- At the age of 67, Annie, joined the Granny Grommets in Newcastle, NSW, a group of women who would met in the ocean to bodyboard and socialise
- After moving away from Newcastle to North Haven to be closer to her sons, she had the brilliant idea to start her own surfing group
- Word spread quickly and over 300 women joined Annie’s surf group and it marked the beginning of life-long friendships, early morning meetups and deep connection to the water
Here Annie Milne, 70, North Haven, NSW, tells her story in her own words
Coming home, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
‘So you had a good time then?’ grinned my husband, Neal, 67.
‘The waves were awesome today,’ I replied.
For three years, Friday mornings had belonged to the Granny Grommets, a group of women over 50 who met to bodyboard and socialise. The playful name celebrated older women reclaiming the waves with a young-at-heart attitude.
We’d splash around in the sea, laugh ourselves silly, and have a whale of a time together.
I’d joined the Newcastle, NSW, group, aged 67, when it was still small, but by the time I left, summer sessions could attract around 135 women.
It was one of the best things I’d ever done.
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Naturally cautious, I’d never even been on a boogie board before joining the group, but I soon loved the thrill of surfing a wave.
And then there was the coffee afterwards.
A Granny Grommets morning began with a walk before getting in the water, then an hour or more in the ocean, followed by a long chat over coffee. And the friendships became just as important as the waves.
However, after 30 years in Newcastle, we’d decided to semi-retire 220 kilometres up the coast in North Haven, to be closer to the sea and nearer to two of our boys Matt, 50, and Jayce, 42, and some of our 15 grandchildren. But I knew I’d be leaving a big piece of myself behind.
‘Maybe I could start my own group in North Haven,’ I mused to Neal.
‘Good idea,’ he said.
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So I nervously put a post on the local Facebook page, asking whether older women would be interested in joining a boogie-boarding group.
I expected a handful of replies. Instead, I got the shock of my life.
‘Over 100 women are keen!’ I cried to Neal.
‘Now you have to do it!’ he laughed.
One of the women who responded was Vanessa, 63. I can help you organise things locally, she offered.
Yes, please! I replied gratefully.
Our first session was in June this year, before Neal and I had even moved up.
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Despite it being the middle of winter, 25 women turned up, including five of my Newcastle Granny Grommets friends, who travelled up to support us.
‘So nice to meet you all,’ I said, blown away.
Grabbing our boogie boards we braved the chilly surf. Before long, laughter rang out as we rode waves back to shore.
‘This is awesome!’ one woman called.
‘I haven’t done this since I was a kid!’ laughed another.
I was thrilled everyone was having such a good time. Afterwards, we headed to a cafe together. It was brilliant watching women who’d arrived as strangers chatting and getting to know each other.
Word spread quickly and, before I knew it, we had 400 members.
Neal and I moved into our new home the following month, in July.
Two months on, the group meets at 7.30am on Mondays and Thursdays.
Many newcomers are nervous. They worry about whether they’ll look silly, won’t catch a wave, or simply won’t fit in.
But once you’re there, you quickly realise nobody cares what you look like. We’re all shapes and sizes and we’re all there for the same reason.
One woman was hesitant about going into the sea, but eventually braved the waves.
‘I love it,’ she said. ‘I just wish I’d started sooner!’
That made me happy.
Our sessions are a proper workout. You’re not just floating around on a boogie board. Walking through the water, paddling out, and riding back with the waves really gets the heart pumping.
But the friendships are just as important. Moving somewhere new when older can be surprisingly lonely. Here, any woman can turn up and be greeted by friendly faces.
And those friendships are extending beyond the beach. Smaller groups of women arrange coffees, walks, and weekend swims via our Facebook page.
We also have a long outdoor table reserved for us at the beach cafe after our sessions.
Safety is also important, so we’ve introduced a buddy system, with each woman choosing one or two others to keep an eye on in the water.
So far, we’ve cancelled only one session because conditions were too rough. On another day, more than 20 women turned up in heavy rain.
‘I figured I was going to get wet anyway!’ one laughed.
Vanessa has become our Merchandise Queen, and organised T-shirts and hoodies. We’ve created a logo and bought a flag to mark our spot on the sand.
There’s something special about having a space where women can relax, laugh and chat without worrying about who’s listening.
Knowing nobody in the area before I moved, I now have lots of new friends.
And you don’t have to be a granny to join. The only condition is that you’re a woman over 50, but plenty of husbands come along for coffee afterwards.
Neal, our unofficial photographer, has made plenty of mates that way.
Now, when I stand on the beach and see dozens of women carrying their boards towards the water, I feel very happy.
One of the best things about getting older is realising you don’t have to be perfect at something to have fun. You can grab a board, walk into the surf and have a go.
And if you happen to make a few wonderful friends along the way? Even better.
If you’re wondering whether it’s too late to start something new, I say just dive in. You’re never too old to make waves!
