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So this morning I woke up when it was getting light, just before the sun came up. As with the day before I quietly sorted the car out so not to wake up all the people living there, and went on a morning walk to check out the surroundings in the light. I had got up just in time too as it happened, because a couple of cop cars came cruising through just as walking up the road.
It was only a 2 minute walk down the street, over the main road and onto the beach, where Kirra point break is at the southerly end. As I expected the crappy wind swell was a) too small and b) coming from the wrong direction to make the break work, but it was cool to see it and take some photos all the same. There were however a group of about 10 kids out on surf life saving boards, taking part a Life Saving lesson with a coast guard. Pretty good exercise before school about 5:30/6am!
I then drove 5 minutes round Kirra headland, and parked the car I a car park in Greenmount Bay. From there I did the short walk around the headland to Rainbow Bay, home to the also world famous Snapper Rocks at its southerly trip. Again due to the rubbish conditions, it wasn't a surfable wave, but you could see some of the windchop breaking on the sand bank.
This is the spot where they hold the 'Gold Coast' section of the surfing world tour, which I had watched on the internet so recognised it as soon as I walked around the headland into the bay. However I must admit it appeared to be a smaller place in general than I expected, although it was high tide so that wouldn't have helped.. Either way, again it was really cool to see it in the flesh and take some photos. Maybe when I come back up the coast there will be a swell and I'll be able to surf it then?
Having taken photos etc there, I walked up the hill around on the top of the next southerly headland, over looking Snapper to the North, and Duranbah (D-Bah) in the south. This is the 3rd world famous break, this time a beachie, in as many bays. Being the most consistent of the spots, it was actually managing to produce a semi-rideable wave, so I walked back to the car, and drove down to check it out.
It was a messed up 1-2ft, but the only place in the area with a wave, so I went out so I can say I have, as much as I was expecting to have a half decent surf. After about an hour in the water the tide was super high and on the turn, killing the only few good waves coming through so I got out. Again, I would love to surf here again in a few months actually during a swell.
I actually then spent the rest of the morning and early arvo, up until about 2pm, laying on the grass above the beach in the sun reading my book. It's fair to say its one of those rare times, when I'm reading a book I can't put down. Although its a pretty good Chris Ryan book about the war with the IRA, out of control spies and fighting in Africa, so that could be why..
Having had a shower to get rid of all the salt, sand and suncream I got changed and decided to go south to find somewhere to say the night. Between Coolangatta and Byron Bay though, really there are just a few huge expanses of beach with no real features. I decided to head to the small town called 'Pottsville' which was on a huge beach, so that was as good'a place as any to aim for. It was only about 30-40 minute drive, but as you cross the border into New South Wales and they have daylight savings, you actually go forward an extra hour too.
When I got to Pottsville and went to check the beach there was the stand sign with the name of the beach and the 'DANGER - dumping waves, strong currents' etc. However on this sign it also included Jelly Fish and Sharks.. The section of beach wasnt anything special either, so I thought I would go on a little further. I followed a road which ran right along the back of the beach, behind the sand dune, until I came across a nice small sand beach car park..the perfect camp spot! Despite it being the same beach this stretch, named Black Rocks (just the one I surf in Porthcawl!), didn't have the Shark and Jelly Fish warnings on the sign, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Having set up camp, complete with a tarpaulin from the car to some near by trees, I cooked some basic Spag Bol for dinner and ate it on the beach out of the pan. Cracking! I hadn't expected to see yet another Humback Whale display a mile or so off the beach, with young ones flinging themselves almost right out the water. Dinner time entertainment which I recon is much better than The Simpsons.
After dinner I had about an hours light left, so I thought I'd had a quick go at catching a couple of fish. Unfortunately they didn't seem to appreciate my offering of left over sausage or 2, so I gave up and went to bed.
(Photo - this evenings camp, the best place I have found yet.)
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