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Back Jimmys, Australia

Stay in Hawks Nest: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Hawks Nest

All 15 on Hawks Nest's map

Watch this spot We email you when Back Jimmys is worth the trip.

About Back Jimmys

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SE (148°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (328°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–19 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 7). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 19°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April and June, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Hawks Nest, 4.1 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 3 dive sites.

Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 30 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

    See flights MDW → SYD · Skyscanner from about £820 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 10 from the airport to Back Jimmys.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Hawks NestAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Hawks Nest · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Hawks Nest · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Back Jimmys on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct325 ft7 shollow223kJ21°C
Mon 19Oct153 ft6 shollow47kJ21°C
Tue 20Oct203 ft5 shollow46kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct143 ft5 shollow47kJ23°C
Thu 22Oct93 ft6 shollow47kJ21°C
Fri 23Oct123 ft5 shollow50kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct234 ft6 shollow93kJ29°C
Sun 25Oct324 ft6 shollow129kJ29°C
Mon 26Oct205 ft7 shollow182kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct465 ft7 shollow214kJ22°C
Wed 28Oct51 ft7 shollow14kJ19°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to SYD, changing at LAX, then 3h 10 by road. About 30h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 35 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 23 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Boulders

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to SYD, changing at LAX, then 3h 10 by road. About 30h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 6 spots near Hawks Nest each day: Back Jimmys, Boulders, Box Beach, Hawks Nest, Wreck Beach, Zenith Beach.

The trip from Hawks Nest, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,555–£2,975 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SYD, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£820–£1,705
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£110–£180
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£240–£395
Food7 days eating out£245–£455
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£105–£175
Total£1,555–£2,975

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Hawks Nest

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.