lawns. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Shop at Rip Curl Surf Shop

You can buy everything from board bags to fins, hats, wetsuits, tail pads, stretchy boardshorts, fleeces, waterproof bags, giant Yeti drink bottles and surf wax at this onsite Rip Curl Surf Shop. The beauty of having a shop onsite is that you can stock up on Factor 50+ sunscreen, towels and hats and any other essential items you might have forgotten to pack.

Shop at the onsite Rip Curl Surf Shop.

Get photos from Greenroom

All the footage from your surf session is available post-surf. Those who are serious about their surfing can purchase the footage from their session and show it to an accredited surf coach to analyse in order to make further improvements.

The fact that surfers can choose which kind of wave they want to take is a huge benefit for those looking to make improvements to their technique.

Surfers can purchase the footage from their session.

Wellbeing programs

There’s a wellbeing space onsite that offers a range of mind-body sessions out of the water designed to help surfers learn to stay focused and in the water for longer.

Learn important skills before heading into the surf.

The wellbeing space includes physio and massage sessions and surfer’s gym sessions covering strength, mobility and breathwork. Those with multipacks will benefit from a few brush-up lessons on wellbeing to keep them charging down the line.

a group mind-body session at Urbnsurf Sydney

Take a few lessons to brush up on your skills.

Where to eat at URBNSURF Sydney

Sandy’s

Sandy’s is a focal point of URBNSURF and it’s been mobbed by families who, for all intents and purposes, look like they’re settling in beside the seaside.

Dine at Sandy’s after a day of surfing. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

It’s the coastal classics – cuisine such as burgers and fries, tacos and nachos – that lend Sandy’s that low-key toes-in-the-sand vacay vibe.

a table-top view of friends enjoying their tacos and beer at Sandy's

Feast on the coastal classics. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Nab a stool at the horseshoe-shaped low countertop where surfers look down the waves, barrelling left and right of the pontoon, and ooh and ahh over the bomb sets.

Sandy's horseshoe-shaped low countertop at URBNSURF Sydney

Nab a stool at the horseshoe-shaped low countertop. (Image: Ed Sloane)

URBNSURF Sydney aims to be a destination, which is why they brought Applejack Hospitality’s inland surfside eatery onboard. Arrive early for breakfast of freshly baked Sonoma pastries, acai bowls and the ubiquitous avocado on toast.

pastries and coffee on the table at Sandy's

Arrive early for freshly baked Sonoma pastries. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Hang until lunchtime when the crispy pork belly bowl and burritos come into their own. And quench your thirst with cold beers, cocktails and wine on tap to the score of grungy surf rock tunes. Pre-book a picnic and sprawl on The Lawn with your tribe.

Pre-book a picnic and sprawl on The Lawn with your tribe. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

RAFI URBNSURF

Those seeking a more tranquil retreat can head upstairs to RAFI URBNSURF, sister venue to RAFI North Sydney, also owned by Applejack Hospitality.

Dine at RAFI URBNSURF after hitting the waves. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Although RAFI officially opens its doors on 25 July 2024, the Luchetti-Krelle-designed restaurant will seat 200 and feature a huge rooftop terrace with sweeping views of the lagoon and park.

Watch your bro in a barrel. See former pro surfers such as Tom Carroll and Layne Beachley (both of whom have visited the park) charging down the line and young guns such as Cronulla’s Jarvis Earle perfecting his airs.

RAFI restaurant at URBNSURF Sydney interiors

The Luchetti-Krelle-designed restaurant will seat 200. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

After surfing for an hour or more, executive Chef Matias Cillóniz expects surfers will arrive at both Sandy’s and RAFI URBNSURF with an appetite.

Signatures from flagship RAFI North Sydney will also feature at the Sydney Olympic Park venue, built around a roster of grass-fed meats and seasonal responsibly sourced seafood and vegetables.

Surfers will arrive at RAFI URBNSURF with an appetite. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Closed-loop sustainability is also at the core of the cocktail menu with options such as the Sub-Zero oyster martini and Sub-Zero burnt butter and pecan Old Fashioned. There’s also a global wine list and bubbles sourced from the finest Champagne houses.

Looking over URBNSURF Sydney from RAFI URBNSURF restaurant

Watch the surfers while you dine. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

How much does URBNSURF Sydney cost?

Surf in The Bays and Boog in The Bays (adult) from $39. This session is perfect for beginners. Price includes softboard/bodyboard hire.

Take your surf skills to the next level at URBNSURF Sydney.

Surf sessions

An hour’s worth of perfect waves on the right, left or on The Point. Numbers are capped on each side of The Point so each surfer scores 10 to 12 waves per session.

Cruiser, progressive turns and intermediate from $104 per session.

Advanced turns and advanced from $109 per session.

Expert from $159 per session.

an intermediate surfer riding the waves at URBNSURF Sydney

Surf Academy

Learn to surf – beginner and beginner progressive – from $104 per session.

Membership options from $175.

For further products, including URBNSURF multipacks and gift cards, please head to URBNSURF Sydney online.

two surfers holding surfboards at URBNSURF Sydney

Surf with friends at URBNSURF Sydney. (Image: Ed Sloane)

Where is URBNSURF Sydney located?

15 Hill Road, Sydney Olympic Park.

URBNSURF Sydney opening hours

6am-10pm, seven days a week.

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment – partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery – I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney.

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour – the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences.

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial – a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail – even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” – new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are – answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table.

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) – but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites – Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar.

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour – a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went – clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits.

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture – arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita – a winning recommendation – before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab.

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!

Everything you need to know about URBNSURF Sydney