Sierra and Zye Norris have been in a long distance relationship for three years (she’s based in Maui and he lives in Noosa, Australia) and after many tearful airport goodbyes, they decided it was time to move in together.

Making a huge life change to a new country can feel like being a fish out of water; but for Sierra, the adjustment to her new environment has been going, well, swimmingly. 

We caught up with Sierra to hear about her new wildlife neighbors, the hardest part about leaving Hawaii, and what she’s looking forward to in this new chapter.

Photos by Sierra Lerback, Luki O'Keefe and Zye Norris.

Afternoon walks through the trails to the open beaches.

Why did you move to Australia? 

I fell in love with Australia since my first trip here in 2014. After meeting my boyfriend Zye, who grew up in Noosa, I've been back nine times and have gotten really comfortable here and it has felt like my second home. The waves are perfect, the weather is ideal, and after three years of a long distance relationship, and trying to figure out Visas, with the given circumstances it was easiest for me to make the move to Australia. 

How did it feel to leave Hawaii and say goodbye to a lot of your friends and family? 

The hardest thing about leaving Hawaii was leaving my mom. She's my rock and I'm hers. I was a wreck on the plane ride over, but I've adjusted pretty well and I know home and family is always a flight away. 

"Afternoons spent at the points at Noosa with friends."

Sierra in Australia, wearing the Gaviotas Surf Suit in Kora.

Sierra in the Gaviotas Surf Suit in Kora.

What area are you living in and what do you love about it so far? 

I'm living in Eumundi, which is about 15 minutes inland of the points at Noosa. It's a small town, with a real mellow vibe—it reminds me a lot of where I grew up in Maui. 

There's a huge farmer's market twice a week that's walking distance from our place. I've really enjoyed being able to have easy access to local produce and getting to support local businesses.

"Visiting our closest neighbors, two sweet little calves on a foggy morning." 

What have been the biggest changes for you since moving there?

Life has changed quite a bit since getting here. I feel like this has been a major step forward in my relationship with Zye. Doing long distance for almost three years was really tough and the goodbyes would just get harder every time, but being able to be with him every day and not counting down the days 'til one of us would have to get on a plane has been really amazing. 

Trying to find the right time to talk to my family has been tough. Some of my family is in Tennessee and the time difference doesn't allow us much time to have a steady conversation so it's been random messages here and there.

What is the most surprising thing about Australia you’ve discovered since moving there? 

I'm seriously blown away by the wildlife here. I've gotten to see kangaroos, emus, echidnas, snakes, and dolphins—all within the first couple weeks. There are so many beautiful animals here, but so many that can hurt you as well. I learned my lesson about that when I ran through the grass to our swing and stepped in a bull ant colony. It was one of the more painful things I've ever experienced! 

The morning coffee situation. Sierra wears the Ava Tunic in Olive Flower.

What are you looking forward to experiencing this year in Australia?

We've had a great run of waves since I landed in Australia, and have been surfing nearly every day at the points. I'm looking forward to experiencing my first real winter here since Hawaii never really changed with the seasons! 

Something else that I am really excited about is being closer to Indonesia. I've been taking a couple of trips there every year and it is such a long mission from Hawaii. But now having Bali only a 6-hour flight away is gonna make traveling there and to the Mentawais a breeze.   

Sierra wears the Naya Bikini Top and Bikini Bottom in Areia. 

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All of my favorite days are spent with you 💛 thank you for the snap @alohaimlindsay

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How do you know it was the right choice for you right now? 

I've lived in Maui my whole life and feel like I've been in a little protected bubble surrounded by everyone I grew up with. I wholeheartedly felt like it was time to take myself far out of my comfort zone and experience something new. During this whole process of moving, I've learned a lot about myself and it's been really exciting. 

Sierra wears the Olea Bikini Top and Bikini Bottom in Sky Rib. 

More Stories With Sierra Lerback 

• Finding the Unexpected in the Mentawai Islands

• Off The Beaten Path: Ilhabela, Brazil

For Sierra, the wildest parts of Maui feel like her extended backyard. Before she was old enough to paddle out into the surf, her dad left her on the beach alone to play as he and his friends took turns surfing and keeping an eye on her. Nowadays, she’s still like a kid playing on the beach, scrambling over rocks, awed by petals and fronds, and marveling at the crustaceans she encounters skittering on the sand. We think she might be a sea creature and flower whisperer. 

Through high school, Sierra traveled and competed in women’s short board contests but lately she’s fallen in love with riding weirder boards and exploring wherever the tides and swell take her. We caught up with her to talk more about growing up on the paradise of Maui, and dancing hula on a parade float. Welcome to the Seeababes family Sierra! 

Photos by Dylan Gordon and Luki O'Keefe shot in Sri Lanka and Maui. 

Surfing and the ocean is a huge part of the community in Maui. How has living on an island shaped your identity? 

The surfing community on the west side of Maui is very tightly knit and supportive of each other. We all helped each other whether it was by borrowing boards or learning from our elders. Every time you paddle out, you know every face in the lineup and it’s an awesome feeling. 

Growing up, my life revolved around the beach. My mom would take us to the beach every day after school and we would be there until sunset, playing in the waves and surfing our brains out. There I made my best friends, whom I still get to surf with all the time. On the weekends, we had a whole grom pack and we would be out in the water all day till our parents were calling us in.

Who were your teachers when you started surfing and competing?

I never had a surf coach growing up. I actually never really imagined competing and traveling the globe being able to do what I love. 

I was backed by an amazing community of surfers, and I’m still learning from them with every session. My biggest surf inspiration was my brother and his friends. I always wanted to keep up with them! In my eyes then, they were fearless and that’s all I wanted to be.

How did your family end up in Maui? What have they told you about their experiences growing up and how was it different back then? 

From the 1930s to the late 1960s, whalers from across the globe would sail to Lahaina town to rest and recover from their long journeys. My grandfather, a Norwegian whaler, met my grandmother, a Filipino pineapple picker, on his rest stop and then along came my father. My family has been deeply rooted to this small town ever since.

My grandmother has told me of how much the town has changed since she was young: The rise of tourism, and the transformation of the island from a place of sugarcane and pineapples, to now a popular holiday destination. It was a simple life, based off of what the land and ocean could provide. It is a place full of rich history and culture that lives on. 

Between surfing, you used to dance hula. Tell us more! What did you love about it?

For a few years, I strayed away from surfing and went into dance. I was constantly doing ballet and hula. I was more passionate about doing hula and the people and friends I had met through it. Learning the dances and what each movement meant was such an experience for me. I feel in love with hula because each dance would tell a story.

I would dance Tahitian on the floats during King Kamehameha Day In Lahaina with my Halau, and did shows all around Maui. Watching the older girls dance in their shows, I had sparkles in my eyes and it was to this day the most beautiful form of dance and storytelling I have ever seen. 

Having grown up in Hawaii and danced hula, how has Hawaiian culture become part of who you are, even though you are not native Hawaiian by blood?

In every grade we were required to have one class devoted to Hawaiian Studies. We learned about the overthrow of the monarchy, the way Hawaiians lived and worshiped the land, and all about the true Aloha spirit and more.

Growing up in Hawaii has made me appreciate and respect the culture immensely. The pride and love Hawaiians show for their history and the islands has influenced me to help preserve what land the Native Hawaiians do have left and to help promote The Aloha Spirit wherever I am in the world. 

What are your other passions when you’re not surfing and traveling?

Lately I’ve been diving into learning about essential oils and all of the amazing things they can do for your body and applying what I learn to myself and my family. I am currently reading “The 5 People You’ll Meet In Heaven.”

This year I’ve set a goal for myself to surf bigger waves than I ever have and also expand my quiver with fishes, asymmetrical, and all kinds of different boards. 

I enjoy gardening and learning about horticulture, I hope one day to buy a plot of land and be able to live off of what I grow.

We can't wait to come visit you again on Maui and see your garden. Welcome to the family Sierra! 

MORE SEEABABE STORIES: 

•  Sierra Lerback's Best Spots on the Road to Hana in Maui
• Introducing the Karina Rozunko Signature Suit

It feels like one of those roads that you can drive through every day and still discover new hidden corners. Even as a Maui-born local, our guide Sierra Lerback is still amazed by the beauty on this long scenic path, and she took a few friends along for the wild ride. Rosie Jaffurs (just an island hopper flight away from Oahu) and San Diego-based Mele Saili were grateful to be sitting shotgun and passenger side to get an eyefill of the views.  

From a local and a seasoned traveler, Sierra and Mele talked story about the best stops to pull over on the famous Road to Hana, and where to get the best kombucha on the island.

All photos by Luki O'Keefe.

What are your favorite special places on the Road to Hana and why? 

Sierra: On our journey to Hana the Seea girls and I were lucky enough to visit some of the most beautiful places on the island including Waioka (mermaid looking pool next to ocean), Kaihalulu (red sand beach), a secret black sand beach, and to Kipahulu (big waterfall). These are a few of my favorite places in the world, full of beauty and secluded from the outside world.

Hana takes you back to old Hawaii and the simple life, it's the best place to go and forget all of your worries and leave with a clear mind. There's nothing like climbing from waterfall from waterfall with your friends, surrounded by nothing but lush green Forrest. It's a very special and sacred place to the people of Maui, and around Hawaii. 

What is the history of the Road to Hana? 

The road to Hana was one of the many original roads used to transport goods such as pineapple and sugarcane, with its perfect soil and tropical weather Hana was a place where all things thrived and provided sustenance for the people of Maui in the 1800s. Since then the road had completely changed and been paved over in most places, although the backside is still a one lane road, filled with gravel and dirt... Not the most friendly on a rental car either. 

How does it feel to travel through all the different landscapes in a short distance?

Mele: Magical. That place just pulses with energy and life that I've never experienced anywhere else. It was incredible that Sierra grew up there and showed us so many hidden hangout spots, waterfalls, lookout points. And everyone knew her so we were welcomed pretty much everywhere we went.

Sierra: One minute you're on dry shrubby sea cliffs, then 20 minutes down the way you're in a lush tropical forest. The islands have so much diversity it teaches you to appreciate all kinds of beauty, whether it be the black sand beaches or the red volcanic rocks. 

Mele, you've been to Maui before to visit your sister. What's the story of how she ended up there? 

My sister Mikela and four girls from our home town in Pacific Beach decided one summer to move to Maui on a whim. They barely saved up any money and had little to no travel experience. I believe all they took was a suitcase of clothes, a surfboard, bathing suits, skateboards and a hammock each. 

My family had bets on how long they would last... The first 6 months they camped in the jungle. She'd FaceTime me with a huge smile on her face but covered in bug bites from sleeping in a hammock in the jungle. People started recognizing them around town and would invite them over for drinks and dinners and an occasional couch to crash on. They eventually upgraded to a shave ice back stock warehouse for a bit and eventually moved into a house altogether after a year of adventurous homelessness.

In the '80s my mom moved to Maui to rebel against her parents and met my dad who moved there from Tonga, was just finishing up high school and working on his uncles banana farm. They met on a dance floor at the club one night.

Sierra, you and Rosie knew each other before this trip. Do all women surfers on the islands have strong relationships? 

Sierra: Maui and Oahu are pretty similar in a sense, but here on Maui we don't have nearly as much of a city as they do. The culture is very similar all around Hawaii, people who love the islands and ocean. 

Growing up and surfing in Hawaii you are always with the same group of girls, and it's so awesome because everyone is so supportive and encouraging to each other. It's like one big family. 

Where did you get the best waves? 

Sierra: We got a little bump of swell at Honolua Bay and surfed the inside break called Keiki Bowls, the rights were lining up perfectly and the girls were killing it. I've grown up at this break and it was so awesome to have all of us out here trading waves and smiles.

What recommendations do you have for visitors of Maui?

Sierra: Places to go/ things to do: Road to Hana, Haleakala, Paia town, Maui kombucha (best in the world!!) I'm addicted, Honolua Bay.

What advice do you have for travelers to Maui and the road to Hana?

Mele: Pull over for locals!

Sierra: For those who get carsick, it would be in your best interest to take a plane out and experience the beauty from the sky and save yourself the two hours of winding roads. But if you don't mind, it's well worth the journey. 

Do's / Don't’s: Pull over for locals on the road. Don't steal flowers from stranger’s yards. Eat LOTS of poke. Pack it in and pack it out. Do your part to keep the beaches clean. Don't drop your keys in a cow pasture. Sooo bad haha crawling on all fours through the grass looking for them for a while! Sunscreen. All day everyday. Support local businesses! 

All photos by Luki O'Keefe. 

MORE HAWAII STORIES: 

• Rosie Jaffurs' Guide to the friendliest Summer waves in Oahu
• Through Amber Mozo's Lens, Life is Beautiful