Around The World In 80 Waves

After my Tiger Shark free surf at Lennox Head we had a short drive north to arrive in Byron Bay. Even though it was just past 11.30am we had already been up for hours and were feeling like lunch so found ourselves at the Byron Beach Cafe.

It is a beautiful location from which you could see the break known as The Pass in the distance, but personally I found the cafe more than a bit pretentious. “Sir, we are not ready for lunch at this time” Oh I’m sorry I thought you were a cafe. I almost managed to bite my lip, but not not quite, and satisfied myself with ordering a beer with my breakfast because I knew me lowering the tone would irritate the waiter.

The food was good though and I have to say the beer that was brewed locally was pretty tasty too.

After our breakfast/lunch we went for a stroll along the beach towards the lighthouse to check out the break known as The Pass. Despite being quite small it was absolutely mobbed in the water and I decided to save the break for the return leg back towards Sydney hoping that it would be a little quieter and a bit bigger then.

We walked all the way along the beach to the island where a flight of steps has been built so that you can climb  the mound and get a closer look at the surfers and the break,

Looking back down the beach you can see what great rides are on offer here. I’m looking forward to it already.

After our early start from the truck stop we were moving quickly and arrived at Lennox Head just as the cafes were opening. Lennox Head is one of Australia’s classic right hand point breaks and I had been looking forward to surfing it.

Sadly the swell direction was wrong for the point, meaning that the waves were largely just crashing on the rocks that line the shore there as opposed to breaking all along the headland. 

Not to worry I will get a second chance at the point later on my travels. Everybody else was heading for the waves breaking on the beach in front of the town so I decided to do likewise, but not until Neil and I had grabbed a coffee.

At the till the young lady serving took great delight in telling me to watch out for the 10′ tiger shark which had been regularly cruising through the break in recent weeks. Great! Thanks for that. It was just what I needed before paddling out!

On this piece of advice Neil decided to pass on the session, leaving me to paddle out across the inshore to the spot where the waves were breaking. Sadly my Gopro ran out of battery almost as soon as I got in the water so I took solace in knowing that at least there would not be any footage of my untimely demise in the water.

There were a few people out, with the usual smattering of SUPs (Stand Up Paddle boards) hogging the break. I haven’t got a real problem with any surf craft, just the owners of them and today there was one old bloke who wasn’t even satisfied with taking the lions share of waves, and started dropping in on mine as well. 

As ever you wouldn’t mind so much if the person concerned looked like this but he didn’t and I told the crusty old goat where to get off, after which he gave me enough space to catch plenty of my own in the head high and clean waves. I was out for a few hours with no signs of of the Tiger Shark too, which was a result.

After a great night in Port MacQuarie we checked out a few beaches on the road north, but there really wasn’t much swell about.

We weren’t having much luck finding food either so by the time we arrived in Coffs Harbour, which is home to The Big Banana, Neil opted to go in search of food whilst I couldn’t resist the fun waves I had seen breaking in front of the Surf Lifesaving Club there.

The break was pretty empty too. For most of the time it was just me and a handful of young groms in the water enjoying the clean waist high waves.

Neil snapped this picture from the shore, which we think might be me but I caught most of my waves whilst he was still enjoying a bite to eat or doing his best to keep out of the rain and stay dry in the campervan.

Thankfully my Go Pro was working well today and I got loads of shots of all the fun I was having in the beach break, of which this is probably the best one.

The sun was starting to go down when I eventually got out of the water always mindful of the angry fish in the area which  might be hungry. I wasn’t too worried here though I have to say. I always fancied my chances of getting out the water faster than one of the local kids. Nowhere does it say life is fair!

With a mug of coffee in hand we stroll down to the north side of the river which separate Forster and Tuncurry. It is a glorious start to the day but the waves there weren’t enough to tempt us into the water.

It was good enough for these two groms who had skateboarded down to the beach at the same time as carrying their surfboards, but knee high waves for them is not knee high waves for me, so Neil drove us on to New Haven which was a little further north up the coast.

After enjoying the demonstration of a local bikini clad girl’s gymnastic skills whilst trying to figure out where was the best peak in the water, we both got suited up and hit the waves.

I gave Neil a few pointers in the shallows to give him a flying start, but surfing really is something you have to figure out for yourself so it wasn’t long before I left him to it.

Surfing is amazing once you are able to ride clean waves but the honest truth is that just getting out to them can be brutal, and I think Neil discovered that whilst catching a few waves on my board. Another tip is to always keep one eye on the horizon, but I think I might not have passed that one on before this shot was taken!

Neil bagged a few though, riding them in to the beach and the water is warm again this far north so he was able to stay in quite a while before passing the board over to me.

The beach was quiet because it was midweek and I had a ball in the great waves in the sunshine.

This is probably the best shot of my own efforts. You can see how clean and glassy the waves were, and I was having so much fun.

We wake up to discover that Andy Murray has won the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon. Congratulations to him. It is fantastic for a Brit to have finally gotten another victory in the event there. I am sure Fred Perry would be pleased.

I am up with the sun and sort us some supplies for bacon and egg rolls to get Neil and I off to a flying start. After enjoying that we get the van rigged properly for the next week and can see that the waves aren’t up to much locally, so we drive north to Newcastle in the sunshine.

The beach is right in the centre of town and there are a few people out so I don’t need much encouragement to get into my wetsuit even if the waves are not huge.

Neil hasn’t got much board time under his belt so sits this one out, getting a few pictures of me in the water instead.

I have been having far too many technical woes of late so don’t take my camera out with me, because I couldn’t cope with another failure today! (As an aside here Neil deserves an award for his patience in this regard over the next few days. I reiterate that he wouldn’t have believed the problems I have been having if he hadn’t seen it himself, but it isn’t his fault and with more patience than I deserve he deals with the grumpiest of surf bloggers for a few days until things settle down.)

The waves were ok at Newcastle and I caught at least my share whilst in the water for a couple of hours, but they were far from anything special. The biggest thing of note was the current which kept dragging me towards the rocks at the north end of the bay. I had it covered though and enjoyed myself in the midday sun before rejoining Neil in the van.

Neil is at the wheel today so once I have dried off he drives us all the way up to Tuncurry where we stay the night in a camp site there. We also go out in search of some fun, but manage only a cheap meal in the sports club there. However it was a great first day to get Neil in the spirit of things.

Chris is up for another surf before the weekend is over, so we go in search of a good wave. The wind seems to have dropped, it has stopped raining (albeit briefly) and we opt for the break at Fairy Bower beach near Manly. It is a gorgeous break where the waves breaking over rocks wrap all the way around the headland and you ride the waves all the way around too.

We have been a bit slow getting started so just have a short period of time before the sun sets and the angry fish go looking for food. It isn’t very crowded and the waves come through pretty regularly.

For one reason or other I haven’t clicked with my new board up until this point but the two of us have a great time here. I catch loads of long snaking rides before the fear of Noah’s gets the better of me. (Noah’s Arks = Sharks in Australia)

This is despite one of the most blatant drop ins I have ever seen by Chris on my wave, who freely admits to it after the fact. These ladies demonstrate that the person nearest the camera should have priority because they are up and riding as well as being nearest the curl. Chris was neither but still barged in. I wouldn’t mind if the view of him doing so was as good as my demonstrators, but it isn’t even close. Bad form.

Apology accepted though and after getting changed in the dark because the sun had actually gone down we go to meet Ben and Kirsty, who is another old friend from London for beers in the Steyne in Manly.

I never found out why but have assumed it was something to do with the lions supporters’ Scottish contiongent, because halfway through the evening there a marching bagpipe band was doing laps of the hotel. Good fun.

I love it.

I really do!

It is the weekend and because like normal people with work commitments he is unable to go surfing during the week my old flat mate from London Chris has picked me up in order to go to the beach.

We check out quite a few breaks in the pouring rain (still without a raincoat! #$%&!!!) and all of them have pretty poor surf conditions, so having exhausted our options we opt for Bilgola Beach where there is some shelter from the wind in the bay.

Whilst we are getting ready I manage to finally get a picture of me with my new board and its lop-sided wax job, which has since been addressed.

The surf is a bit rubbish everywhere today, and Bilgola was really just the best of a bad bunch. the bay itself is pretty cool though and the cliffs at the north end are lined with fantastic houses overlooking the bay.

As you can see I still haven’t attached my camera to the board because other technical issues had been taking up all my time, which means that I don’t have any pictures to share with you of the few waves I caught here.

I have to say I wasn’t all that comfortable whilst in the water at this beach because before getting in we had looked at a number of seals which were relaxing in the designated seal resting area on the beach.

For the whole time I was in the water it struck me that any shark which knows the local area (and they generally do) might think that a beach where tired seals (and therefore an easy meal) can be found might represent a fast food option in the same way McDonald’s does for humans.

I didn’t need too much persuading to get out as a consequence.

It is the morning after the night before and I feel rough as dogs, but have already arranged to go surfing for the first time in Australia at the crack of dawn having only got in from my Lions 1st test a matter of hours before.

Safe to say I have felt better!

Another ex-pat surfer called Richard who knows my buddies is kind enough to come and collect me, as well as put up with the alcohol seeping out of every pore of my body!

After a few quick surf checks at other local beaches, he drives us to Freshwater Beach, which rather appropriately is where Duke Kahanamoku gave his first demonstration of surfing in Australia that ultimately led to the explosion of surf activity here.

This statue of the Duke has been erected here to commemorate the occasion, and he casts a watchful eye over my own efforts when I paddle out having given my board a coat of cool-to-warm water wax.

I was in no state to be attaching cameras to my board and don’t think I would want evidence of how I started the session anyway so you will have to make do with this photo I found online. It is warmer than New Zealand, but not by much and I am having a bit of a shocker when I first paddle in with the guys.

Ben and Chris are also in the water after the night in the pub, and we are joined by another Brit called Keith.

Freshwater is not that big a beach any the swell is far from clean. It seemed to be bouncing off the cliffs on both sides of the bay, and it was further chopped up by some currents which I never really figured out. Not the best surf session of my life but I did end up bagging a cracker with all the guys watching, which at least demonstrated that all this surfing has done me some good.

Nobody stays in for long and I had decided to get out before I got absolutely hammered on the way in. The backwash off the shore pitched me and my board into the air only to then have the wave land very badly on both. I still think it a miracle that I didn’t snap my board on my first session, but all was well as I crawled out of the ocean and went back to bed!

I am going to need a new stick because of how much I intend surfing here in Australia. Adam has been good enough to drive me around all the local beaches so I can get the lay of the land.

I have been on the lookout for a surfboard superstore but haven’t managed to find one, so decide to go shopping at Wicks at Collaroy because they seemed to have the biggest selection. 

After a healthy amount of horse trading I vuy one of these Modern Blackbird boards, whose dimensions are 8’0″ x 22″ x 3″.

I bought a lovely red one because everybody know they go faster, but forgot to take a picture of mine before treating it to a coat of wax.

However I found this picture of one online. At the same time I found the following promotional video which talks the board up so much you would think it could solve world peace!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LWY3WF_EAkI#at=13