NEWS # 066
Hi everyone!
The next day, I head out in search of surf and check the main beach, which
is small and onshore. I head out towards the lighthouse and drive past the
breaks called the Pass and Watego's, which are much the same. Million pound
houses cling to the hillsides as I head up to the lighthouse.
From the top, I can see another beach, Tallows, which has bigger surf and
offshore winds. I grab my board and get my first surf in weeks. I get
bounced off the bottom several times but it's nice to be back in the water.
After lunch, I have another session and then head off in search of McTavish
surfboards. I find them on the industrial estate and they have the best
selection of boards that I have seen anywhere on my travels so far, from
retro fish to classic mals.
I had thought of buying a board whilst here, especially considering the
price differential. A new board, 10mm travel bag, leash, custom fin and wax
for about four hundred and fifty pounds. Puts UK pricing into perspective,
eh?! I decide to order a custom board as it's the same price.
I meet the
shaper, Bob McTavish and tell him what I'd like and we discuss nose and tail
shapes, rockers and edge profiles. It's so nice to be able to have an input
and I feel that I'll get just the board I want. I'm told that my board will
take about ten days but, having worked in the surf industry, I don't hold my
breath. Good thing too as it turns out, as my board takes nearly three weeks
and this is the main reason for my extended stay in Byron.
I head back to the hostel and have to change rooms, as mine is booked for
the night. I end up in dorm 9 where I will stay until I head south. This
becomes the party dorm and over the next few weeks, I meet a crazy bunch of
people.
Days become weeks and each follows a similar pattern. Up early, at around
0630, for a surf for a couple of hours. Then breakfast and more surf
followed by lunch and then yoga! Something I'd never done before, I felt
that I needed more flexibility, in order to advance my surfing and keep my
injuries to a minimum. The Arts Factory ran a class and it seemed to fit the
bill. Greg, another surfer, was our 'teacher' and he never ceased to make us
smile despite the challenging postures he put us through. Classes usually
lasted an hour and a half and cost less than two pounds.
In the yoga building was an old piano, which I couldn't see being left to
rot away. Many of the keys were sticky and the hammers bent. I asked if I
could have a go at making it work and after a couple of hours all the keys,
bar one, were functioning and a reasonable sound was coming out. One of the
guys from the hostel told me it's the first time the piano has been played
in many years. I try to spend some time on the piano each day, after yoga.
After dinner, I often crash out for a few hours and then later, we head off
into town, to The Beach Hotel, The Northern or LaLa Land, for a drink or two.
Seeya,
Halesy
