I've felt a little lost in my last
month wandering around OZ and it's been difficult. I returned to
Arapiles from Cairns a month ago with hopes of getting more climbing done. My hand injury from my fall was on a different schedule and I wasn't able to climb much. I
hung around camp for a few days and kicked it with Sofie and the rest
of my friends with whom I'd become quite close. Alas, the time came
for me to say goodbye to the Arapiles and my friends once and for
all.
Despite everything, the Arapiles will
hold a special place in my heart. I've never 'lived the life' quite
like that before. The Piles was a dirtbag dreamland: free camping,
slacklines, flaming hackeysacks, campfires, dance parties and of
course that bulletproof bright orange rock. I learned a lot about
life and myself in my short time there; it's humbling to think about.
It was disappointing to leave without reconquering the route that
nearly killed me. I will return one day, older and wiser and more
ready to crush than ever.
After some tearful hugs and goodbyes I
set out on the Great Ocean Road - solo as can be for the first time
in a while. Just me. Just me and Sheela. And some boards. And
fortunately I stumbled on some waves. I might have lost my shit had I
not scored that week, but score I did. Every day I hopped into the
clean, cold water and surfed until I couldn't paddle any more. I got
out and ate some food then suited up and surfed some more. The waves
were juicy and the wind was offshore. I was lonely, but the surf was
cathartic and it felt good.
I decided I needed to buy a board for
Tahiti (did I mention I'm going to Tahiti?), a step-up if you will.
Something I could get into big waves early and get barreled with.
After much deliberation and several visits to various board shops, I
settled on an Al Merrick pintail. 6'7”x19”x2.5”. She's not
quite the dream board I was after, but she's good value and I reckon
she'll get me into the waves of my dreams in the months to come. A
day or two after I pulled the trigger on the step-up, I turned the
corner of Cape Otway in search of some bigger surf. After too much
driving around, I found the perfect spot to give my new whip a test
drive. Following the advice of a nice waitress in Port Fairy I
cruised to a nice deepwater reefbreak just outta town. The surf was
about as user friendly as overhead reef surf gets. The lineup was
easy to read, with a boil marking the takeoff. The drops were steep,
but not heinous and they were typically followed by a long rolling
wall, which was perfect for some cruisy carves and cutbacks. With
plenty of foam under me, I had a pleasant and uneventful outing in
the relatively serious surf.
Call me a softy, but a week on the road
alone was enough for me so I cruised over to Adelaide to hang out
with my friends Derek and Jane (who was also injured from my fall).
Jane was in good spirits and recovering well. It was nice to be among
old friends and explore a new city. I mostly chilled out, played Wii
golf etc. My buddy Vlad from Araps made his way out to Adelaide and
we caught up for a bit of partying one night and a couple of easy climbs at a local crag the
next day.
Since then I've made the loooong drive
over to the Blue Mountains where I've worked on staging Sheela to be
sold. I crashed with my friend Simon who put Sofie up way back in
February when I met her. I got my hand looked at and was given the go
ahead to climb. It was a little discouraging to be shut down on
routes I've climbed before but it's been really good to get out
regardless. I still need to sell my whip. I'm flying out to Tahiti
Friday whether it gets sold or not! Wish me luck. Can't wait to meet
my good buddy Dave in Tahiti. Check out his adventures thus far here:
www.tusitalasailing.com
