Wild and Woolly

Ok it has been simply ages (again) since we had a surf, call it a period of suitable mourning for the departure of dear Joeleee Bling? And I guess that we did all wear black (see pics).

Anyway, not to be perturbed by the wintry cold of south eastern Australia in June, Andreas, Serge, Pistol and I saddle up and head down to Phillip Island. The swell chart says there is heaps of size and nary a skerrick of wind in the air so we are all pretty excited (especially me after 3hrs of driving, Dre I am never doing the Port Melbourne morning trip again. Heh). However we're greeted by tiny and messy waves on a low tide, dang! Smith's is flat and even Woolamai looks tame without a single soul out. Well someone has to be first in the water we figure so down we go and into the chop, carefully avoiding all the fishermen casting out into our break and giving us bemused looks. We are swiftly met with that ol' chestnut, that ol' trick, that ol' illusion, that misjudgement of size from carpark vs size in-the-water, how it undoes us again! The waves are considerably larger than we thought and getting bigger as time progresses. What's more they are creating a constant stream of white froth that seems to never ceasingly spew from the ocean, washing us pathetically back against the shore as one might spray leaves off one's driveway with a hose (pre water restrictions). Only once do we get out the back to get mashed by rogue killers and ungracefully spat back onto the sand. Somewhere in all this we catch a bunch of foaming dubya-dubya ('white water' for the un-initiated) and tell ourselves that it is worth it at least just to get in the water (which is true). After that the only place open is the san remo bakery where the friendly lady undercharges us for everything we buy which left me with a moral dilemma: do you give back the 3 dollars extra change even when you know the thing you bought will taste awful?

Not to end on a low note we head back to town for rounds of G&T's, pizza, back street fitzroy pubs and more G&T's, lovely day out I say!

PS I only put the embarrassing pic of sergio up for posterity because it is the last know photograph of his gloves and funny bonnet after they were left on the roof of the car when we drove off :) sorry no pic dub, taken pre your arrival.