This New Lennox Head Retreat Is Helping Newbies Catch Their Very First Wave Across Four-Night Surf and Yoga Stays
A decade after launching in Panama, this renowned beginner-friendly surf retreat is here to help you ditch the wellness gadgets.
After a decade teaching beginners to surf in Panama, Waluaa Surf & Yoga is returning to its roots, with Lennox Head revealed as its second location for a four-night retreat. Co-founded by Vickie Mogensen, a Danish-born, Sydney-raised advertising executive, and her Argentine lawyer partner, Sergio Bryksa, the pair said goodbye to the corporate grind more than ten years ago to chase their passion for travel, hospitality and the coast.
While the Panamanian coastline was where the couple decided to first share their daily rhythm of surfing and yoga, having hosted around 1500 guests to date, they're bringing the same simple pleasures to Lennox Head. The retreats are something of an alternative to all-in modern wellness — no sleep trackers, step counters, cold plunges and supplements here. Instead, Vickie and Sergio believe surfing achieves the same without the overbearing routines.
"Surfing asks you to be completely present," says Vickie. "I can go into the water stressed, with a million things running through my head, and come out feeling completely different. Happier, calmer, more alive. A good surf puts everything back into perspective. The things that were worrying me before just don't seem like such a big deal. Surfers have always known that feeling."
This idea is at the heart of each retreat, specifically designed for adults who have always wanted to learn to surf but never felt it was for them. That includes complete beginners, as well as those looking to build upon a few previous lessons. Best of all, the retreats are deliberately small, with only seven guests per trip, and never more than two guests per surfing coach. This way, solo travellers, friends and couples get a highly personalised experience.
Staying in private beachfront apartments in Lennox Head, guests experience a leisurely pace. In the morning, surf coaches review conditions and choose the beginner break that delivers the best experience. Then, a pair of yoga classes at a Lennox Head studio, plus breathwork and mindfulness sessions, round out the activities. With most meals included and plenty of free time to explore Seven Mile Beach and beyond, slowing down is easy.
"There's still space here," says Mogensen. "No high-rises, no traffic jams, just the hinterland in the distance. Coming home brought back that nostalgia for the simple Australian beach holiday."
Waluaa Surf & Yoga's debut Australian Surf & Wellness Retreat is happening from November 11-15, with more dates to follow in February 2027. Head to the website for more information.
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Images: Supplied.
