Post-Quake Christchurch, New Zealand ...

Well what can I say ... it's been a long break (not a surf joke) from this blog. I have returned from travelling overseas and am once again living in Christchurch, earthquake city of the New Zealand. Man, the landscape has changed significantly. Central Christchurch is destroyed, roads are munted and houses and buildings are being pulled down everywhere.

And in case you are interested I think I still hold the trophy of being the world's worst surfer. I am struggling to stand up on my short board which sucks. Recently, I have been out to South Beach, New Brighton, North Beach and Waimairi Beach for a few sessions. These beaches are all very close to one another.

With summer approaching the water has warmed slightly and there have been some great conditions. Today, Sunday 11 November, 2012, was brilliant. There were a lot of  experienced surfers out and about. I sneaked to a more quiet part of South New Brighton - out of the public eye. I can't wait to get my longboard out of storage and give surfing a proper go again.


Although, not a lot of media attention has been paid to beaches and the coast line post earthquake, it is amazing how all beaches have significantly changed. Shorelines are much smaller now. It does illustrate how important the sand dunes are. It is cool to see the North Beach Surf Club has been painted and is looking in good shape. It is great to see that people care. Sadly, the New Brighton shops don't look so good - the area is very depressed. There is still a pretty good community vibe with some exciting temporary projects happening. I hope local and national governments will assist in revitalising this part of Christchurch.

Well, more posts to come. Just wanted to say I am pleased to be back in Christchurch waters and the City in general despite many people asking why I returned. My goal this summer is to become a far better surfer. Even getting my wetsuit to do up has been a recent challenge .... haha (I may need to lose a few kilos too)

Well happy surfing everyone!

Don’t sit and watch life disappear

After a lot of thought and consideration I have decided to bite the bullet and head to the UK for a year. It seems a good idea to follow the sun. Hopefully, England’s warming up as New Zealand’s summer draws to an end. With a bit of luck there will be a chance to try some UK surfing.

I have undertaken a lot of thinking about this move. Thoughts have swirled through my head for months like violent waves. I have been weighing up what I will miss, whilst what I could potentially gain. Friends and family will be sorely missed. Emailing and Skyping will be handy. My local beach will always be here to come home to. I am almost certain I will come to love it more. I do hope to explore new beaches on my travels.

I don’t want to look back with regret at not doing an overseas experience (OE). I think the whole cruisy, carefree lifestyle is a myth. It seems to me everyone does need some sort of a plan. Perhaps, you can cruise after you have achieved in life and completed major goals like world travel or had a successful good occupation. I will stop rambling here ...

On Saturday there was a messy 3 metre swell out at Waimairi Beach, Christchurch. There was no gap between the breaking waves. Paddling out was hard work. The waves really taught me I must learn to duck dive. I got pummelled out there. After 2 hours I slunk back to the car with my surfboard. The fact that there were no other surfers indicated that it wasn’t ideal conditions but perseverance wins on the day. I am determined to get better at this sport. I also need to surf as much as I can at the moment as am leaving for the UK next week.

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.

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!

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.