Ireland's most renowned big wave surfer, Richie Fitzgerald hails from Bundoran, Co Donegal and has represented Ireland at both World and European Championships. He co-stars in the newly released and critically acclaimed surfing documentary 'Waveriders'. He lives in Bundoran where he has a surf school, www.surfcoachireland.ie. His surfing career has taken him all over the world and Deirdre Mullins talked to him about his travels.
My favourite holiday destination is Barbados. You can leave the depths of winter in Ireland and just seven hours from Heathrow you are basking in hot, tropical weather and great waves, with fantastic food and no language barrier. I went there first as a young teenager on a surf holiday and I have been there nine times since. I go as often as I possibly can.
My worst holiday experience was on the Mentawai islands off Sumatra. I was with a gang of Irish surfers - went there on a surf charter. The idea is that you surf three or four times a day and eat, sleep, drink and read on the boat the rest of the time. The waves were terrible and we had all read each other's books by the end of it. And then, to top it all off, there were two massive earthquakes and loads of aftershocks. It was a disaster of a holiday and I wouldn't do it again!
I never go travelling without my surfboard and a good book - I love to read. Shorts and flip flops are packed no matter what the weather is. But the most important things to bring are a passport and a credit card, after that everything else can be bought.
My favourite travelling companion is my good friend Patrick O'Donnell, who runs Turf N Surf in Bundoran. Friends since we were kids, we're like two peas in a pod. He's a great travelling buddy; we never argue and have the same interests. He has a built-in GPS so we never get lost and he is so laid back he's basically horizontal.
My most memorable holiday experience was in the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. This place is a Mecca for surfers and where surfing all began. I went there first when I was about 21 with a good friend, Dave Blunt from Tramore. There were good, big waves, but we could handle them way better than we thought we would. Being young Irish lads and to fit in there was an amazing feeling. It was like being a footballer playing in the World Cup at Wembley. I'll never forget it.
The best hotel I ever stayed in was Ponte Vedra in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. I was over there watching the golf pro tour and saw Tiger Woods and loads of other golf legends play. The hotel is amazing, right on the beach and on an outstanding golf course. I really loved it there and would defiantly go back if I had the money.
My favourite place in Ireland is the North West. Donegal and Sligo are my home turf and I love it. We have great mountains and waves here. I love all of Ireland but home is home.
My ideal holiday would be a tropical island with great food, waves, a golf course and a six-a-side, outdoor football pitch. With me would be my wife, family and friends.
The most amazing thing I have seen on holidays was when I was backpacking in Central America when I was about 20. We camped a lot and spent a good bit of time in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, which was my favourite. There were very few travellers around and I got a real raw and lawless feeling from the place; like that you could fall off the face off the planet and no one would even know. It was so wild and felt really dangerous. I loved it!
The craziest thing I have done on holiday was paddle at night across a crocodile infested river in Costa Rica. The only light was from the phosphorescence in the water. It was really dangerous and scary and I will never forget how frightened I was.
The last holiday that I went on was in Victoria in Australia. The coastline along the Great Ocean Road is really beautiful. I went to the famous surf beach, Bells Beach, and visited loads of wineries. Melbourne is a great city too. I adore that part of Australia. I love the way it has seasons and it's got a really European vibe. There is a great mix of people too.
My favourite City Break is Amsterdam. I just love the culture there, its history, the bars and food - and it's only a short flight from Belfast. It's great the way everyone cycles and I love to hire a bike and explore the city. I go on at least one city break a year, get away from surfing and soak up another culture completely.
I always bring back a present for my wife and my mother. And a bottle of whatever brew and food are popular in the country that I visited.
If I was stuck on a desert island, I would like to be there with my wife.
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