Gettin' back to Yamba

Hey guys!

After my time in Murwullumbah hiking Mt. Warning and cookin delicious food, I decided to head south in search of waves and work. I backtracked through Byron Bay and Lennox Head. There was a bit of swell in the water so I decided to try my luck at Lennox. It was a bit bumpy but looked like there were some fun rides to be had.

The low tide 'rock off' lived up to it's reputation. Getting into the water at many of the point breaks here in East Oz is a bit tricky. The 'rock off' involves hopping from one slick barnicle covered boulder to another all the way down to the waters edge where the surf pounds said boulders. You find a semi-stable perch as close to the impact zone as you can and wait for a wave to wash you off and hope a couple of duckdives will see you through to the line up. Unfortunately, the success rate is not 100%. I got to a good perch waited for a wave, jumped over it and began paddling. Before I could make it out past the rocks, another wave came and sucked the water below me out and left me beached on the boulders. I ditched my board and dove through the oncoming wave. I was genuinely grateful that my board was not in two pieces. In fact it wasn't even all that banged up, but a fin had come loose, so I had to find my way into shore immediately to save my fin. Sure enough getting out of the water is every bit as difficult as getting in. I got pounded, lost my fin, and cut my feet on barnacles while scrambling out of the impact zone. All that and I caught zero waves... Gnar Gnar. Luckily I found a replacement fin for just ten bucks at a second hand shop in Byron. I made my way back to Lennox for an afternoon surf at a higher tide. This time I was a bit more successful with the rock off and made it in and out whilst keeping board and body in one piece. I managed to get a few fun waves to boot!

After my surf I decided to keep heading south to a small surf town called Yamba. I knew there were some good waves in the area and a Mexican restaurant. After a couple weeks of hot damp nights, being flea and mosquito bitten in the back of my car, I was in desperate need of a shower, laundry and a burrito. I rolled into town just in the nick of time as a sudden thunderstorm the night before had left me sleeping in a puddle in my car. I checked into the Yamba backpacker hostel, cleaned myself up, stuffed myself silly and slept like a baby in clean sheets.

I poked around town and found myself a gig working the bar at the Mexican place across the street from my hostel. My first 'trial' night was hectic; I've never worked so fast and hard in my life. Bar work is no joke! Despite dropping a tray of drinks, they called me back for a second night and then a third so I'm pretty sure I work there now...

During the days, I've explored the local beaches and now and then scored some pretty fun beach break surf. The water here is clear blue and warm. The waves break on shallow sandbars that you can see below the surface while you are sitting in the lineup. When the swell is clean and solid, the dolphins come out to play.

The other day, I worked a hectic late shift, and knocked back a bunch of beers afterwards. I woke up at 5:45am the next morning to drive 90 mins north to Ballina to take a coworker to the airport. For the whole drive I felt pretty terrible, but after dropping him off I willed myself to take a look at the beach. I got lost a couple of times but eventually stumbled upon some cliffs overlooking a surf spot called 'North Wall'. This stretch of sand between the jetty and the cliffs is famously consistent, and on this day it was pumping! Overhead wedges would slowly form up out of deep water and pretty much hang there, until they hit a nice shallow sandbar where they promptly bowled and barreled.

It's amazing how much my mind and body are affected and improved when the surf is good. I quickly stretched out, and jogged a trail down to the beach. I jumped in and the first duck dive, cleared not only my sinuses but my mind as well. As some of you might know, since landing I've been filled with doubts about this trip. I invested so much time, money etc. to get here, that when the surf isn't good or when I'm dirty and bug bitten in the back of my wagon, I feel like a dirty lonely bum; I feel like I'm blowing it here. After 20 or so duckdives, I made it to the lineup; I wasn't thinking about anything except catching a wave, and that I did :). I surfed for hours, working out how deep I could take off behind the teepee's coming in. Learning how and when to drive of the bottom to crack the lip. I blew a lot of waves, but found myself learning a ton and trying new things. Watching the other surfers here is really eye opening. The good ones surf with such power and flow. The make it look so easy, but it's because they are always on balance and driving the board to right part of the wave. It's all about technique, timing and positioning.

After a couple hours the wind started puffing onshore and making the waves sloppy. I finally got out and drove a few miles up the coast to Lennox where I ate a meat pie, a coffee and a pastry. The point looked no good, which was fair enough since I was tired. But then on my way back south I passed Sharpie beach which at first didn't look like much, a bit bumpy and onshore. I caught out of the corner of my eye, a guy pumping down the line and laying into a big hack. Before I knew it, I was paddling out to join the fun. The waves weren't nearly as good as North Wall in the morning but still very surfable and fun. I surfed until I couldn't paddle any more. I came back from Ballina sunburnt and exhausted yet refreshed and excited for more.

Hopefully between now and the next post I'll have some pictures of Yamba-life for you guys :)