From Surf Wipeouts to Children’s Books: Josh’s Journey with Bazza Koala

An Interview With Josh, the Author of Bazza Koala

Meet our member Josh, the creative force behind Bazza Koala, a lovable surfing koala teaching kids (and parents!) powerful lessons about emotional resilience, courage, and growth. What started as a spontaneous rhyme after his toddler’s backyard adventure has grown into a beloved children’s book series that blends surf culture, Aussie humor, and mindfulness tools.

Through Bazza’s adventures—whether stacking his bike, braving heavy wipeouts, or learning how to stay calm under pressure—Josh shows how storytelling can empower kids to build confidence, face fears, and bounce back from setbacks. In this Surfpreneurs interview, we dive into the origins of Bazza Koala, the challenges of turning a passion project into a business, and the universal lessons Bazza offers families and entrepreneurs alike.

Whether you’re a parent looking for books that teach kids emotional resilience, a surfer curious about the parallels between surfing and entrepreneurship, or a creative entrepreneur building something from scratch, Josh’s story will inspire you to paddle out, wipe out, and get back up again—just like Bazza.

How did Bazza Koala, the surfing children’s book character, come to life?

Bazza was born in this flash of pure inspiration when my toddler was riding his balance bike naked around our backyard (living the dream!) when he lost control on a hill and went flying off a four-foot rock wall into gravel. He yelled out "Googy-egg!" which is our family term for a bump on the head, but miraculously he was absolutely fine.

Once I made sure he was okay, I ran inside and wrote "Bazza Has a Stack" almost word for word, in rhyme. It just poured out of me. But the character had been brewing in my mind for years. The name works on two levels — it's classic Aussie slang for Barry, and back in high school we used to call barrels "bazzas." So even before the naked bike incident, he was always going to be a surfing koala called Bazza.

Everything about him comes from my life really. I'm pretty obsessed with growth in everything I do. When I'm surfing I just want bigger waves, deeper barrels, smoother turns. That constant push to improve carries into everything. As a teacher for 15 years, I saw how tools like breathwork and mindset could transform kids' confidence. Bazza embodies that same spirit — he's gung-ho, optimistic, learns from his mistakes, and just loves getting amongst it.

What were your first steps in turning Bazza Koala into a published children’s book and business?

It was a total lesson in discovery, to be honest. Which I think may have been a blessing because I couldn't see the size of the mountain I was taking on so I just blindly climbed. If I knew what I was getting myself into it might not have happened at all.

After writing that first story, every aspect was new territory. Finding an illustrator, understanding the 32-page format, figuring out how pictures interact with the story, even barcode size and placement.

I actually put Bazza aside for a period of time because I thought it would only ever be a side hustle and I needed to make “real money," so I focused on other ventures, including a surf tourism marketing agency. But even without attention, Bazza kept growing and getting recognition. Meanwhile, my marketing agency was sucking the life out of me while Bazza was putting life back into me.

I had limiting beliefs around the viability of being an indie kid’s book author. When I finally broke through those limiting beliefs, I decided to put everything else aside (including a lifelong pursuit of music) and went all-in on Bazza. Immediately everything lifted.

How did you discover your illustrator, Diana, and what makes her the perfect fit for Bazza Koala’s stories?

Finding Diana was one of those perfect moments that confirmed I was on the right track. I had a really clear idea formed in my mind of the style of illustration I wanted for my books so I went through hundreds of portfolios online, locally and through friends. When I found her work, I immediately felt she possessed the style I envisioned for Bazza. Being Venezuelan, native Aussie animals and landscapes weren’t really in her repertoire yet but I was sure she could create something epic!

The real confirmation came from my son's reaction. When Diana sent her first sample illustration, he looked at it and immediately said "Fast!" He recognised the motion and energy in her work — that dynamic quality that makes Bazza feel alive on the page even without words.

How do you balance creative storytelling with the business side of being a children’s book author? What were your biggest Challenges?

I often feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew! When my first book arrived, we went overseas for 10 months right after. I couldn't sell in person and had to figure out online marketing, which led me down this rabbit hole of building websites, learning SEO, understanding branding. I totally fell in love with it, but it consumed all my time and energy, taking me away from actually creating new books and that’s obviously the engine that fuels everything.

Early on, focus was another big challenge. I was spread across so many ventures trying to start a digital marketing agency while building a book series while freelancing web development while teaching music while playing in bands and not wanting to miss out on AI. I didn't want to miss ANY opportunity, but by trying to take all opportunities, I wasn't being as laser-focused as I could have been and nothing was really taking off. But once I went all in on Bazza, that changed. However, I have to constantly acknowledge shiny object syndrome and stay on track.

Another big challenge is not knowing what's around the corner. I constantly want to be further ahead than I am, and I have to pull myself back, accept the stage I’m at, and just do the work that is in front of me without getting hung up on making everything perfect in the hope that every choice is the best one possible.

Reading "The Infinite Game" was a real revelation — understanding that entrepreneurship isn't like football where there's a clear endpoint. The work is always there. It's about touching all those points regularly with focus and intent, but also trying to enjoy the process rather than just fixating on goals.

I am reminded of that little guy digging underground towards a pile of treasure. In this illustration, he has given up and turned around, because he couldn’t see that if he had taken one more swing with that pick axe he would have broken through to the gold. You can see where Bazza’s messages are coming from? Haha!

What can kids (and adults!) learn from Bazza about resilience, facing challenges, and bouncing back?

Emotional resilience is probably THE ingredient to navigating life successfully. Life is full of ups and downs that will absolutely blindside you, and when that happens, the only thing you can control is yourself — not the weather, other people, or external factors. It is just how you respond. I want to arm kids with better tools than previous generations who bottled things up because they weren’t taught how to deal with emotions, sometimes leading to bigger mental health issues later.

Here's the key though — I'm not preaching from a place of having all the answers. I'm sharing stories from someone still figuring it out. "Bazza Braves the Waves" came from a recurring situation I experience and have heard many (if not all) surfers having in their journey. Being held down so long you think you will drown. So it gives kids a practical way to stay relaxed underwater (I believe I heard it from Russell Bierke, if not it was someone of that caliber) but realise scary situations are often more manageable than they appear. I think books are great because kids think they're just enjoying an adventure but they’re naturally absorbing tools they can actually use.

And honestly, the lessons apply just as much to adults, especially entrepreneurs. Both surfing and entrepreneurship require you to push through fear, take calculated risks, and get back up after you get absolutely flogged.

In surfing, you might paddle out in heavy conditions, get held down too long, or have a heavy wipeout. But that next wave might be the one where you stand up longer or get tubed. There's nothing that beats that feeling of incremental growth, even when it comes through difficult moments… maybe especially because of those difficult moments.

Entrepreneurship is identical. You face rejection, failures, and setbacks. But through resilience you’re able to just keep going and the payoff is like nothing else!

What can Bazza Koala’s stories offer entrepreneurial families who are juggling business and parenting?

That's such a good question because I'm living that exact juggle right now. There's this constant tension between building the business and not neglecting my young family.

Books give busy families quality time together while building literacy, comprehension, critical thinking, and in Bazza Koala’s case, emotional tools everyone can use. When your kid faces their own challenge, they might remember Bazza's breathing technique. When you're facing business uncertainty, you both understand what it means to get back up after a wipeout.

What I hope Bazza offers is this shared language around resilience and growth. When I'm stressed about a launch or facing uncertainty in the business, my kids can see those same emotions Bazza deals with in his adventures. We're all learning that courage isn't the absence of fear — it's moving forward anyway.

How do your own kids influence and respond to the Bazza Koala stories?

My kids are absolutely my best critics and inspiration! The whole thing started with my son's naked balance bike adventure, so they've been part of this from day one.

They definitely influence the stories. Kids experience these big emotions at full volume, and I want to help them navigate these challenges effectively.

But I had a moment the other day where I was sitting in my office which overlooks our street and I saw my son, who inspired "Bazza Has A Stack," zoom past on a bike NOT wearing a helmet (wearing clothes this time though so I guess I need to be grateful for the small wins). It's crazy that you can go as far as to write a book for them and they still don't listen to you!

Sometimes they'll reference Bazza's techniques in real situations, which is the ultimate test that the stories are working. But other times they're just kids being kids, completely ignoring everything you've tried to teach them. That's parenting for you!

If Bazza Koala could give kids one piece of advice about courage and resilience, what would it be?

Bazza would tell them that every big dream looks scary from the outside, just like waves look massive when you’re lying on a board or a ramp looks huge from the top. But once you paddle out, commit, and give it a go, you usually realise you're tougher and more capable than you thought.

He'd probably say something about how he's stacked it more times than he can count - whether that's stacking his bike, wiping out, or just trying something new and failing spectacularly. But each time taught him something, and more importantly, each time he got back up and had another crack at it.

The thing about Bazza is he's not some perfect character who gets everything right. He's just a regular koala who loves adventures and isn't afraid to fail. He'd want kids to know that the fun is in the trying, not in being perfect. And yeah, he'd definitely remind them to wear their helmet when they're bombing hills!

What’s next for Bazza Koala — will there be more children’s books, merchandise, or even animation?

Bazza has so much life in him that the possibilities feel endless. Because he comes from such depth — all my experiences, philosophies, and ideologies - I can put him in countless scenarios authentically.

More books are definitely coming. My fourth one is just about to be illustrated and it is about my many trips across the Gold Coast seaway to surf TOS. It is always eventful and so I have compiled all of the craziest moments, with some embellishment, haha!

I am trying not to get ahead of myself but the goal is animation, merch, and licensing. A lot of kids' entertainment is purely that and I think Bazza can be something that parents feel good about exposing their kids to because they trust they'll grow as well.

What advice do you have for surf entrepreneurs who want to mix passion, storytelling, and business?

Stay authentically you. I heard Rick Rubin say something that was a real lightbulb moment - when you change what you do for commercial success, trying to reach the biggest audience, you're actually shooting yourself in the foot. You're not putting forward your best work, and people want your best work.

Your best work comes from being true to your voice, your experiences, your way of doing things. When I write about real techniques I use in the surf or capture authentic moments like my son's bike stack, that's when the stories feel most alive.

Where can families and readers find Bazza Koala books and activities online?

You can find everything Bazza Koala at www.bazzakoala.com.au, where you can grab all the books, and there's some free coloring pages, craft activities, etc.

You can also follow Bazza on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes content and real families using Bazza's techniques.

Interviewed by Lina Heller

Ocean-lover, wanna-be surfer, and yoga teacher. Helping surfers and creatives ride both waves and ideas. Always curious, slightly chaotic, but fully here for good vibes and better stories.

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