Water

One evening in Byron we walked out to the lighthouse and checked out The Pass. The Pass is a surf spot that according to my surf guide book is more of a long board spot there are heaps of other spots and better spots around but this one is quite prominent. Being Christmas week, every surf spot in Byron was packed to capacity so I never actually surfed in town. Crowds aside, it is a beautiful place.

I am still getting used to the water and the changing colors. When it is overcast it has a grey, green tint to it and is clear but the real beauty occurs when the sun comes out and it turns into an electric blue. Most of you have seen water like this or even better depending on where you have traveled but I have not and it's my blog and I'll brag if I want to. If you have seen better water then start your own damn blog and leave mine alone.

There have been quite a few shark sightings in Byron and North New South Wales recently and one small attack a few weeks ago. They get Bull Sharks, White Tips and the odd Great White although I believe the Great Whites are more common in the south as the water is colder. There have never been a fatal attack in the area and when I surfed I never felt spooked or unsafe. It was far scarier surfing in Northern California than here and there have been more attacks there than here. Enough doom and gloom.

So, if you are ever looking for safe, clear, clean water than this is your place.

Pinch me, I'm dreaming...

We drove around and explored a lot of Northern New South Wales and I have to say so far it was my favorite region of Australia that I have seen so far. I have seen very little so far so I expect that to eventually change but if it does, it would have to be really good to surpass Northern New South Wales. If given the chance to live here, I would not say no.

Northern New South Wales reminded me of a sub-tropical version of Northern California. The beaches were rugged, littered with headlands and points with balmy temperatures and warm water. The beaches are a combination of sand stretched with lava formed points. It is also a surfers paradise as it is some of the best in the country with fewer people than most regions.
The interior is made up of cattle and horse ranches speckled with coffee plantations and macadamia groves on low, rolling hills, jagged rock formations, and the extinct volcano, Mt. Warning dominating the horizon. It is hot and rainy and bugs the size of small cars but wildly interesting.

We drove down the coast to Lennox Head, then made a turn inland and drove to Lismore which was about 40km inland, then turned north and drove to Nimbin. The small town of Nimbin was quite a spectacle. It is a hippie town in the truest sense of the word. The history of the town is quite short. It was the site of The Aquarius festival in the early seventies at a small shire. Some of the people that came for the music fell in love with land and set up a town that has grown to a population of about 1500. It is the only part of NSW or Queensland for that matter that Cannibus while illegal is openly consumed and distributed. It is a real throwback and I wish i had gotten pictures to show, there were allot of hippies about and some interesting characters to say the least.

After Nimbin we headed back towards the coast and ended up at Tweed Heads, then back down south to Byron. It was a fantastic drive and I can't wait to get back.

I am already planning my return. This winter I plan on renting a small camper for ten days and exploring in detail Northern and Central New South Wale's surfing potential.

Surfing North NSW, Part 1

Of course for me the highlight of the trip was getting what has become the rare chance to surf. We are without a car for the time being until we get a permanent address and I get my visa so we can go out and get a loan. It has been refreshing to not have a car and car payment but without a consistent vehicle to get to the beach I am starting to go nuts.

I have learned that the East Coast of Australia is quite fickle. It has some of the best surf in the world but in order to get those classic days you have to be on it. Most of the swell here is short period, local storms and cyclones that kick surf at us from the north and south. Since it is coming from such short distances it can be flat in the morning and six foot by noon.

Winds are a big factor. From what I have seen so far, any thing from the North West will kill all spots. Anything from the South West will kill some spots except the largest points, i.e. Snapper, Noosa, Byron etc. Any winds with west in them will make some points fantastic and some moderate depending on the specific direction and strength.


What I will do when we get in our own place is put a map of the East Coast of Australia on the wall and start planning a couple of days ahead.

We are hoping that by this time next month we will finally have our own automobile and I will be able to start getting out more often.

These pictures were from the first day of the trip. We drove down the coast and Snapper was blown out, I went to the other side of the headland and Duranbah was five foot with some chop but it looked fun. My mistake was not staying there, I thought that the grass was probably greener on the other side so we headed further down the coast to Cabarita. It was blown out and junky but four to six foot and some decent rights to be had. The sweep was killer and my arms have atrophied slightly with the lack of surfing. Rubber arms and junky surf aside it was a beautiful spot to surf, the water was warm and it just felt great to be out again.

Shot three is your truly.