Former Billabong and Mambo model Ashley Cheadle is happy to be home on the NSW South Coast

The surf model and actor was happy to be part of the Illawarra Mercury’s Winter Wonderland themed edition on July 14, shot in Gerringong by photographer Sylvia Liber.

“This is nothing compared to what Billabong used to make me do,” the 29-year-old said with a smile.

“You learn to adapt to everything and make it look like summer.”

The former professional surfer has returned home to the South Coast after a stint in France, to give her son Cash, 5, a better life and be closer to family.

“Everything I do now I’m considering my baby. I’m a bit more particular with what I chose to do. It’s really nice work comes to me, I think I’m lucky in that sense,” she said.

Cheadle was married to Jay Quinn (the first-ever New Zealand surfer to claim a world title) but is now a proud single mum and ready to find love on home soil.

She is currently working on getting her career back on track after some downtime and if the right presenting or acting job popped up she would rather choose Nan over a nanny to look after her little blonde-haired man.

“I’ve had some amazing experiences – I’ve probably lived a life most people, yeah, far out, from 15 I’ve been travelling. I think it’d be nice just to settle and meet that special someone. I just want to live a normal life,” Cheadle said.

“Being in the industry … there’s no routine, you get used to spontaneity, you get used to being thrown in the deep end, you get used to weird scenarios and you have to deal with people who don’t necessarily care about you too some times.

“But you just learn to stay happy and love others and I think that’s my philosophy, if people don’t like me that’s okay. I’m happy to be me.”