PG13 Surf Wax???

Australian Wax Job...

It's the Other Red Meat...

I'm at the market and in a victorious mood after my day's finds and near fatal mountain adventure and am pondering dinner. I am usually healthy and not too into beef. Chicken seems so tame, especially after my heroic stand on the mountain, in the name of photo journalism.

What's that?

I was not sure at the butcher counter and there was a decent looking lad next who looked "local". I explained to him I was a yank and if I should try it...

"Have you ever tried it before?" I asked.

"Aw' Muate, it's me favorite! It tastes just like fillet of beef! You'll love it for sure!"

Sold!!! I took a few Satay and Spicy Thai chicken skewers just to be safe so if the meal was not as advertised I would have a plan B.

I stopped at the corner pub for a warm up then back to the barie to prepare.

Like the man promised, it was tender, tasty and I am ready for more. I highly recommend this bounding, hippity - hoppity dish...

Don't Get Off the Boat Man!!!

On my way back to the city I saw the most amazing mountain formations I have ever seen. I had not noticed them on the way up as they were to my back. I was trying to snap pictures in the car but could never seem to get a good shot.

As luck would have it, I saw a turn off for a "lookout point" for these mountains. I had the time so I pulled off for a quick gander. I followed a lonely road for about a kilometer and just as I thought I was lost I came into a clearing with a gravel parking lot. I was the only one with exception of the highway, for miles. It was hot as it gets and kind of spooky to boot. A cement trail wound up a hill into some trees and out of site so I put on my back pack and headed up the trail.

The initial going was a bit rough but manageable in the 90 degree, oven like heat. I noticed some really fast ants running about but kept on going. A sign told me "lookout point 700m ahead".

Then came the flies. At first they were annoying and small but as I got farther they became bigger, faster and started to kamikaze my face and body. They would hit you with a force and it started to hurt. Their buzz sounded like a chain saw.

Walking faster now...

Now a big dragon fly like creature barley misses my head at about 30 mph.

Now I am almost running while flailing up the hill. I notice the ants are getting bigger and faster than before. Note: I was on a surf mission and I am in flip-flops, shorts and a t-shirt.

I have now had enough and I can see just enough of the view to get a picture, if I can just get around this tree... I stepped off the trail to get the shot and I looked down and saw the ground just teeming with big, fat, red, fast-as-hell-and-looking-agitated, ants that I am guessing were about 1/4 to 1/2 inches in length! Right then a wasp or something started hovering about my face, I'm out of here!

Now I am running down the trail the way I came and at a dead sprint. Wait, the Picture! I did not come all this way for nothing. Dammit, I must get the shot! I need TOTAL COVERAGE!!! I stopped, ran back up and leaned out over the ants nest and snapped a quick shot, the next one was at a run and the third was at a full gallop but I got the goods.

Just remember what yours truly goes through to get the you the 411.

The Sunshine Coast: Caloundra

The next stop on my quick tour of The Sunshine Coast was Caloundra. It kind of reminded me of a cross between a really small Laguna Beach and Pas-de-Calais but with 85 degree weather and perfect surf.

I love this place. It sits in a small bay with a pristine beach. On the southern end there is a rocky point with very nice apartments and houses on the top. In the center is a small downtown with cafe's, shops and art galleries. There are wineries on the outskirts of town.

The beaches are crowded and with the summer heat they are a cool alternative. In California the beaches tend to be strewn with garbage and it is sad and makes me angry. Here the beaches are warm, the water does not smell and is clear, salty and clean. I have never seen one speck of trash and I think the people here would kill anyone that did not pick it up and take it with them. They are an environmentally conciouse lot. I took a nice swim here and sat in the sun for a while.

Then there is the surf, the southern end has what appears to be a long right hand point break. In the center of the bay there looks to be a reef with a right and a left although it would be quite a paddle. On the north end is a lava rock head land with a really heavy looking left breaking into a channel in the bay. The one person I talked to about it says it gets good but is quite sharky.

The day I was there a good south swell was running but the NE winds are an issue right now. I looked for alternatives but to no luck. I hear next week there is to be a reversal so I might be back.

I would live here in a heartbeat.

The Sunshine Coast: Maroocheeydore

In my rented car I headed out of Brisbane on the M1 to The Sunshine Coast to look for surf, explore, and just get used to this whole driving thing. I can tell you this much, I can die now and say I have been to the promised land.
The Sunshine Coast is about an hour north of Brissie and stretches from Caloundra in the south to Noosa in the north. I can tell you that it is littered with some of the best surf spots on the planet. It is very lush, hot, sub tropical and sparsely populated and very rugged country. I can imagine now what it must have been like for the original "convicts" that were plopped down here in the 1700's it must have been grueling to say the least.
First stop was Maroocheydore (Mah-Roo-Chee-Dore), a small coastal town with a nicely developed city center. It seems to be a popular weekend spot and had a healthy crowd but not hectic or touristy, walking about. The beach of Marroocheydore has a what I have heard a world class left breaking over a shallow shelf, it was wind torn this day and there were jet skis in out the back jumping waves but I will be back again. I was too busy driving to take pictures of the down town and I forgot the camera in the car when I was checking out the surf, sorry. I do have pictures from Kings Beach with Maroocheydore in the distance.

One interesting note: When the M1 Motorway crosses into The Sunshine Coast it becomes The Steve Irwin Motorway which passes by the Zoo he created. You hear his name allot here and I believe Australia considers him a first son. I always liked his shows and loved his conservation efforts.

Steve Irwin R.I.P.

Rollin In My Six Fo'...

I got the courage up and rented a car on Sunday and I can finally say I have mastered the roads and the whole driving on the left thing.
I have to preface that the Australians are great people, friendly, outgoing, generous. All that disappears when they get behind the wheel. They are the most aggressive and crazy drivers I have seen outside of Italy. Road Rage seems to be a problem here to I tread lightly. On the Gold Coast Saturday my buddy Kirk got flipped off twice just trying to change lanes. Incredible. Australians are super hard core at everything they do. My guess is that when you live in a country with this many extremes you take everything else at the same level. Full speed all the way.

My experience was a good one however. I chose Sunday which is a good day to drive here, everyone parties til' dawn (literally) on Saturday night so Sundays tend to be quiet. After the first twenty minutes of terror and constantly chanting "stay to the left, stay to the left" I got that hang of it and suddenly it just makes sense. I drove a stick shift which i think helped remind me not to drift to the right. The only problem I really had was the turn signal. Almost every lane change or turn I would hit the lever and the windshield wipers would go on. The signal is on the opposite side of the car. It was always worth a laugh. Other problems included: always getting in on the wrong side of the car, round abouts to the left, kilometers are 2.2 miles or is it the reverse?...

Off to Caloundra and Maroochydoore.

First Surf and New Board for Vona!!!

First surf is under my belt...

I went with some guys from the office to Snapper Rocks this morning. Unfortunatley we got skunked. The wind was blowing hard from the North and chewed the points to bits.

Where I didn't get skunked was in The Board Room in Coolangatta. Generally boards in Australia tend to be a might bit expensive. I was planning on spending about $700.00 or so for a new DHD, Simon Anderson, Burton or other shaper. I found this 6'6" thumb tail in the used rack. From the looks of it, I think it might have been surfed once. Pure white, no preassure dings on the deck, not a blemish, practically a brand new board. I picked it up and with some haggleing I got the board, sock, leash, and two bars of wax, all for $400.00! Savings Galore!

After that we headed to Surfer's Paradise and some good ol' fashioned beach breaks to try it out. It was ok, 4-5 ft, but the wind was up and it was wonky. I could totally see the potential of Australian beach breaks though and the water was around 70 and clear and blue as I have ever seen.

Tomorrow I am renting a car for the first time and if I make it alive, will be hitting Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. See you there.