Avoca Beach crowned the most ocean-loving town in Australia

Avoca Beach is well-known surfer’s haven on the Central Coast and a much-loved destination for tourists to visit each year. With its golden beaches, spectacular waves and buzzing café life, it’s no wonder this sought-after coastal town has been crowned the most ocean loving town in Australia!

The ocean and the ecosystem play an important part in our region's lifestyle, with the Central Coast now a certified ECO Destination with Ecotourism Australia, plus a Finalist for the second year running in the global Green Destinations Top 100 List. With local initiatives like Take 3 for the Sea that encourage beach goers to pick up 3 pieces of rubbish from the beach, and Terrigal Ocean Tours providing sightseeing tours on their eco boats that support sustainable marine conservation - the ocean is at the forefront of our local community. 

On 18 March 2023, we're excited to welcome the much-loved Ocean Film Festival World Tour returning to Avoca Beach Theatre for its 10th Anniversary! The festival will showcase short films celebrating divers, surfers, swimmers and oceanographers, promoting marine conservation and bringing people together to celebrate Mother Nature.

In the lead up to the special event, statistics of ticket sales have been released - and Avoca Beach takes out the top spot, with the highest percentage of the local population having attended an Ocean Film Festival screening in previous years. It boasts the largest number of passionate attendees of all the towns and cities in Australia!

Get to know Avoca Beach better by checking out our:

• Illustrated Town Centre guide
• Neighbourhood Guide
• Curated Itinerary

As a friendly, close-knit community with a strong surf culture, Avoca has plenty to offer the adventurous. There’s a range of water activities on tap daily including paddling, surfing, swimming, fishing and diving. The town’s main street is lined with modern cafes, takeaways, restaurants and boutiques, plus a historic cinema, post office, pharmacy, hotel and bowling club. 

With a population of 4,854 people, Avoca Beach is a Central Coast town that has hosted the Ocean Film Festival for many years, revealing a large community of ocean lovers which is the largest number of all the towns and cities in Australia.

In just 10 years, the Ocean Film Festival has seen 771 screenings across the globe in 14 countries, 325,670 audience members, with 89 independent filmmakers' work seen on the big screen, and over $40,000 donated to ocean charities.

This year the Ocean Film Festival celebrates its 10th birthday across 32 locations, acknowledging years of collaboration between regional towns and cities in Australia. The people of Avoca Beach have been a leading support contributing to the growth of ocean organisations and charities making a difference in partnership with Ocean Film Festival Australia.

These unique selections of short films are filled with awe-inspiring underwater scenes, touching interviews and insightful narrations and cover various topics including environment, marine creatures, sports and cultures.

Film 1: The Sanctuary

Sanctuary is the story of Ray Lewis as he reflects on life shaping moments throughout his life’s journey with the ocean. Growing up in Western Australia and living through World War 2, the ocean has always played a vital part in Ray’s life however it wasn't until his later years when he began to devote more of his time to caring for and preserving the ocean.

Film 2: Gone with the Wing

Gone with the Wing by Andrew Englisch is a stunning, intimate and raw portrait of Andrew's journey to raise himself out of the depths of depression and be the first person to cross one of the most dangerous stretches of water on the planet, despite only learning to wing foil 12 months earlier and before his 55th birthday.

Film 3: Hypnotise

Ste Everington's film 'Hypnotise’ is set beneath the surface of the eastern Australian coastline demonstrating that new life can be born out of the depths of tragedy becoming something truly beautiful. After 34 years serving in the Australian Navy, the ex-HMAS Brisbane was scuttled off the coast of Queensland in 2005. 17 years later, this epic 130 metre artificial reef is home to over 200 species of fish.

Film 4: Corners of the Earth

Filmmakers Spencer Frost and Guy Williment and surfers Letty Mortensen and Fraser Dovell journey to Kamchatka in far east Russia in search of new waves along the frozen, unexplored coastline. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk with more than 150 volcanoes (29 active) the Kamchatka Peninsula is as remote as it is unique. After 2 years of planning the trip, it was almost over before it started when a before boarding their flight to Moscow, Russia invaded Ukraine. At a time when the world was seeing the worst of human nature, this team found the best of it. Mi-8 helicopters, skidoos, frozen campsites, and frozen bank accounts, this surf trip quickly became far more than anyone could imagine.

Film 5: Casey the Octopus

This is the story by Aquatic scientist Sheree Marris who stumbled across something extraordinary on her morning beach that will be a decision that will either give or take life.  A remarkable reminder of the connections that can be formed between humans and animals.

Film 6: Whale Dreaming

Warren Ngarrae Foster, a Djirringanj Elder of Yuin Country shares how his people have connected to the whales and dolphins of the area for generations and consider them family. This is a visually stunning celebration of an ancient culture and an ancient breed of marine life.

Film 7: In Search of a Frozen Ocean

A team of five explorers and scientists venture to the Arctic Ocean, 500 miles from the North Pole to conduct research as to why the earth is losing sea ice and how this impacts the rest of the world. The route they take is one that was taken by native Inuit tribes a thousand years ago and will allow them to access parts of ice that scientists have never before seen. Follow their journey as they determine how sea ice evolves and ultimately how our climate system is evolving. What they discover is extraordinary.

Avoca Beach Theatre brings you the world's best independent ocean films for the 10th Anniversary of the Ocean Film Festival Australia. Book your ticket here and enjoy an evening of inspiration, education and entertainment.