Travelling With Mick Fanning

The world-champion surfer on chasing waves, lions and simplicity.

- Harriet Davidson

Now that I’m not competing, my job is essentially to find places off the beaten track that have great waves. I’m lucky to work with some great people, like Rip Curl and Red Bull, who send me on surf trips around the world to search for these more raw and wild surf spots. In South Africa this year I camped in the desert for five days and picked crayfish straight off the rocks – it was incredible. Chasing waves, following swells and telling people I’m unavailable because I want to surf is what I do.

Two destinations I keep returning to are South Africa and Fiji. There’s incredible surf, some of the world’s biggest waves, at Cloudbreak off Tavarua, close to the main Fijian island. Plus Fijians are beautiful people. In South Africa you’re surfing one moment, then you drive for two hours and you’re chasing lions. Scary, but fun.

Travel is definitely character building. There are so