Byron Bay Surf Festival

"The festival is non-competitive and 

will bring together people 

that want to celebrate surfing 

and the associated culture 

of art, music, film, literature, 

surfboard design and 

environmentally friendly and 

sustainable surf craft."

Byron Bay Surf Festival website

Two for Tuesday

Who would have thought that millions of people around the world would be fascinated by the way the sun reflects off a dead object for millions of years? But if you witnessed the pumpkin coloured full moon setting in the pre-dawn chill this morning, you would have been in awe as well. Beautiful and yet "Same as it ever was" as the Talking Heads sang many moons ago. Reassuring in these crazy times.

Mono (chrome) Monday

Mr Freedom

My new board

is called "Mr Freedom"

by it's designer

6"8"

Single fin

Two small side biters

Four channels

Hatched a few weeks ago

First waxed and wetted

Yesterday

Stoke factor = extreme

BIG thanks to

Simon Jones of

Byron Bay

HUG YOUR LOCAL SHAPER!

Capricorn Dancer

Buckets of Rain

The dry ravines of Brinetopia are awash with water as a monsoon trough dumps more rain than you can poke a divining rod at. Grey dreary days made for music and art and sleeping in.

"Buckets of rain 
Buckets of tears

Got all them buckets coming out of my ears
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand
You got all the love honey baby
I can stand"

Bob Dylan Buckets of Rain from Blood on the Tracks 1975

More Rain Songs

Rainy day, Dream all day - Jimi Hendrix

Fire and Rain - James Taylor

After the Rain - The Angels

Rain - The Beatles

She's a Rainbow - Rolling Stones

The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin

Be the Rain - Neil Young

See the Sky About to Rain - Neil Young

Walking in the Rain - Grace Jones

Hard Rain's Gonna Fall - Dylan

Who'll Stop the Rain - Credence Clearwater Revival

Black Rain - Ozzy Ozbourne

Pray for Rain - Massive Attack

Rain on the Scarecrow - John Mellencamp

Spring Rain - The Go Betweens

Rain - The Gin Club

Marquee Moon

Full moon tonight. Full moon every 28 days, as we briners and brinettes observe the patterns of the tides and the clouds and the winds for portents of stoke.
There's a reason why a tripod is always in the back of my car and this is it - a great shot hampered by my unsteady hand. Still, I'd rather an unsharp shot then the crime of taking nothing and saying "that would make a great shot". This was hand held on the road between Lismore and Byron Bay last century.
Second one is full moon at a certain Bay on one of the islands off the Brineycoast - a magic spot to surf, providing you bring your own water and food and mates to stand on the cliffs to watch out for sharks.

Summer in August (what global warming?)

Remember last summer?

Balmy days.

High fire danger.

Surfing until dark without a wettie.

Oh, that was today - the highest winter temperature ever recorded in Brineyville.

Where's my order for Spring?

Woodstock Vs Byron Bay

When men on the chessboard

Get up and tell you where to go

And you've just had some kind of mushroom

And your mind is moving slow

Go ask Alice

I think she'll know

Some of the lyrics sung by Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane in their performance of White Rabbit at Woodstock - 40 years ago this weekend. Backpacker bus at Byron Bay lighthouse - Autumn 2009.