Around The World In 80 Waves

After our Turners Beach session we decide to stay in Yamba at the caravan park right in the middle of town.

The owners recommend an eccentric restaurant right alongside the towns harbour. It is called Gorman’s and specialises in seafood.

The decor is styled on Tarzan’s house and the operation seems to be run by one lady who greets and serves all the customers.

Throughout the meal we are also serenaded by Les who sings along to his electric organ playing. It is the first time I have listened to an eighty six year old sing ‘Bad Moon Rising’ whilst eating seafood chowder and I suspect it might also be the last!

The two of us have a lovely evening there though and the eccentricity just adds to what was a great meal.

Our sparkling conversation is compounded by the fireworks served with our desserts that dropped bits of incendiaries onto the plates, making the cheesecake I ordered a tad crunchier than I had expected.

They got us to pose for a photo before we left and returned to curl up in the campervan.

We have driven north to Yamba in search of more waves and Kathleen is keen to have another surf session, so after a bit of wetsuit shopping we head for Turners beach at the tip of the headland.

It is a lovely spot for learning because the waves break over the top of the sandy bay and you can watch the surf from the car park.

The sponge board she had used at Clarkes Beach had been a bit cumbersome so Kathleen tried my Modern Blackbird surfboard out. As usual I had attached the camera to the nose to see what pictures we could get.

On the way out we got this snap of us both with the lighthouse overlooking the bay from the headland in the background.

Unlike Clarkes Beach the waves were relentlessly hitting the shore here and as such they are much easier for a learner to get in front of.

Apart from selecting the waves I thought she should go for, Kathleen was largely on her own here. Catching waves when others are out is very competitive and you have to want it. Here is Kathleen claiming one for herself.

However the waves out back were very tempting and once Kathleen had exhausted herself in the shore break I couldn’t wait to get out and into them before the sun went down.

There was only a handful of people in the water by this stage and I was delighted to once more be joined by dolphins in the water. Still no pictures of them to share with you I’m afraid, but you can see how excited I was.

They hung around for a while swimming around me and the others in the water. It is a great experience but I have to admit at times a little unnerving having such big animals moving around me.

The waves were great fun whilst I was out there though, and I quickly bagged a hat-trick of great rides before getting out myself.

After the hectic nature of Byron Bay we fancy something quieter so drive south for a few hours arriving in the middle of the night at the Yuraygir National Park. You can hear the waves at the basic campsite where we pull up, which is at the end of a 5km dirt road

After snuggling up and keeping each other warm overnight, my surfer girl suggests that I should go surfing the following morning. It’s a tough choice but I think that at least a surf check is in order.

I stroll down the short path to the beach where the very first thing I encounter is an adult Kangaroo having breakfast! (His mate is in the trees on the left too.)

He couldn’t have been less affected by me though. I actually had to step over his tail to get past him.

After getting past them I have a look at the break where there are already two guys in the water and you can see a pod of dolphins swimming around them from the shore.

I race back to the van and paddle out with my camera keen to bag some pictures of the dolphins. I was also hoping that I might be able to ride some waves with them too.

However I don’t get more than 10 shots on the way out including this one before the battery dies. I hadn’t charged it properly. Doh!

As soon as I paddle out the other two guys have had enough and go in so I am in the water on my own in this very remote spot.

Whilst that ordinarily would make me very twitchy because I am so far from any help, there are so many dolphins that are jumping out of the water around me and swimming underneath me in the crystal clear sea that I know there is unlikely to be anything else with sharper teeth knocking about.

I’m gutted that I can’t show you this experience but in some ways I think some of my travels should be just for me. However by now Kathleen is watching it all from the cliffs and I catch a stack of great rides breaking off the point in the early morning sun. The waves are clean, about shoulder high and the sun is shining.

I am in the water for about an hour and a half  before getting out with a big grin on my face. When we get back to the van I make us a brew and cook up some bacon and eggs for our own breakfast.

Afterwards we go for a stroll in the national park where Kathleen gets this picture of me hanging out with the locals. As far as Australian surf sessions go this one had everything. Perfection. 

I had already had two sessions by the time we drove around the headland to Wategos Beach. There wasn’t all that much swell around today so I didn’t expect there to be enough to tempt me into the water.

However there are some small waves breaking and there is hardly anybody out so I can’t resist the opportunity to bag another break, particularly because it is warm enough to surf in my shorts.

Kathleen isn’t keen so I decide to use the hire board we had scored for her because it has more volume than my own and should suit the conditions better.

As a consequence I cant attach the Gropro so don’t have anything to show you of me surfing the break here. I also didn’t take any photos of the beach here either so you will have to make do with this one I found online.

I did bag a handful of waist high waves in quick succession whilst in the water being overlooked by the gorgeous lighthouse up on the headland. I can see why the houses here are home to the great and the good. It was a lovely bay and another one for my scrapbook.

Clarkes Beach is the other end of the sand that surfing The Pass will bring you towards.

It is our home break whilst staying in Byron Bay because the holiday park is right next to the water and you can see the park sign here being guarded by a baby Kookabura.

The sun has finally come out to play in Byron and the conditions here are perfect for learning to surf so we sort out a board and a wetsuit for Kathleen.

I pass on the little gems of surfing knowledge that I think are the most important and we have a fun session getting Kathleen into a few waves.

Initially I am standing in the warm water and pushing Kathleen’s board to ensure she catches them, but it doesn’t take long for me to go and grab my own stick and join her in the water once more.

There are a plenty of people in the water even though it is a school day and we have to keep an eye on everybody else, but unfortunately Kathleen get run over by a local species known as Grumpius Longboardicus. Thankfully there is no harm done and she isn’t put off.

I haven’t surfed this end of the beach so cannot resist getting a few waves of my own. This was the pick of the bunch.

I’m loving the new boardshorts I had treated myself to in the Quicksilver shop the day before and bag a load of fun little waves breaking  over the sand.

We were both out there for hours and you can see how much fun we had in the sunshine.

A great session. You can’t beat surfing with your friends.

Without knowing it Kathleen and I arrived in the Bryon Bay area at the same time as the Splendour in the Grass festival which is going on just down the coast.

We are not interested in the massive festival but get stung for more than $75 for one night in the caravan park because they are ramping up the charges because of the demand at this time. Normally it can be as cheap as $21!

The other side effect of the festival is the huge influx of crusty trustafarians who roll through town while we are here.

Byron Bay is quite an arty, hippy-ish sort of place anyway so they almost fit in.

It is binning down with rain though and has been for a few days, and you can tell that so many of them are so ill prepared for the elements. Good to know you can ‘enjoy’ the Glastonbury experience in Australia too!

I had visited this break with Neil on the way northwards but decided to pass on The Pass at that time because it was so busy.

However there was no way I wasn’t going to surf it, and once Kathleen and I had left her place in Lismore, Byron Bay was the first place we headed for.

The wave breaks off the rocks you see here, so you snag a wave, get your bottom turn in going right and then just keep on surfing all the way along the beach.

It does mean the most suicidal once more will guarantee themselves the ride, but needs must so I made sure I got at least my share.

These pictures should give you some idea of how much fun I was having.

I didn’t surf it when it is huge but it seems to be a really mellow wave. Perfect for cruising along, if you know what I mean, and the locals were all really friendly while I was there too.

I was having a laugh here with the crew in the line up because foolishly one wave went by without anybody actually going for it despite how busy it was.

The break here is so good and so close to where we stayed that I actually surfed it a couple of times, which is very rare on this trip.

Kathleen got this picture of me riding during one of the sessions. You can see me over the top of the wave.

The break here is so predictable that I decided to try to film some video with my Gopro. Watching this footage you can probably see why. (click here) If anything that was a short ride compared with some of the corking waves I surfed here.

You can also see me here spotting the dolphins that hung out with us for a while. They were of a species whose fin is nearer to triangular than crescent shaped, which gives you a nervous shiver until you see how they move in the water!

No pictures of them in the water with me. I tried, trust me I tried, but nothing came out because they were only appearing briefly on the surface and just for a second to breathe.

I absolutely loved it here!

In quick succession I have been informed that I have been caught speeding during my adventures in both Australia and in New Zealand.

My sister who is looking after my UK based administration has passed on the good news

It would seem that my own need for speed has caught up with me.

I can’t help myself putting my foot down because I am trying to squeeze so much into this year, but it is no excuse.

I have already been stung with an administration fee from both the hire companies but am wondering if I can get away without paying the associated fines due to living abroad.

Anybody got any ideas on that?

Think I will wait and see how things pan out. I doubt they will deport me just yet for the offence.

I am going to have to slow down though, otherwise I will start seeing police cars like this one in my rear view mirror!

I am spending the next week with Kathleen, but while she has to go to work for a couple of days I take advantage of the facilities at her house in Lismore.

I clean the van, catch up on a ton of laundry and make a huge dent in the blog backlog using her reliable wifi connection.

I could probably have got more done but have been gladly distracted by Kathleen’s dog Peppi, who I have been chasing around the house with her yoga ball for hours in a scene not too dissimilar to The Prisoner.

I am told one day on her way out the door by Kathleen that Peppi does not bark, which seems unlikely. This I see as a challenge and five minutes of lifting his paws off the ground later and he is making a right racket exacerbated by me once more chasing him using the yoga ball.

In case of complaints from the neighbours we also practised our innocent faces in preparation for being asked if it was us. I think we would get away with it, don’t you?

He isn’t supposed to be on the dining chairs either but who am I to refuse a dog that wants to snuggle up to me whilst I work on my laptop?

There may be some retraining required for which I can’t help feeling a tad responsible.

From Byron I had driven on to spend another night in the truck stop at Ballina.

When I woke up in the morning I discovered I was parked next to this, which I am pretty sure was part of the set from Superman III. Can anybody tell me what they are? I don’t know, but for some reason I want one!

I drove straight to the site of the new Lismore and Ballina Surf Lifesaving Club, which is in the snagging list stage of its construction and looks fantastic.

The Richmond River runs out to sea at Ballina making a natural harbour, and to ensure the boats get in and out easily the entrance has been exaggerated by two rock groynes having been constructed.

The original beach has been segmented as a result and the club is on the part north of the river mouth.

While I am checking out the surf and trying to decide whether to go in, a steady stream of pensioners appear each in turn taking a swim in the ocean. This leaves me with no excuse so I paddle out

My board is still taped up, I am still sore from my fall the day before and in all honesty my attention is focused on meeting up again with my friend Kathleen later in the day so I don’t bother with the Gopro here.

I caught a hat trick of rides and then got out, but later discover that the break where I was surfing is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous in the area due to all the Bull sharks there. The species (also known as the Zambezi shark in Africa) is so aggressive it actually swims up rivers in search of food. It is also one of the species most likely to attack humans.

The pensioners of Ballina must have a death wish, because there must be loads of these angry fish hanging about the river mouth looking for an easy meal!