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So I woke up at 6am and the wind is still onshore, albeit lighter than yesterday, but still making a mess of the surf. I checked Forresters Beach and it was crap, so I went round the bay to 'Terrigal Haven'. Here it was more sheltered but the surf was one big useless close out.
I know I am really lucky to be able to do this road trip, but to be honest I'm a bit fed up of it at the moment. I can't remember the last time I've had a really really fun surf where I learnt much, and it's really starting to wind me up. Although on the plus side at least it is sunny again.
Terrigal Haven was quite a nice place, so I went skating around down the esplanade and up to the headland etc. It had warmed up a bit by the time I got back to the car, so I went back round to Avoca Beach just found the bay and went for a surf, which I soon regretted. There were lots of people out so I guessed it must have been manageable, but really it was just choppy as hell and closing out a lot. After about an hour I sacked it in and got out again.
Having looked at the coastline via SatNav and the surf guide if you don't go back to the highway and head for Sydney from here on, you soon get stuck because of all the creeks and estuaries. That made my decision for me, head down towards Sydney then swing off the highway just north, so I guess I'll l will end up about 30/40km from where the city boundary starts.
I ended up in 'Newport' which as expected is a little way north of Sydney. I stopped at the town beach as it seemed as good'a place as any. (This is the beach where the dead Whale washed up dead into the beach swimming pool i later found out..it was on the news in the UK) I was pleasantly surpsied to find the onshore wind was lighter here, and there was a rock reef almost in the middle of the beach, where the waves were half decent. I had my lunch on the beach watching the surf, then paddled out not long after.
I surfed for about 2 hours, and although it wasn't brilliant I got a few ok ones to make it worth while. I also met a woman out in the water called Kim, who I had a scary amount in common with; she was originally from Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire so knew all the places I surf while on holiday with the family, she lived in Bristol, worked in Wortton-Under-Edge where I worked for Renishaw so knew all about the company and the school she worked was KLB where Becca and others had been to school! It was pretty funny to talk to her about all that sort of stuff.
When I had got changed in the car park and was thinking about where to head next, she came over and said she had lost her car key in the surf. In the end I gave her a lift home, picked up her key and brough her back again to return her car.
Having said goodbyes I then went a couple of Km up the coast, to one of the beaches I hope to surf while I'm here 'Avalon Beach'. It was about 3:30pm when I got there to find the surf was pumping, onshore but really good shape. I considered going for a surf, but having been out twice already today my Surfer's Rib is playing up a bit, so decided to leave it till the morning. FINGERS CROSSED IT HOLDS UP!
I spent the afternoon listening to music on the beach and then watching all the others out surfing. Local surfers never fail to blow my mind, there was a kid about 12 who is like a mini Kelly Slater, I could barely belive my eyes.
As usual I had dinner as the sun went down and went off to find somewhere to stay for the night. All I can think about is I hope the surf holds up for the morning..
(Photo - Avalon Beach this evening).
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