I’m desperate to get myself on board this boat. Looks like the most excellent way to enjoy surfing the Mentawai Islands. Had seen the vessel starring in various Rip Curl Surf movies, so was chuffed when i was asked to promote this great looking boat.

Anyway if you are thinking of embarking on that Mentawais Surf Charter, may as well use the boat the Pro’s use i guess. Quest 1 is the latest addition to the Bali Surf Travel Company.

I was lucky enough to stay at this great spot on Bali’s West Coast back in August. For anyone who doesn’t know Balian, it’s the kind of place you find and either toy with excitedly telling people about its magic, or just try to keep it one big secret. Life moves slowly in Balian. Not a great deal to do apart from surf, eat, yoga, sleep and massage, but really who needs much more than that in their life.

Anyway if you are passing by you could do a lot worse than staying at the beautiful, relaxing Balian Accommodation. The latest addition to the Bali Surf Travel Company.

Just finished developing a site Padang Padang Accommodation, Bali. It’s my first foray into my online travel agency venture. I spent a bit of time hanging around and photographing the place in March for the website. It’s a lovely chilled out spot and worth a stay if you are passing. Love the traditional outdoor Balinese bathrooms. Thanks Jenny for the modelling.

Am down in Cornwall Staying at a perfect spot in Widemouth, near Bude, Our Beach Break.  Plan is i’m working for waves (again) and a roof over my  head, so watch out for a new website arriving soon at the link above. The good news the waters lovely, cold, but lovely. I’m a cold water convert. Had to buy new wetsuit and boots, but it’s all good, strange though surfing in  boots after the warm waters of Bali. New guests arrive here tomorrow so i’m heading over to Sandymouth for a night or two under canvas (well nylon) will add some pics soon.

I know, i know, it’s been a while. Two and a half weeks have passed and all there is to show is one lousy video of a grasshopper. This lack of documentation might suggest not a great deal has happened over the last few weeks or perhaps that i have been busy both working and enjoying the greatest waves i have ever surfed. You will all be pleased to know it’s most definitely the latter. Basically Bali rocks. Good sessions are not forgotten, take for example the picture above, can’t name the place or i’ll never be forgiven, but we’d searched around and found nothing, onshore winds messing things up, then Putu our guide brought myself billy and griffin to the top of a cliff and this is what we saw, perfect corduroy lines of swell to the horizon converging with clear blue skies, we surfed our hearts out.

One wave can make  session, a perfect, long, right hander at Geger made two hours of paddling into position against an extreme current worthwhile. I could go on, i will go on. Epic sessions at ‘secret spot’ with just two of us in the water, only head and a half high clinical left handers for company. And then the real heavy day at the same spot with fat double width waves with a feasome lip looming down on those below, one wave was enough, more than that felt foolhardy.

I have written before in detail about Padang Padang surf camp  and my return here did not disappoint,  hosts Andrew and Ina as hospitable as ever. Funny  both Jenny and Erica at the camp back in December had both chosen to return too. Too many highlight, you’d be here all day! Massive appreciation to both Putu and Koyok our local guides for getting me on waves at Bingin i would never have dreamt of paddling for myself. And Steamy for fixing my board after dinging it at the aforementioned break, possibly on fellow guests steves head. For those of you with time on your side check out some pic on flickr (zo there’s on in there just for you lol)

Sunday, woke up couldn’t resist checking the score from previous days Chelsea Hull city game, nil nil, unreal more than worthy of a viewing. After popping out for coffee, settled down to watch a recording of the game. Bloody enthralling it was too, possibilities to steal it. The straw that broke Scolari’s back.

Gaffers arrived at noon with two boards nestled on the Yarra, for the drive up to Sydney’s northern beaches. Headed up to the top to Palm beach, home of Home and Away, soap fans. Rammed, all of Sydney was expecting recored temperatures this weekend, we were not the only ones drifting to the coast. snaked round to Whale beach, stunning, but crazy busy too, after 17 laps of the car park we opted to move on to Bilgola, found a park after approximately 4 days.

Stunning beach with funsize waves, God knows what has happened to the water over the last few days, has plummeted from 23 to what must have been about 17 degrees… chilly! Braved it in boardies and rash vest on Chris M’s barrel rider for an hour and a half or so, then back to the beach to rediscover some feeling in my feet. Great session with Gaffers taking the plaudits for wave of the day to accompany his earlier award for car park three point turn of the day.

Stopped on the way home for some Barramundi and chips at the Newport Arms, no sightings of Alan Hansen on this occasion, but quality view from the unreal beer garden looking over Pittwater. Plans hatched for the future to spend another sunny afternoon here working way through schooners of Coopers. The day was topped off with a rooftop swim and drinks at the scousers place in Pyrmont. Today was a good day.