Break 26 - Lorne

Friday 25th March and Sue, Sam and I are heading to Lorne on the Great Ocean Road about an hour from Torquay.  We arrive about 3.00 pm and there is a bit of swell and it's very clean.  The main break at Lorne is on the point front of the surf club.  On low tide it breaks best about 200 meters off shore and is best directly from the rocks on the righ hand side leading out to the pier. On mid to high tide there can be some decent waves directly accessable from the beach, near the surf club.  It's mid tide for Sam and I and the only action is closer in to the beach.  There are about four blokes out - 2 longboarders and a couple of short boarders.

Sam and I both get out the back with ease, with access close to the rocks taking you round the break.  The sets have nice break between them and the waves are about 2 foot with perhaps the odd 2.5 to 3 foot.  The waves are holding up a bit in a light off shore wind but otherwise it's a really beautiful day - about 18-20 degrees and blue skies in Lorne.  Lorne is so picturesque with the rocks on the left hand side, a broad stretch of beach and the hills in the background and today it's just nice sitting out the back. 

Sam gets on to a wave early and I can see him get up and then disappear and it's only after a few seconds that I see him re-emerge riding the wave into the beach - he let's me know later it's one of his best waves ever.  I catch a few and really enjoy the session and get one beauty of a wave on which I get a great ride all the way to the beach as I get a reform half way in.  We both get plenty of waves (one photo example below) and about 40 minutes in we are joined by two loder guys on their mals who declare "you two have had it too good for too long and we've come to get some waves".  True to their word they start getting them and the term "wave hog" was coined for these blokes, although they do it in good spirits and have plenty of fun.

We spend the next two days on Lorne and for a break I thought fickle it is extremely consistent, if small across the whole weekend.  We also head to Kennet River on the Saturday and that was firing on the low tide.  I recommened the Wye River Cafe for a stop on the Great Ocean Rd and also Lorne has the best Hamburger joint in Australia - this may surprise you but the hot lentil was the best burger I have had.  It does great chicken and beef burgers as well.

I have a few days off at the end of this week and so hope to get to 30 breaks by the end of March.

Break 25 - Cozey Corner (front beach Torquay)

Sunday 20th March and it's a cloudy morning following a fair bit of rain in the night.  I check the webcams and surf reports and I'm not filled with huge hope but get Sam up about 7.40 and tell him we'll head to Torquay and check it out.  We pick up his mate Louey and head off just after 8.00 am.

We get a great run down to Torquay and we are out of the car checking out the small surf at 9.30 and in the water by 9.40.  Not too many people out and the weather is fantastic - clear sky, virtually no wind and a moderate temp. of about 20 or so. The front beach at Torquay gets some swell coming round the reef from Point Danger and into the bay.  It's a beginners and Mal wave and that's reflected in the crowd in the water.  The waves are probably about 1 foot mostly with the occassional 2 to 2.5 foot wave coming through.  The waves are holding up a bit but when you're on it's a fun wave and you can get a good 20 meter ride into the beach and I imagine on bigger days you could have a lot of fun from out the back. 

The two boys catch a fair few waves and have a good time, mostly catching reforms or at times standing in the surf and then just pushing straight onto the waves.  I get a couple of great little waves including a nice little wave where I headed right and turned around to give the boys the big Mick Fanning Victory salute as I headed right down the wave.  All in all a fun little session and I have milked Torquay for all it's worth, with this being break no. 3 there.  It's time to move on and I need 30 by the end of March/first week in April to stay on track.

Break 24 - Point Danger, Torquay

Sunday 13th March and we decide to head to Torquay and check out Cosy Corner on the front beach - Susan (our official photographer), Sam and myself.  The weather when we leave about 8.00 am is looking great and and as we are heading off reasonably early we hope for a good run down to Geelong.  The trip flies and we are down there at 9.30 am easy - cosy corner, which  is on the front beach at Torquay is hopeless though, flat as a tack and the tide going out.  We check out Point Danger on the left hand edge of Torquay surf beach (the opposite end to the surf club) and it is going fine.  The waves are two to three feet and there are only six to ten people out and reasonably spread out. 

Sam and I head out from the path down from the car park, about 40 meters or so across from the point itself, heading to Torquay.   There's a right hander breaking with some left hander further across towards towards Torquay main beach.  It's a bit scrambly getting out across thr rocks but once through that it's an easy paddle out as the sets have a decent wait between them. 

I get quite a decent ride early on, getting up quick and heading right and then turning off the back of the wave.  I'm feeling pretty chuffed at this point and looking forward to the session.  This feeling doesn't last too long though as a I just fail to get onto a few and also have at least two rides lined up only to give way to a bloke on the inside both times.  I'm getting quite frustrated and then this is topped off by an attempt to go too late on a wave which sees me absolutely wiped out and my board pinged about 4 feet into the air as I go straight over the top.  I get up laughing at the sight of a young gun paddling out who is in fits at my stack and I decide to chill out and get back in the line-up. 

I then just sit out the back for about 10 minutes and take in the great day, have a chat to Sam about how he is going and decide to be more patient.  The change in attitude pays off as I get a nice little wave that I take left and manage to work into the reform.  I head back out and then get my wave of the day - It's a two and half foot wave that I paddle hard onto and then get up, move right down the wave as it breaks and keep riding.  It then reforms and I go up and right and keep heading down the line until it breaks again and then I drop down and ride all the way in to the edge of the rocks.  Great ride and I decide to head out very content. 

We get changed and then head for brunch - we go to point bake in Torquay and it is fantastic.   Great bacon, avocado, tomato and lettuce toasted sandwich.  Sue has the same but with chicken and Sam has chips.  Great meal.  We then head back to the beach and Sam has another surf and get's a couple of good rides before the weather turns real bad - wind, rain and clouds come over very quickly.  We then head to the surf shops at Torquay and buy a few goodies and then home.  Great day and break 24 down.   I think 30 by the end of the month is realistic as I have a few days off towards the end and then I reckon I'm looking good for 50.  

Break 22 & 23 - Gunnmatta & St Andrews

Sunday 6th March and it's a beautiful Autumn day in Melbourne and one of the best days we have had in weeks.  The temperature is expected in high 20s, the sun is out, the skies are blue and the surf forecast is good.  Sam has headed down the West Coast with a mate and his mates dad and so today I am off solo.  I decide I will head down the East Coast and Gunnamatta is my destination of choice.  "Gunna" is renowned as one of Victoria's most reliable beach breaks and for short board riders in Melbourne, probably the destintaion of choice most weekends.  From my place it's about 80-90 mins and I head off about 8.45. 

At about 10.15 or so I am getting out of my car at Gunnamatta and the place is packed.  The second car park near the surf club is packed - 60-70 cars I reckon and I head to check the surf.  There's plenty of people on the beach because it's such a great day but there are also about 40-50 surfers spread out over 3 breaks up and down the beach.  The forecast has been spot on - 2 to 3 foot, north easter wind and good conditions.

Gunna in my view is one those waves for experienced surfers.  Even on a day like today the waves have some power and there are rips running up and down the beach.  I pick my mark on the beach to head out and today it's pretty easy getting out the back if you take your time and wait for breaks between sets, which are quite reasonable.  I find a spot which is not right out the back, just about 10-15 meters short of that and wait for my wave.  It's a frustrating next 20 mins as I nearly get on to a few, just fall off the back and catch a ripper only just as I'm getting up a voice on the inside yells "whoa! it's mine mate" and I drop off the back.   I paddle around looking for some space and then a set comes through.  I let the first couple go and then set myself for the third - it forms up and I catch the clean end of the wave as it starts to break going left, I'm up and the wave pushed me left and away I go down the line and then just as suddenly as I'm up and away,  the wave dies out and I turn out.  I paddle around and let the gun surfers around me catch a few and then I finally get on to one, which is a reform from out the back but I manage to go left down the line and then turn more straight on as it reforms and it takes me nearly all the way to beach.  At this point I have been out here about 45 mins and I decide to head in and take advantage of the great weather and try a surf at Rye. 


I get changed with the intention of going to Rye beach but on the way I see the sign for St. Andrews and think well why not try there.  St. Andrews is further west down the same beach stretch of coast as Gunna and about a 10 minute drive, albeit a bit windy and confusing.  I get to St. Andrews and the conditions are identical although not as crowded and the waves look slightly more benign.    St Andrews is classic beach break but with rocks around the entry to the water and there are some clear gates to go out from here.  You walk down through the dunes and it's a great stretch of beach.  I head out through a sand gate between the rocks, waiting for a break in the waves and then I'm off paddling.  Nice paddle out the back of about 50-60 meters and I just sit and wait for a good wave.  The off-shore wind seems slightly stringer and the waves are holding up a bit and it means they are just not forming up as you expect.    There are some good surfers out and I'm the only bloke on a longboard in my area - there are three breaks working across the beach and the surfers are quite well spread out. 

I have been out about 20 mins and not had any luck, fallen of the back of a few and probably not taken my chances on quite a few and then  along comes my wave of the day - I get up quickly and head straight as the waves breaks in front, it then reforms and I turn up and down the face heading right and it takes me all the way to the beach.  A great ride and I decide to call it quits and head home. 

St Andrew's is a good choice of beach when Gunna is crowded and conditions are good - as the conditions are nearly the same but you have less crowds. 

A successful day and I'm pretty happy with two breaks in one day and I think I need 30 breaks down at the end of March to be on track.