Green Gold of Gisborne

  Took a gamble of heading to Gizzy for the a couple of days, the forecast was looking a bit dubious but I headed off anyway. The only guarantee was the weather was going to be fine...or was it!

  I stayed at the "Surf City Lodge" for the first time, wow what a great place to stay. The owners Barry & Ros are so friendly and welcome you with big smiles. Barry surfs and is also a chef which is bloody awesome for some great food. The house, a 1920's classic is riddled with surf photos Barry has taken on his travels, also their's a few classic longboards from the 60's leaning against the timber walls giving the place that surfer's paradise feel. I highly recommend staying here.

  Forecasting cloudless skies the next day I got up before the sunrise, ahh crap it was 100% cloud cover! So I drove around from one place to the next sussing out where the best surf was while waiting for the clouds to hopefully burn off. I found somewhere going off big time, but sorry out of respect to the locals I'm not telling or showing. Finally a couple of hours later I had planted myself at Wainui, it was going off. The sun was just peaking out from the last of the clouds and boom it was on or was it? Where were all the surfers? I was watching empty barrel after empty barrel realing off and only half a dozen guys out, couldn't believe it.

  The waves were so green looking, you know that beautiful shade that just wants you to paint the image on every wave in the world. It was simply stunning, so out came the camera and I rattled off a few shots before the wind turned as forecasted. Even thou I only shot a few photos and there were only a few surfers out I reckon I still captured a few pots of green gold, Gizzy style.

If anyone knows who this is can you let me know, I asked someone and they said it was Rodger Rabbit!

Waves of Deception

  When you look at a photo sometimes it's hard to know how big or small it really it is. I remember one day at Aileens standing on the cliff watching perfecton throw, barrel and spit. Pondering how big it actually was I guessed around 25ft on the face on the set waves.

  A couple of guys turned up beside me and started hooting and was contemplating going out. I hadn't seem them here before and was a bit concerned about if they could handle it out there. So I asked them if they had surfed here before and they had never been here, I suggested to them they might want to wait until the tow boys arrive so they can see the size of it. They asked me "why are they going to tow it, it looks to be about double over head". Looking at them with a smile I said "it's a little bigger than that, best you wait a little before you climb down the cliff".

  As the skis rounded the headland I could see that I had underestimated it. When finally someone towed in it was at least 30ft with some of the sets 40ft. The guys beside me couldn't believe what they were seeing as someone came out of the barrel with the spray on their heels. They turned around to me and just simply said "thanks".

So anyway here's a few shots from NZ with no one out, how big or small is it...