Dunedin's stunning beaches

This week I have head south to Dunedin to visit family. Dunedin, situated on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand is a Scottish settlement. It is a popular student centre and is the second largest city in the South Island.

It has been absolutely fantastic beach weather down here the last couple of days. I visited St Clair, a well known surfing beach, and it was packed with people sun bathing. The surf was flat but there were still a small group of surfers just cooling off on their boards. If, I had had my board with me I would have been out there too. There was a longboarding event held at St Clair in the weekend.

I walked from St Clair Beach to neighbouring St Kilda, a short walk. St Kilda is another renowned surfing beach in Dunedin and is surrounded by dunes. There was a couple of surfers out there paddling around. St Kilda has been described as one of New Zealand’s best beaches. I would have to agree with this.

I will definitely be back to surf both these beaches in the future. I recommend you grab your surfboard or an ice cream and get along and join me. Both, these beaches are truly stunning. The pictures for this post were taken tonight from the St Clair esplanade. It was a cracker of a night, really warm.

Surf, surf you have gone away. Please come back another day!

Today, I went surfing with a mate out at Waimari Beach, Christchurch. Unfortunately, the waves weren’t great. They were small and really choppy meaning there wasn't a lot of opportunities to stand. The poor conditions explained why there were only a couple of surfers out there. The few good waves were again breaking really close to shore so you had to be careful when abandoning your board in the shallow water as you could easily injure yourself when you hit the ocean floor. It was still a couple of hours of good fun. What better way is there to spend a Saturday evening? The small waves definitely suited longboarding.


It was cool to see a mum and her older daughter out having a go. Mum was boogie boarding and her daughter was surfing. They appeared to be having fun too. It made me think how awesome it would be to have come from a surfing family. I wish others in my family surfed. Other than us beginners floundering in these poor waves there were no other surfers. Hopefully, the surf will improve in the next couple of weeks, especially before summer disappears. Even, in these mild conditions, it amazes me how tiring surfing is on your body. I felt so sleepy once home. Also, it wasn’t great rolling my ankle when I came off my board. Hmm, I really am a bad surfer.

New Brighton, Christchurch, New Zealand

These pictures were taken last week at New Brighton, Christchurch, New Zealand. It is amazing how deceptive a photo can be! You would think the surf was good. Unfortunately, the only waves were breaking on to the beach. You could also easily make the mistake of thinking it was tropical by the colour of the water. I wish the water was warmer. One day, I will get round to buying those booties. The third picture is a derelict gymnasium on Marine Parade. It is a real shame that a property in such a wonderful location isn't being used.

Hopefully, better surf this week!

How do you get your board to the beach?

Every time I go on a surfing session getting my board to the beach is never easy. In fact, it is a nightmare getting a 9’2” longboard into a Mazda 323 sedan. You almost need to be a magician. I have to gently prize the board through the boot over the folded down backseat and then over the folded back front passenger seat. The end result is a snugly fit board with its nose pressed up against the windscreen. Thank God, I haven't had to slam on my brakes for any reason yet. If you hear of a flying surfboard after a nose to tail at a set of traffic lights, you will know it will be me ... hehe.

This drama makes me think how great it would be to own a bigger car or a van, especially an iconic VW. Unfortunately, the retro VW vans are expensive. They have become cultural icons, particularly among surfers. Tidy ones are few and far between, rare as hens teeth. A cheaper alternative for me would be buying a roof rack. Then again, a van would also make changing in and out of my wetsuit a lot easier. It would also be great for a surfing road trip and living rough for a few days or weeks. Think of the camping stuff you could store in a van. I am beginning to sound all hippie. I would be interested to know what method of transport you guys use for getting your boards to the beach.

Desserted Beach! What's that about?

Today, was a great summer’s day down here in Christchurch, New ZeaIand. It was warm and sticky. I headed to Waimairi Beach with surfboard in toe. Unfortunately, the waves were flat which meant no surfing. There were a couple of keen guys still having a go. I had my camera with me so thought this was a pretty good back up plan.

When I was messing around with my camera it kept crossing my mind just how under-utilized beaches are in New Zealand. Every time I have visited this summer I have noticed under usage. There was hardly a man and his dog to be seen which is pretty sad. Who knows?, I may feel differently if the beach was packed chock-a-block with people. But, you would think there would be some Kiwis out trying to tan up their milk bottle legs … hehe. It just can't be warm enough for them.

Even if the waves had been pumping there wouldn’t have been a lot of surfers. One advantage of this when surfing is that dropping-in is never a problem. It sounds like this can be a real issue among surfers at other beaches, particularly overseas. This wave theft can lead to arguments and even violence.

With the warmer weather we are currently experiencing, local Kiwis should put their play stations down, stop sitting on the Internet or in front of the tele and get along to the beach. International surfers and tourists are of course welcome too.

Here are a few photos taken at Waimairi Beach -

Mother Nature - If you respect her will she look after you?

No surfer can deny that a delight of surfing is becoming part of nature. There is something really special about being out in the ocean on your board. Surfing can be a real stress reliever and a time to unwind from life's chaos. Alternatively, it can be an absolute adrenalin rush for those who like to surf big waves. I guess there is a different mindset between long boarders and big wave surfers. You are lucky if you can ace both surfing styles.

I saw this quote by the legendary Kelly Slater ~

"Not to sound too deep or weird, but I think that the times when you really appreciate surfing are the times you're really sort of becoming one with nature. Surfing's as raw of a sport as it gets.”

I think Slater’s quote illustrates what a great surfer he is. He becomes part of the wave. Clearly, it is important to respect Mother Nature and you just hope she will return the favour and not punish you … hehe. I learnt this the hard way with a gashed head and a sprained neck. All joking aside it is important to know your skill level.

The great thing about surfing is the respect for nature doesn’t just end in the water with the waves. There is the beach itself, marine life and often spectacular sunrises and sunsets to appreciate. I think a lot of surfers acknowledge this by becoming avid environmentalists and photographers. Clearly, there is a case to argued for surfing to be recognised as a religion.

Whale Strandings

For me personally there is nothing more heart breaking in nature than seeing a whale stranded. It is so sad to see these mystical creatures lose their way and end up beached on shores all over the world. With New Zealand having a large coast line we have our fair share. A multiple stranding is particularly devastating.

While, there are different theories for beaching, the question of why remains uncertain. Social cohesion of some species is thought to be a cause. If one whale is in trouble, its distress calls may prompt the rest of the pod to follow resulting in a mass beaching. Stranding has been attributed to natural and environmental causes, including weather, illness, birthing issues and navigation errors.

Project Jonah in New Zealand, a registered charity, performs an amazing job in which volunteers help whales, dolphins and seals. The organisation has pioneered whale rescue techniques that they have shared globally. Volunteers can complete a course to become a marine mammal medic to assist whales that become stranded.

Fingers crossed that in 2010 there will be minimal strandings across the world. Why not train to help these beautiful creatures that we share the ocean with or help in a beach cleanup. I also recommend you say NO to whaling!