Break 12- Point Impossible

Thursday 30th 2010 and I plan to set out early from home at 6.45.  The day gets off to a weird start when I go out the front and move Sue's car into the street,  then go inside to get my Board on the roof.  The next thing the paper is chucked high into the driveway from a car that delivers the paper.  The driver is watching the paper fly up across the driveway and into our rosebush on the right hand side and you guessed it - he drives straight into Sue's car parked in the street.  It was like something out of a british comedy series or one of those funniest home video shows.  I couldn't believe it!  The driver was a young bloke and he was in a mixture of shock and clear annoyance with himself for doing something so stupid.  Fortunately he was only going about 10 km an hour and so no harm to him and Sue's car has a decent wack and scratches on the rear bumper.  I hope it's not an omen for the day.

I decide to go by myself today as I have headed off early (it's pretty near impossible in school holidays to get Sam up before 10.00 am).  Today, I thought I would try 13th Beach down on the west coast at Barwon Heads, just before you get to Ocean Grove (Break no.2).  13th is a beach break and very reliable for waves - they moved the Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro there one year and its about an hour and a half drive from Melbourne (about 110 km I guess down the Geelong freeway most of the way).   I make pretty good time and am driving into the car park at 13th a bit after 8.30.  It's not a great site - the waves are messy and the high tide is not making it any better either.  I drive along the further car parks and whilst there are a few out, it is too rough for me and I decide to try Point Impossible, which is further down heading towards Torquay. 

It takes about 15 mins to get to Point Impossible which is down a sealed dirt track, signposted Point Impossible on the road between Barwon Heads and Torquay.  Point Impossible is a rocky reef break with the river on left of the car park and more rocks on the right eventually turning into some beach about 30 meters up on the right.  The steps from the car park lead down to a rocky foreshore and then its a paddle out the back.  The waves are breaking about 30 meters out, straight in front of the car park and its a right hander break. 

I should mention that today I'm trying the new Board I got for Christmas from Sue and the boys - its a 9'1'' McTavish Fireball and it looks fanatastic.  It was an unbelievable present and I was blown away to receive it.  Here's some information on the fireball and I'll post a picture of my Board at a later date http://www.mctavish.com.au/custom-fireball.php .  Specal thanks to the guy at Mordy surf for helping Sue pick out the Board and also for my Board bag and some tips when I went to pick up the Board - it's a great shop and check it out if your ever down that way, as they were super friendly and helpful. 

I head out, having spent a couple of minutes waxing up the new Board.  There's a decent break between sets which makes it easy to get out and the waves are about 1 meter.  I have my booties on which was a good move because it's very rocky under foot on the way out.  There's five people out - three of old blokes, like me on longboards, a young fella on a shortboard and a woman of 30-40 on a 7'6" or 8 foot board.  The waves roll in, in good sets of 3 to 4 and so there's plenty of opportunity to get a wave to yourself.  I try a smaller wave that comes through, paddle hard, just get on and keep paddling and I'm away, get up quickly and move right, then turn up and down the face and try and head through the whitewater to the rebreaking wave but crash out.  A good ride and I'm so impressed with the Board - steady to get up, but also it really enabled me to get onto the wave in the first place.   I spend about 45 mins out and get another 3 or 4 good rides and do a fair bit of paddling.  It's a really good surf and add Point Impossible to your list of destinations down the West coast.   I'm getting out with my Board, when I slip and wack my Board against a rock - sure enough I've put a ding in it, about half way up on the face and it's an indentation that will need some ding repair goo wacked into it.  I guess that was on the cards given this mornings omen. 

I get changed and head into Torquay to get a ding repair kit and breakfast - Torquay is about 10-15 mins.  I have breakfast opposite the surfshop set up on the highway at a place called Bomboras and it's very good - a coffee and bacon and egg roll all for under $10!  Break 12 down and it's time to head home.  The goal is twenty to twenty five before the end of January and then that will leave 25- 30 in 6 and a bit months and I reckon that is doable, but we will have to wait and see. 

Break 11 - Honeysuckle @ shoreham

Christmas Eve and Sam and I have already surfed Point Leo when we arrive at Shoreham about 1.30 or so.  Honeysuckle is the break on the left when you come down the hill onto Shoreham beach.  I think of it as quite fickle, not because I've surfed there but because in my previous surfing at Shoreham, at least 20 times it probably only seems to have been working less than half those times.  Today more people appear out at Honeysuckle that at Pines - the other shoreham break at the right end of the beach.  Honeysuckle is accessed from a rocky outcrop and you edge out between rocks and wait for the waves to die and then paddle out hard.  It's quite easy to get out today as there is a good break between sets and waves are generally in the 1/2 to 1 meter plus range. 

I paddle out the back quickly and sit up on my Board to find Sam.  I look back and can't see him and then begin to think maybe he got washed back on the rocks and is struggling to get back out.  Then, when I look a bit to the right I can see him standing up and heading right and he goes and goes - he must have gone twenty meters at least before he just falls off.  He gets out in the break and starts walking back around.  Honeysuckle is legend for its long rides going right when the swell is juts right.  Today it's not in the legend range but it's pretty good.  I get three for four great rides including one where I get up quickly with Sam on my inside and I go with the break right and can see Sam on my right slowly but surely getting up as well.  I try to indicate to him to give me right of way but he just grins back and suggests I fall off.  In the end we both get a great 20 meter ride into the shore.  We climb out and head back out.  All in all we spend an hour and a quarter in the surf and get some great waves. 

Sam is effusive about how great this surf is and claims he has had the best surf ever and got the best wave ever.  It was certainly good and I am probably a Honeysuckle convert as well as I too had a great time.  We get back in the car and head to Leo for a post surf coffee and something to eat - it's probably about 3.00 pm or so.  At Leo I get a coffee and a Muesli slice (home made&highly recommended) and Sam has his usual potato cakes and chips.  Been a great day with two breaks down and a few good waves had by both of us. 

Break 10 - Point Leo, main beach 1st and 2nd Reef

24th December, Christmas Eve and an absolutely beautiful day - 25 and sunny with a light sw to westerly wind.  The house is in peak activity mode as we have 35 people coming to lunch.  Help Sue out with some furniture moving and a little bit of shopping, then it's time to evacuate as Sue's mum and sister come over to get the house in order - tables to be set up & decorated and the Turkey is being cooked.  Sam and I decide to head to Point Leo and check out the front beach as we haven't surfed there before.  I have been there once before and had a reasonable time.  We head off about 11.15 am and leave behind Sue and her mum in heavy working mode.

Point Leo front beach has quite a few surfers out - 15 to 20 spread across 1st reef and 2nd reef.  First reef is as the name implies the first reef as you hit the beach and is about 25 meters or so down from the surf club.  The waves are pretty close in and the three to five blokes out there seem to having a good time.  Sam wants to try further down at second reef and so down we go.  The best waves at second reef are quite some way out - I reckon sixty+ meter paddle and more.  We opt for the closer in waves about 20 meters off shore.  The waves are peaky and not quite rolling through - the kind that make you paddle hard and then die on you.  Sam tries a few and crashes and burns in the break - he is not looking happy as he paddles back out and finds a spot to himself.  It's soon obvious why he has the spot to himself there are no waves!!  Me, I'm trying to get on to few and  get one good wave, getting up quickly and heading right down a short breaking wave and then shooting off the back in a big dive, with a yell of "oh yeah!".  I feel good and start paddling back out but notice Sam is still paddling aimlessly and he then he just heads in.  I follow him in and suggest we try first reef where we saw the guys getting a few earlier.

We paddle out at first reef and head out the back, all of about 15 meters and sit and wait.  The waves are coming through in uneven sets and are more reforms from way out back than emerging swell, set waves.  I get onto three for four great waves over about 30 mins in the water including one where Sam is paddling out and I'm coming down the face straight at him, when I go right on the wave around him and then down low and follow the break right, before turning out and paddling back to Sam with a grin on my face which clearly says to him "did you see that?".   Sam gets one wave and and also gets hit in the head by his Board and is sitting on the beach having had enough shortly afterthat.  I get out and suggest we try Shoreham as we could have a go at the Honeysuckle break on the left at Shoreham.

We get in the car in out wetsuits and head to Shoreham, which is only 10 minutes away.  It's about 1.15 or so when we head off for Break 11.

Break 9 - YCW Beach @ Phillip Island

Sunday 19th December and it's another weird Melbourne Summer day.  Top temperature predicted of  23 with rain, thunderstorms and possible hail on the way in the afternoon.  I check the swell forecast and surfcams at about 8.15 am and it looks ordinary everwhere, with the wind up and no great swell.  I decide to try Phillip Island as you can drive around there and generally find one part of the Island that is a bit more protected and suited to the wind.  I wake up Sam and we head off about 10.00 am and I'm thinking we will go to Kitty Miller Bay.

Good trip down the highway and we are on the Island about 11.20 and we get to Kitty Miller a little after 11.30 - it's quite a spectacular little spot with black basalt rocks on the point of a really nice, little half moon beach.  There are about 3 blokes out but its' a bit of a paddle and the waves don't look great.  We leave and check out Flynn's reef and Cat bay and there is nothing happenning- it's not looking good.  We drive back towards Smiths Beach(break no.1) and just before Smiths is YCW and we take the turn off to check it out.

YCW beach is a great spot - the car park's big in contrast to Smiths and it's a similar set up of a semi circle beach at the bottom a decent set of stairs.  YCW is a bit more rural in feel in terms of a bush background and rocks at both ends of beach.  It's raining  when we get out of the car and we can see about 10 or so in the water an indication that it's about the only spot happening on the Island, and also of surfer desperation as the waves aren't that great.  By the time we get changed and head down to the beach the crowd in the water has dropped to 4 and the rain is really coming down.  Its about 2 foot with an offshore wind that its impacting on how the waves are holding together. 

It's a pretty easy paddle out the back and within a couple of minutes I find myself up and on a wave and going right - it's an extremely short ride as most of the waves are closing out quickly but watching the waves coming through and a longboarder out there, there is the occassional longer wave going right towards the rocks, dividing YCW from Smiths.
Sam and I spend about an hour in the surf and we both get half a dozen waves and a couple of mine are quite good rides.  Sam sticks a bit closer to shore but tells me he got heaps.  I see him a get a couple inclduding one quite long ride in the whitewater.  It's cold when we get out and the rain is really coming down.  We get changed and put the boards on the roof  in pouring rain. 

We both need some warming up and so we head to the shop at Smiths.  I get a cafe latte and Sam his usual chips plus some chicken nuggets.  The coffee is good and the chips great.  A successful day done and we head home with rain still coming down.  Break 10 next week before Christmas and then we look for 20 before the end of Jan. 

Break 8 - Point Addis

Sunday 12th December and its a pretty ordinary day - about 20 degrees, dark clouds hovering and bit of rain about.  In someways your classic Melbourne, four seasons in one day, type of day.  I'm lukewarm about going surfing today - Sue and I were out last night and got home about 1.30 in the morning which is very late for us.  I got up about 8.30 to go and get a coffee and to then pick up Sam.  I'm home about 9.30 with Sam and we um and ah about going anywhere and he is of course super keen to go - I say ok and having consulted the surf forecast decide to head the West Coast and Anglesea. Its about 11.00 when we decide to head off and we leave in Autumn type weather - wind blowing, heavy cloud and quite cool. 

We get to Anglesea in pretty good time and we're there a bit after 12.30.   Anglesea's a pretty little spot with the river on your left as you drive in and the beach is a nice wide stretch of yellowy, white sand with red cliffs looming from the river mouth entry into the beach.  We get out of the car to check the surf and it coincides with Winter arriving, we've gone about 10 meters when it starts bucketting down with rain, we check the surf quickly -its ordinary and by the time we get back back to car we are both soaked.  We decide we'll try a bit further on and if that's no good we'll come back to Anglesea for lunch.

We head to Urquarts Bluff which is about 10 mins on from Anglesea towards Aireys inlet.  When we get there it looks like there's a school event on and it's quite crowded with kids - the surf though is fairly ordinary and we are soon back in Anglesea for lunch.  It's about 1.15 when we get lunch - Sam has a bowl of chips and a Milkshake and I have a spinach and fetta roll and a cafe latte.  We eat in the cafe right on the corner in Anglesea and its not a bad spot with a wide range of choices and the staff were really good -it had plenty of fried options and so right up Sam's alley.  There's a couple of good Cafe's in Anglesea and all in all its not a bad spot.  After lunch we check the surf at Anglesea and its improved a little but not much - I suggest we try somewhere else.

Getting back in the car and Spring has arrived - sun's in and out between clouds and the wind's dropped a bit.  We head to Point Roadknight about 5 mins from Angelsea but there's not enough swell to make that much of a choice.  Sam convinces me that we should try Point Addis because his older brother Tom surfed there and said it was really good.

Point Addis is about 10 mins back from Anglesea heading towards Geelong and is about 5 mins from the famous Bells Beach.  I had been to Point Addis once before but had forgotten what a spectacular little place it is.  Point Addis is at the end of a sealed, bush enclosed road with a sign highlighting Kangaroos are in the area.  You get down the beach via a wooden boardwalk and steps and its a nice little climb to an ampitheatre type beach, enclosed by reddy, brown cliffs and bush surrounds with a rocky point at the right end of the beach as you approach it.  We arrive on a mid tide, about 2 hours from high tide and Summer appears to have greeted us with bright sunshine out as we lug our Boards down the beach.  Here's a link to a photo of Pt Addis: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Point_Addis_from_top_lookout.jpg

The surf is ok with some waves down the middle section of the beach but not much happening out at the point where it usually works ok.  Sam and I head out and paddle out the back quite quickly and then sit and wait for a set to come through - I reckon we are out there 10 mins before the first lot of waves come through.  I turn onto one and start paddling hard, yelling at Sam to start paddling.  The wave is a slow buidling and breaking wave and I jump up quickly and head right down the face and turn to go back up and I can see Sam in the whitewater on my right being flipped over by his Board and tumbling under water - classic wipeout of the day.  I keep going on the wave and come into see how Sam is.  He's fine and getting ready to head back out.

We both get a few waves and whilst it's very inconsistent I really enjoy the surf.  The view from the water is just fantastic and with the sun coming out it's just lovely sitting out there.  Sam has another great stack but again his paddling is really improving and I can see him being a much better surfer before the summer is out.  We make the longish climb back up to the car and I'm feeling pretty tired by the time I'm trying to wriggle out my wetsuit.  It's been a really good day, typical surfer's day - cruising around trying to find waves and then having a really nice surf.  It's 4.30 when we head off home and we've knocked off another break.  The pity with this quest is I can't come back for a while.

Break 7 - Torquay

Sunday 5th December

Sam and I have just surfed Jan Juc and we arrive at Torquay about ten past twelve.  Sam heads straight for the water and I follow him looking forward at this stage to just sitting on the grass at Torquay and watching Sam surfing.  Torquay's a hugely popular beach and part of that is probably due just to how picturesque it is - you've got the cliffs on the headland with a great Ocean walk, the grassy hill leading from the car park down to the beach and a nice wide stretch of sandy beach. 

Sam heads out just down from the surf club and gets out quickly.  The surf is smallish with the odd, maybe 3/4 meter of a wave.  Sam is now quite a way out and I can see him trying to paddle onto a few waves and he is now getting them - I think he may be drifting a bit and decide I'm to edgy on the beach and he's too far out.  Nothing to do but back to car, get changed and head out.

I'm out and in the surf at probably 12.30 and it's a great choice.  Sam greets me about half way out to tell me he got the best wave of his life and the ride went on forever (isn't that the same for all of us when we're the only ones who experience the wave!).  We both get out the back quickly and I get on a small wave and am most pleased because I get up quickly and smoothly and although the ride is really short I am looking for the next wave almost straight away.  Sam get's a couple of waves - mostly whitewater but he gets up and seems to be managing to turn the Board and he's really enjoying surfing.  I catch probably three more waves in the next 15 mins and there pretty small and short waves but it's great fun.  I nearly behead a bodyboarder as I come in on a wave into the flag area for swimmers but all in all it's been good and Break 7 is done and dusted.  Sam and I head in and then it's a quick change and on the road heading to the airport.  We do of course make a quick stop at Macca's for Sam to have his usual gourmet lunch- McChicken meal and chips.  No surfing without junk food for this kid.

Next week its break 8 and perhaps 9 - 10 before Christmas looks easy.

Break 6 - Jan Juc

Sunday 5th December is overcast & humid with a forecast for small clean waves on the west coast with an afternoon surge in the swell.  It's expected to be a sunny afternoon with a temperature in the low 30s.  I get Sam up a little after nine and having checked the surf we decide to try Jan Juc.  Jan Juc is a beach break, right next door to Torquay and on the way to the famous Bells Beach.  We leave about 9.30 and I expect to get there about 11.00 am.

We make great time and pull up at Jan Juc just before 11.00 and we are on the beach about ten past.  It's small and inconsistent but the Sun's out and it's a great day to be out on the water - there's hardly any wind and I'm looking forward to just getting wet and sitting out the back.  We enter the water and it doesn't take me long to realise that although it's pretty small (1/2 meter and a bit, tops) Sam is struggling to get out.  The waves are dumping in quite close, with a bit of force for a 12 year old and the fact it's high tide doesn't help either.  For every wave Sam gets through, the next one washes him back - he is getting frustrated and from out the back I see him paddling hard, getting over and then getting washed back. 

Me, well I'm out the back and just waiting for something to catch.  After about five minutes I feel set for the wave coming through and start paddling hard, it's looming up behind and I feel the rush gathering inside me.  A problem is soon evident, I'm a bit under the break but I'm on - or should I say I'm on, over the front and rolled around in an embarrising stack.  I look up and around and notice no one cares and see Sam sitting on the beach in a mood of frustration.  I paddle in and we survey the beach and agree to walk about 20 meters right and try going out there.  We go in but it's the same story for Sam - on step forward and two steps back.

For me this new location is great and I get two really good waves - short but clean rides and unusally I get up clean and fast.  I'm enjoying this, but notice Sam sitting on the beach again.  I head in and talk to him and suggest we go round the corner to Torquay.  I let him know I won't go in as I've had a good surf and need to get changed to drive the car.  It's about 12.00 when we head to Torquay and I remind Sam we will need to head back about 1.00 pm as we have to pick up Michael and his girl friend from the Airport.

Break 6 down and I feel good about 10 breaks before xmas.

Photo Gallery from Cat Bay





Sam and I heading out at Cat Bay - Break no. 4



A special note of thanks to Sue's camera work for delivering us these pics of a great day at Cat Bay.  As you can see it wasn't Pipeline out there but hey we had fun. 



Sam about to get up and go left or fall off.  You guess?




Heading left.  Those arms - showing some MR styling.




Sam just about to drop in - the little bugger!




I thought I saw the green room, get down low and into the barrel!



Going left and enjoying standing up for a change!

Break 5 - Shoreham beach (the pines)

27th November and what a day in Melbourne.  It's raining with flood warnings but oddly it's in the low 20s temperature wise.  The surf forecast for the east coast is a good swell in the afternoon with best spots inside Westernport bay.   I check the triggerbros surfcam at about 2.00 pm and there are plenty out at Pt Leo and so I decide to head for Shoreham, hoping the wind holds and the swell remains. 

Shoreham is about 5 minutes drive on from Point Leo on the Hastings-Flinders rd and is a picturesque little beach surrounded by small hills with pine trees on the ridge and it has a lovely country air about it.  They've improved the beach access road over the last couple of years but it can still have plenty of pot holes in it when it has been really raining.  We arrive at about 3.30 and the car park is pretty full with surfers out at all three breaks on the beach - the left end of the beach known as Honeysuckle and the middle beach and right point breaks (the pines).  All the breaks are over a reef and the surf only works a couple hours either side of high tide.

Sam and I decide to go out in middle break and its about a 50 meter paddle.  You can go out on the left and mostly paddle around the break and then paddle back across and wait in the line up.  The waves today are about 1/2 to 1 meter with the latter pretty rare and only out at the right point break end of the beach.  Shoreham is a longboarders wave and there are probaly all up about 30 odd people out.  Sam absolutely struggles to get out but it is a sign of his paddling improvement that he manages to get out most the way - he gets stuck in between and is clearly frustrated though.  He is caught where the waves are breaking and then when the swell drops just can't paddle hard enough to get through. 

I get out the back and watch for Sam whilst also trying to get a few waves - a good wave at Shoreham takes you right and about 30 meters for a great ride.  I sit out the back and wait and then a small set comes through, I paddle hard, jump up quickly and bang go straight over the front of board - wipeout no. 1.  I look around for any signs of laughter but Sam is still stuck trying to get out.  I go over and help him and give him a break by towing him out as he hangs onto my legrope.  He then sits and finally paddles onto one and gets up and is getting quite a good ride before he decides to somersault off the right of his board.  Not sure about the move but he seems happy about it. 

I head back out and finally I get onto a wave.  I paddle hard, get up, move my backfoot onto my grip and manouvre right and am away - the wave starts to die and I go forward on my board and sink my front foot down to get some momentum and that helps keep me going for bit and then I theatrically dive off and feel pretty good about myself.

I surface and look up to see Sam traipsing up the beach and heading to the right point break.  The right point is under a cliff and the point is very rocky.  Sam is on the rocks trying to get out - I am now on the beach, yelling at him and trying to get him to hear me.  The reason I'm doing this is the best way out at the point is you go round the corner, then enter the surf from the beach and you paddle out on the right of the break and it's pretty much a flat trip around the break. Sam doesn't hear me and jumps in off the rocks - I head out there and watch him struggling again in the "in between" and motion him to go right.  I go round the corner and he soon gets across to join me. 

We are out the back pretty quickly and then within about five minutes we both catch a great 2 footer, it forms beautifully and I take off left, it dumps quickly but then reforms and I am able get back up the wave, turn down and head right - a great little wave.  I look around and Sam has clearly caught it for a while as well.  We paddle around for a fair bit longer and with not much happening for us, although plenty being caught by others we head out. 

We get changed and head to Balnarring for a coffee for me and hot chocolate for Sam - it's about 5.30 now and it's been a pretty good afternoon.  We speak to Sue to let her know we are heading home and she let's us know it's been pouring with rain in Melbourne - we had none down at Shoreham.  Just as a side note the bakery in Balnarring is bloody fantastic and I love their pasties and also the iced doughnuts. 

AnywayI  feel I'm building some momentum now with Break 5 done and dusted and I reckon 10 by Christmas is a real possibility. 

Cat Bay - break 4

Sunday 21st November and we are going surfing two days in a row.  Today Sue is coming with us again and has vowed she will make no suggestions about lunch and will generally just take photos and adopt the go with the flow philosophy of a surfing trip.  I look up the surf and the best place looks like Cat Bay on Phillip Island.  Cat Bay is good a couple of hours either side of high tide and we head off about 9.30. 

We make good time down the freeway and we are on Philip Island a bit after 11.00 and Sam and I are in the water at about 11.30.  The car park is full and there is at least 20 people out.  The surf is great - about 1/2 to 1 metre and not much wind due to Cat Bay being so protected.  A local tells us afterwards that it is blownout everywhere else on the Island. 

If you've never surfed Cat Bay it is great left hander that breaks slowly over a reef and is loved by longboarders and grommets.  I don't think I've ever had a bad surf here and I've been here a dozen or more times.  Getting out at Cat Bay is never hugely challenging as you can go out from the middle or far right of the beach and basically paddle around the break - it's one of the reasons it so popular I reckon, along with the wave itself of course.  Sam and I both get out near the back, which just shows how much Sam's paddling is improving, but also confirms that it's not that challenging. 

About the second or third set that come through I start paddling, having seen the better surfers get off on the earlier waves.  I am paddling hard, then I feel the push of the wave and I jump up and down the left of the wave I go and who do see on my left - Sam!  I decide to turn back on the right as the wave breaks and I fall off only to come up and see Sam still going into the beach on the wave.  That's it I know - Sam will now be saying he saw Dad off on the same wave, he outsurfed him.  I paddle in to see Sam and sure enough he says something like "what happened to you, I saw you and then you were off the wave" - he is smiling from ear to ear.  Sue is laughing on the beach and I think this is such a surfing event - a story is born.  I can here Sam in 10 years time - "do you remember the day we were surfing at Cat Bay and ....". 

We surf for about 90 minutes and there are some great waves being caught.  My waves perhaps don't rate as great but I do get onto a good half dozen and two of them I really enoyed - up smoothly, down left, slight turn upwards (because I can only do slight turns upwards) and then back down the wave.   Great fun and also terrific to see Sam able to paddle out the back and generally just manage by himself in the surf.  Sue gets some great photos including plenty of another old bloke out there she thought was me a few times and some strange kid who she also thought was Sam.  It's been a really good surf and just confirms for me how you can't beat Cat Bay on a good day.  We head back to the car and decide on the big decision of the day - where to for lunch?

We go into Cowes to get lunch.  Lunch is not great - typical holiday town cafe of burgers, schnitzels, bacon&eggs etc despite the claim that my Latte is an "Award Winning Layered Latte".  That said Sam claims to have a great Calamari and iced chocolate.  We look at some of Sue's photos over lunch and they look good. Particularly thinking that she really has to guess half the time if it's me or Sam on the wave. 

I think it's been probably the most successful surf to date and hopefully the photos will bear this out.  I'll try and put a few up on this blog at a later date.  We leave the Isalnd about 2.30 and we are home about 4.00pm.  As like yesterday to Leo the drive to Phillip Island is great and it makes the trip easier and seem faster. 

Break 4 down,a great family day out and it's onto next week for break 5. 

Point Leo- Break no. 3

Saturday 21st November and today Sam and I are off to Crunchie Point ("Crunchies") at Point Leo.  The day itself is a great spring day - about 22, sunny and with a light wind.  The outlook for Westernport where Pt Leo is (http://www.swellnet.com.au/reports/home)
sounds good. It's a high tide wave and lucky for us high tide is about 11.00 am and so we can head off about 9.30, which we do.

Point Leo is a great learners break and is always full of old blokes on Mals and kids learning to surf.  As an old bloke with a big board (7'6") and still coming to grips with surfing I love it.  I really like the drive to "Leo" - it's only an hour from our place and you travel nicely from suburbia to the country to the beach without the traffic and sheer boredom of the drive down the west coast through Geelong.  Crunchies is through the park entrance and the first car park on the left.  Sam and I drive up to the top car park with the view and jump out to check out the surf.  It's normal Leo - despite reasonably crap surf there's plenty out including the normal surf school.  The surf is probably 1/2 metre (sounds better than 1-2 foot) with the odd, very odd 1 metre wave. The wind is fickle and all in all I'm not feeling terribly confident about a good surf - then again who cares it's a great day to be the water.

Sam and I get down to the beach and then it's over the rocks, dive in and start paddling.  It's about 11.00, when we enter the water.  We start paddling out and I break away a bit from Sam and start heading out the back - we've only been in about five minutes and I turn around to see how Sam is going - only to see him standing up and gunning down a typical crunchies small right hander - he shoots along for about 10 meters and falls off, clearly wrapped with his performance.  He's off to a great start.

For me the next hour in the water is somewhat mixed - I get probably two decent waves, fall off the back or just fail to get onto about five and help Sam out for a fair bit of it.  The latter includes me paddling Sam out, whilst he grabs hold of my legrope - I paddle slowly anyway but we were moving like treacle with him holding on.  We did manage to get out a fair way though and most of the time Sam does paddle himself.  The water is fantastic and I always love how clear and clean it seems at Crunchies.  I think Crunchies is a great beach - its got a great rural feel, big trees around, the cliff face and the boat club mixed with the rocks at lowtide.  You can walk for miles either way, do a rock ramble and collect shells and it's also a real suntrap - if you can't tell I like it. 

Sam and I head out of the water after about and hour and quarter and the by the time we are changed it's about 12.30 and time for lunch and we also need to repair Sam's board - the black cord to his legrope has snapped somehow, just near the end of our session and so we will need to get that fixed.  If you're at Point Leo there's only one place to go after a surf and that's Pittie's, right next to the Trigger bros. shop.  We have brunch at Pitties - Sam has his usual of chips, a potato cake and a hashbrown washed down with a coke and I have a bacon and egg roll with a coffee.  The food is always great here and then we head into Trigger Bros., (http://www.triggerbrothers.com.au/ )
it is just a great Surf shop - I ride a TriggerBros 7'6'' Stubby and they are always really helpful, glad to talk to you and also have great bargains.   We get our black cord for nothing which is great, buy some wax and then head home.  Break no. 3 is down and I feel that I can really build some momentum now before Christmas - should try and get close to 10 before xmas.  

Break no. 3 (not quite!)

Sunday 13th November and today Sue is coming with Sam and me.  Its an average sort of day about 20 degrees with patches of sun and at this stage a light wind.  We are planning to take a look down the west coast and head to Point Lonsdale via ocean Grove.  We head off at our normal lazy time of about 10.00 am.

We get a good run through and out of Melbourne and down the highway to Geelong and surprisingly the trip through Geelong is also really quick.  We arrive at Ocean Grove about 11.30 and check the waves - pretty ordinary, blown out and about 2 to 3 foot.  We decide to get a coffee at the cafe.  We get a table in the corner and have great views of the beach and discuss the plan - we agree we'll head to Point Lonsdale and if there is no surf we'll have lunch there.  After coffee and a chat it's about 12.00 and we head off.

We get to Point Lonsdale about 12.30 and if the Surf was no good at Ocean Grove it's really bad at Lonsdale.  We are walking back from the beach to the car when Sue suggests we go to a cafe on the water at Barwon Heads which is five minutes on from Ocean Grove.  Sue and I have been there before a few years previous and it was pretty good and so we head there.  In the car Sam and I give Sue a bit of "stick" about having to go to her "special cafe" and that when it's he and I we just go with it and eat wherever.

It's about 1.00 and we are seated in the cafe with our sea views and have been served water and provided with the menus - Sue then says "there's nothing on the menu I like really".  We look at each other and decide well if that's the case let's leave and  we do.  Sam and I try and contain our amusement at this turn of events and then we drive around the corner into Barwon Heads proper to check out the lunch options.  Checking out the lunch options takes about 20-30 minutes and involves walking into or past about 5 or 6 eating options plus a surf shop and a couple of other shops that take Sue's fancy.  At about 1.30 we end up in the first place we looked at and we have a great lunch.  It's the bakery on the left entering Barwon from the Geelong side and the meals, drinks and coffee were all great - Sam decided on breaking up his chip lunch diet and opting for 2 sausage rolls instead and Sue and I both have BLTs.

After lunch it's time for a bit of shopping - Sue heads down to buy a jumper and Sam and I go to the surf shop.  We then proceed to spend about $250 between us - Sue buys her jumper, Sam gets a new wetsuit and a hoodie and it's now about 2.30 and we still have not set foot on the beach.  We decide to head back to Ocean Grove to check things out.

Ocean Grove is pretty windswept - strong onshore wind blowing waves out but there are quite a few people out.  I opt to help Sam with his surfing and chuck on my wetsuit.  Sam has a pretty good session, catching a couple of good waves and it's really nice in the water.  I do a bit of body surfing in between providing tips and the odd push to Sam and regret I didn't bring my Board in as well, as there's the odd catchable wave.  Not too worry I tell myself there's always next week.

We head out of the water about 3.30 pm and get changed - Sue gets some coffees and a hot chocolate for Sam and its about 3.50 before we head home.   Its been a productive shopping day, a fun family outing but there was no surfing for me.  We head home and get back about 5.30 pm. I contemplate a weekend gone and no beach added to the break count - I need to get motoring.

Break no. 2

If I said I was off to a slow start on my quest that would be an understatement and at this stage things are looking a little shaky - 1 break in just under 3 months and 49 to go in 9 months. Hey, I love leaving things to the last minute.

It's the 6th November - lovely, sunny day, about 23 Celcius and a light wind.  Sam and I get off to a slow Saturday and by the time we get ready to head off it's about 10.15 am and we decide we are off to Ocean Grove, about 20 mins from Geelong and all up about 90 minutes from our place.


After a pretty good trip down the highway and through Geelong we get to Ocean Grove and decide the swell at about 2ft is fine and we will get straight into it.  It takes Sam about 15 minutes to actually get into his wet suit and then when we finally enter the water he says the water is too cold and he wants to get the booties out of the car - I tell him to get the keys and go head but I'm heading out. 

There is a good crowd in the water and Ocean Grove is a typical beach break but with 2ft surf it's not a hard slog to get out the back pretty quickly.  The wind is on shore and it makes for some frustration with waves just dying away but I surf for about an hour and get three or four ok waves - nothing to write home about but enough to get me coming back.  


During my surf I check in with Sam in the whitewater and he catches quite a few waves and is paddling around with his feet now warm.   He's not interested in me helping him out too much and that's ok by me as I can go out the back and just look for him in between waves.


As we head out of the water we decide we'll get some lunch at the cafe - which is right at the top of the beach with great views of the beach.  The cafe is a great set up, only let down by the line up for service option.  That said we have a good lunch, great coffee and a good chat - Sam has his usual serve of the largest plate of chips you can get.  


After lunch it's off to Torquay to check out the surf (lousy) and the shops - a good 60 mins of walking and browsing.  By the time we get home it's about 5.00 pm and that's break 2 down.

The quest

On August 9th 2010 I turned 49 and entered my 50th year on earth. To celebrate or perhaps try to deaden the impact of this momentous event I decided to set myself a challenge - to surf 50 beaches in my fiftieth year. In my 49th year I had also set myself a challenge - to get fitter and to run the city to surf. On the 8th of August - the last day of my 49th year I achieved that.

There is a famous Chines quote that sits behind the motivation of my quest -"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" Lao Tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC).

My journey begins with a single break - Smiths Beach on Phillip Island in the State of Victoria, Australia on October 3rd 2010. The day is a classic Spring day - about 22 Celsius, blue sky and a very light wind. The car park is full and the surf is small (about 2ft) but clean. I commence my quest with my 12 year old son, Sam who is starting out on his own surfing journey. We both catch a couple of waves - he in the whitewater and me out the back. I have a couple of classic wipeouts - yes, even in a 2 foot swell and this perhaps lets you know the level of my surfing skill. I do however get one great ride - down the face, gliding up and left and then shooting off the wave. For me, it's that one ride every time I surf that gets me back to surfing - it's such a great feeling. I also love just sitting out the back on my board and just sitting!!

At this point I have to add that surfing with Sam means going out to get something to eat. After our Surf we go to the cafe/fish&chip shop at Smiths and I have the best salad wrap I reckon I have ever have - it's a knockout. Sam has chips, a couple of calamari rings and potato cakes and he rates them about 8 out 10. All in all a good start to the quest.