I left the warmth of the Sunshine Coast last Friday in Exchange for a bit of Melbourne action.

It was great to catch up with the Sunny crew, had search a blast and managed to get some nice waves over at Noosa, 11ft swell last week, offshore, and all good!

I had to exchnage “The Duke” for a new board, as the glass on the rails started to crumble away. So good old Peter Cochran let me choose a board of my choice (a 6′4″ swallow-tail short board) from the shop and did me a great deal on a new leg rope, deck grip and board sock! All good!

The past few days I have been crusing along the Great Ocean Road in search of some quality surf and a little sun. It is a little cooler in the water down here, about 19 degrees, and I managed to leave my wet suit back in Melbourne. All good though, as I managed to pick up a nice Ri[p Curl Classic shortie.

The waves have been pretty crappy over the past fwe days, all onshore and classic chop, couple with rain showers and high winds, it has been a bit of a downer. Today I surfed at the legendary Bells Beach, and also Torquay (just up the coast).

So I think we might stay around for an extra day, as it looks like tomorrow might be the go down at Torquay, if the wind turns around and the weather gets a bit better.

Have reached the halfway point of my trip so far, and like every one said, I didn’t come away for long enough. So I guess all I need to do now, is plan the World Surf Tour MK II.

Anyway chow’s up so gotta shoot!

Been a bit slack on the old weblog update for the past week, the reason: too much surfing and having too much fun!

Am now hanging out with my good mate from Bali, Mikey. We have travelled down the Sunshine Coast from Buderim to the Gold Coast, and have checked out some of the surf spots down here: Burleigh Heads, Kirra, Rainbow Bay, Snapper etc. Will probably head back up to the Sunny tomorrow arvo and hook up with the Wayno for some more party antics!

Been for a quality bush walk this morning and maybe gonna head down to Byron Bay this arvo to check it out down there.

Weather has been pretty great for the past week, but I think cyclone Larry has been pushing down a little more in the way of cloud and wind the past few days!

I managed to get another board from Peter Cochran (of Coololah Surfboards). It is a 6′2″, swallow tail, short board, and yes it goes like shit off a shovel! Turns super sharp, and I am weaving the little devil along the wave like no one’s business! So that makes the family now 3: The Mitch, The General and now The Duke!

So anyway time to head off on another adventure, lets hope the swell picks up a little from the help of those cyclones up north!

Well the past 3 or 4 days have been packed with all sorts of fun and games. I am now in Noosa Heads, up on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The weather is fantastic up here, the surf, small but clean, and the people nice and laid back!

I have been surfing every day, and have picked up a few scrapes along the way, f*cked my back up, got smashed across the nose with a longboard, cut my foot open, bust my left hand up. Oh well it is all part of the experience I guess.

I will be hanging out wth the Coolum guys in a few days for a week, getting some more surfing in etc.

So for now, I am just sitting with the PB updating this blog and and getting ready to hit the beach and then test out the new fish board that Peter Cochran is letting me demo!

Another day in paradise!

Today I trade in Hong Kong for Brisbane, Australia. I have had a lovely time here again and met some really nice people along the way and will leave with many fond memories of the experiences I have had along the way.

So tonight it is a new flight, new continent and new adventure. Looking back a few years I would have never have thought I would be living the dream and travelling around the world surfing, hell, two years ago I didn’t even surf! Just goes to show how times change and as John Lennon said on Revolver, “Tomorrow never knows”.

Bali photos have been uploaded here.

Well what a 12 days that was. The Bali experience was one that I will definetly remember for a while. From haning out with the Sunny Coast surf boys, to eating at the Indonational to getting on the drinks with crazy “Murdoch” from the Losari hotel, it was all good!

I spent my birthday surfing over at Mushroom rights. What a day that was, our first day of proper sunshine, crystal clear blue water and glassy waves, it was a scene out of a brochure. Got some nice rides and just traded the stoke with the Sunny crew boys! The evening was spent with the Sunny crew, Murdoch the madman, and the Austrian crew, all funny and am sure all the locals think we have lost the plot completely.

Am now back in Hong Kong until tomorrow and just chilling and trying to absorb all the things that I have done over the past few weeks. For the first time in ages I am loving every second of every day, maybe it is the lack of sleep, maybe it is the remainder of the birthday Bingtang (Indo beer), but for sure it is definitely the time of my life.

It is great meeting new people and getting yourself out of the comfort zone of the routine of normal every day life. Today I think I will maybe head up to The Peak here in HK, and maybe do a little more looking around.

To all the people so far who have made my trip what is it, a massive massive thank you!!!

Watch this space, as there is more to come!!!

Yesterday Wanyo, Mikey and I went over to the East coast again and surfed the othe side of Musroom rock, this time on the right hander. The waves were peeling in quite nicely and the sets were about head height.

I got one of my best rides yesterday which ended up being about 100 metres along the wave, really tasty.

Today it is pissing down with rain, really heavily, so Mikey and I are going to head up to Ubud and are going to try out some white water rafting, it should be pretty extreme on the basis that there will be so much water in the river.

Tomorrow is my last day surfing, before I head on over to Hong Kong and then on to Oz. Hopefully I’ll get more sun over that side as the weather has been pretty damn shit here in Bali, but I guess that is why they call it the wet season!

Today Mark and I did a solo mission in the morning over to Nusa Dua for some more reef-break action. The waves were ok over that side of the island, although there was a strong cross-shore rip. Unfortunately this kinda messed up the session as it made is 10 times as hard to surf the break and also knackered you out as you had to constantly paddle to maintain your position in the line-up.

After a frustrating morning surfing over on the east side, we made the trip back to Kuta and surfed the beach break again in front of our hotel. This was small and a little messy at first, but after a little while the wind turned offshore and I was surfing clean, glassy 3 foot waves with a nice Balinesse sunset out back.

We have one more full day here and will hopefully get some nice waves in and then maybe do a little shopping for gifts etc on Saturday before we head back to Hong Kong.

Bali is a wonderful country, with a varied countryside and lovely, welcoming people, I will head off to my next destination with many fond memories.

Today we got up at 5.30 a.m for a proper dawn patrol. The place; Cangoo, the crew; Me, Sulli, Wanyo and Mikey. We got to Cangoo for about 7.30 am, but the surf was completely pants. We stopped off for some breakie (banana and honey pancakes) and then decieded to head over to Nusa Dua on the east coast.

Nusa Dua is a reef break that sits about 750 metres offshore. You can choose to get the boat out to the break or you can paddle out. I thought I’d put Sulli through the works and make him, me and Mikey paddle out to the break. 15 minutes later we reached the break, the reef is about waist deep, and a mixture of sharp and soft coral.

The water was clean, glassy and you could see the coral and sea-bottom beneath your feet. The water had some star fish, urchins and the odd flying fish jumpig out of the water. At first I was a little apprehensive, on the basis that I have only surfed over coral reef once before. But once I had taken a few waves I was pumped and ready for more.

The wave face was between 4-6 foot, with clean peeling faces and offshore winds.

4 hours past, and Mikey and I had been ripping up the break, Mikey with some nice 2-3 foot airs over the back of the wave and me claiming a dozen or so back and front hand rides.

We then headed back over to Legian beach on the west coast and found that is was also pretty clean and cross/offshore. So the four of us headed out and gave the place a good going over for an hour or so.

Late afternoon saw us chilling at the pool for a few beers, and then out tonight for a team feed at our fave local tucker shop, Indo-national.

Its great when you surf, as apparently you burn 650 calories per hour. Well I surfed 5 hours today, really pushing it, including a 1.5km paddle out to the break and back, so I figure it is all good!

Have now gone an obscenely dark shade of brown, (and it has been mostly cloudy here all week) that I am looking almost native Balinesse!

Well that wraps it up for another day in paradise, hopefully the swell and sun will come out to play in the morning.