Broken Head - Northern NSW

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

After leaving Angourie, one of the most beautiful, tranquil beaches I've ever come across, we headed north up to Lennox Head where we had tea and biscuits with Gran and John who live up on the hill overlooking the point. Rich and I had spent a lot of time here years ago, so it was great to catch up on all of the local news. Apparently the weather is going back to how it was 20-30 years ago with with more tropical rain in the afternoon, wild hail storms that drop hail the size of tennis balls and more swell. The point pumped all winter long this year seeing some of the best surf in local recent memory.

We camped out that night in pouring rain at Broken Head. We cooked up a nice meal in the van and got cozy for the night. The van keeping us warm and dry. I woke up quite early and decided to check the surf. The storm had passed but left a ragged ocean in it's wake. Not too much swell out there and the waves that did come in were pretty torn up from the night's winds. I walked around the point and saw this beautiful sunrise coming up out of the Pacific. I've been taking quite a few early morning walks recently and always finding something special. If not surf, then a magical sunrise, or some funny looking native animals running for cover in the bush as the day gets started.

Angourie Back Beach - Northern NSW

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

How much fun can you have surfing? I think this photos says it all. A few people out sharing a perfect little peak on a sunny offshore afternoon. We spent a few days camping in the National Park at Angourie and had perfect weather and waves. The wind was coming from the north so I only surfed the point one morning when it was calm. The back beach was offshore nearly the entire time and had these perfect 3-4 foot A-frame peaks running down the beach. So much fun on the twinny.

Tuncurry - NSW

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

The surf has been pretty small the past few days but I've still been managing to get out there for some small but fun beachbreak surfs. We started up the coast and stayed in Catherine Hill Bay our first night. Staying here reminded me of good ol' Simon, our larrikin Aussie mate who caused all kinds of trouble in California in the early 90's before essentially getting deported from the US back to Lennox Head. He had always told Rich and I how good some of these spots could get. Surf was fun but small. Perfect offshores and some of the friendliest older locals you could ever meet. I was even invited back to surf with them any time. Nice little shorey wave. The locals even let me know about one of the points around the corner that most people don't ever get too. The next day we headed up to Boomerang Beach where there was a really nice set up in the southern end of the beach. Swells were refracting off the headland making for some really nice wedgy peaks that were protected from the afternoon southerlies. Head high and only few school kids out. Perfect little twinny waves... Later that day we made our way up to Tuncurry. The northern breakwall here is really good. It set's up a bit like D-bah with a rebound off the wall creating really peaky, punchy waves. Fun surf till dark, but a little crowded after the solo session at Boomerang. Heading to Hat Head National Park this afternoon. Hope the swell picks up.

Dreamride

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

I've got to find a way to ship one of these babies home. Load it up with boards and still room to sleep in. Check out those rims too!!! Long Beach to Lowers in 15 minutes.

The Farm - South Coast, NSW

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Nick and I had a late start driving south from Sydney and arrived late somewhere near Wollongong. Too late for a caravan park to still be open so we camped out in the beach carpark and woke up to howling north winds blowing the surf to bits. We started cruising down the coast and ended up at the Farm, just south of Shellharbour. This beautiful beach is tucked up in this little bay, protected from the winds. We had a really fun surf in the peaky head-high waves. Crystal clear water that is getting much warmer as we head north. There are so many twist and turns on the aussie coastline that you're guaranteed clean conditions somewhere. Just have to keep looking to find it. We ended up camping at the state park here surfing heaps, BBQ'ing some salmon and having a roaring fire to keep warm. Still spring here.

Bell's Beach - Victoria

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Happy 36th Birthday!

Three days of pumping surf at Bell's, Winkipop and Bird Rock October 3rd, 4th and 5th. What more could a surfer ask for for his 36th birthday? After the wild surf down south this was heaven. Perfect ruler-edged lines of overhead swell with all day offshores.

Johanna - Victoria

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

I've been getting hammered down here. Nearly all my sessions I've surfed alone. I guess I should learn something from that. Follow the locals... The thing is, offshore, onshore, high tide, low tide, tiny or fricking huge, if that's what it looks like when we happen to be passing through that's what I'm going to end up surfing. Traveling up and down the coast is a crap shoot where you hope you end up at the right place at the right time. Without any kind of local knowledge you wake up, assess the conditions and try to make the right call on where to search for the day.
On this day at Johanna I got absolutely slaughtered. I'd started the morning looking at some of the reefs in the area, but the swell wasn't really clean enough for any of them to be working. The offshores were cleaning it up though, so in the afternoon I thought I'd have a chance at Johanna. It looked absolutely perfect from the lookout. Offshore, empty, clean and green back lit barrels. I grabbed one of my bigger boards and headed out. After 30 minutes of non-stop paddling and catching only one wave on the inside I pulled out. I'd been wondering where all the other surfers were. I guess they knew better and were up at Bells actually riding waves rather than getting drilled into the sand like me....