it passed right by me

To anyone out there still reading, I want to thank you for making it this far. It's hard to believe that I arrived here nearly five months ago. After what has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life, I've now reached the end of my Australian journey. I feel like I've done so much during my time here and now have so many great stories to tell, but at the same time there seems to be so many more places to see, people to meet, and of course, waves to be ridden. Such is life in this remarkable world. There will always be more to explore.

All that's left now of my stay is just over 12 hours until I will begin the return leg back home to the United States. It's going to be an absurdly long trip. I depart Sydney tomorrow morning (Wednesday the 30th) at 9:50am here on a flight headed for Los Angeles. From there, I will connect through Minneapolis of all places, and will hopefully end up in Boston by 7:14pm eastern time on Wednesday night if everything goes according to plan. From Boston, I will be heading straight to Woods Hole in order to attempt to catch one of the last ferries of the day to Martha's Vineyard. If it goes well, I will have successfully gone door to door from Bondi Beach to my home town of Chilmark in less than 24 hours (that's including the time change of course). The actual trip will take much longer.

Everything has wound down a lot faster than I expected here. People have been leaving our building nearly every day for the past week. Before I knew it, my friend Garrett and I were the only two left this morning before we had to move out. We spent today walking around Bondi one last time and taking in all of the sights that have made this neighborhood such an extraordinary place to live.

Luckily, I was able to paddle out for the last time at Bondi Beach yesterday afternoon in some very fun and glassy shoulder high surf. It was an incredible experience to watch the sun go down over the colorful winter horizon while catching my last waves in Australia. I don't know if I've ever felt that moved by a session in my life, not necessarily due to the quality of the waves, but due to the magnitude of the situation. There's no telling when I will make it back here, so I figured it would be best to cherish every wave. Let's just say I had to make sure my last one was a good one, and of course, it was. When I exited the water in near darkness to make the barefooted trek back home for the final time, my feet practically became numb from the cold air and the chilled evening sand. I felt no pain. Enduring those few minutes of cold during the walk home is worth it to be able to surf on a daily basis.

Looking back on this past semester I have very few regrets with how everything turned out. When it all boils down to it, I had everyday access to the ocean and consistent surf just a few hundred yards outside my front door. Unfortunately, that's something Nashville will never be able to offer me. In terms of travel, I was able to see a good portion of the New South Wales coastline and was fortunate enough to be able to go to Bali, which was once in a lifetime.

During my time here I also had some pretty interesting wildlife encounters. Whether it was hitting a kangaroo our second day here, surfing with dolphins, or having a late afternoon shark sighting while in the water, there were plenty of eye-opening moments on all ends of the emotional spectrum. I could go on and on about my time here, but I think I've done a decent job covering most of it throughout the semester. Now it's back to my homeland, and I'm definitely thrilled about enjoying another summer on Martha's Vineyard.

Make sure to sound off in the comments section if you're not too shy, as I'd love to hear back from the rare souls out there who have been keeping up with this thing. I've really appreciated any and all support. I can't wait to share my experiences with everyone in person when I return home. I'll probably want to talk about it for hours on end, so forgive me ahead of time. Thanks again and I also can't wait to hear about the last four and a half months of everyone else's lives. I've been a bit out of the loop. See you soon. Hope for good waves.

Bali and beyond

Uluwatu, a surfer's dream.

Sorry for taking so long to make this post, as I'm sure some of you were eager to hear about my extraordinary trip to Bali, Indonesia, which I will talk about shortly. I've been slowly realizing that I don't have much time left in Australia, so I've been trying to make the most of it. There's been quite a lot going on around here with final exams and the World Cup since I returned home to Sydney on the 14th. I've lost plenty of sleep watching soccer over the past week and I plan on doing the same until I leave Australia on June 30th. It's hard to imagine that in a little over a week I will be making the long journey back to the United States, having spent more time out of the country than ever before. Enough about that though, back to the business at hand.

Going to Bali was without a doubt one of the best decisions I've made while over here. I learned so much about the area in such a short amount of time while there, and it's only made me want to continue to travel. It's quite difficult to describe the extent of the trip's greatness in words, but I'll do my best. Hopefully the photos will be able to do most of the talking, as I've included quite a few in this post.

It became obvious to me near the end of our stay that it's difficult to experience everything in Bali in such a short amount of time. I can only imagine the possibilities of being able to spend a full month or two there. That being said, we kept ourselves busy and had a remarkable trip. The surf, weather, and water temperature were all phenomenal and we felt blessed to experience such a different culture from our own. There was hardly anything I regret about the trip as a whole, and Bali is definitely somewhere I hope to return to in the future. The people we encountered were incredibly friendly and wanted nothing more than to help you have a great time in their country. On top of that, the prices were extremely cheap and I had a blast bargaining in the various street markets. I just feel like there's so much to say about the specifics of the trip that I won't even be able to come close to doing it justice. To put it simply, the experience was otherworldly.

In terms of a summary of the trip itself, we spent two days in the Kuta Beach area upon arrival, which is on the actual island of Bali. We surfed at the main beach break at Kuta and also surfed at a reef bottom beach break called Dreamland, which was about a 45 minute drive away. In order to get out there, we hired a driver to take us out there and wait for us while we surfed for a couple hours. It ended up costing less than ten dollars a person, pretty remarkable when you think about what the driver is making per hour. The surf our first couple days was good, but it would only get better. I didn't take many pictures those two days, as I was a bit cautious at first with my camera, but I eventually started to bring it along.

On the morning of the 6th we took a thirty minute ferry ride to the island of Nusa Lembongan, which is completely different from Bali in that it's much smaller and less developed. Believe it or not, they hardly even have paved roads on Lembongan. It's an amazing place to stay because it has access to multiple quality reef breaks that are all within a relatively small area. The crowds can become a problem though, as large numbers of local Indonesian surfers and tourists alike frequent the lineups. That being said, we got some amazing surf on Lembongan, particularly at a break they call Shipwrecks. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the break, as it is several hundred yards offshore and is only accessible by boat. After four days there, we headed back to Kuta Beach for another two days before returning back to Sydney. During those last two days, we made it back to Dreamland for a session and also surfed the famous break of Uluwatu on what an Australian surfer said was "not a great day." The waves looked fine to me, as you'll see in the pictures.

Instead of continuing to babble, I'm going to switch over to the photos. Without further adieu, here are some of the photos from the trip as well as captions to go along with them.

Kuta Beach before sunset. Always a very busy spot.

Small and fun beach break waves at Kuta just before dark. Don't be fooled though, it can get big at the right tide with enough swell, which happens often.

The garden outside our room at Bungalow Number 7, where we stayed on Nusa Lembongan. The hotel was right on the beach and all you had to do to check the surf was poke your head out the door. We had an excellent stay there and I would definitely recommend this hotel if you're looking for an affordable and enjoyable place to stay. We only paid ten dollars a night per person. It still amazes me how good the prices were. Meals were around five or six dollars.

The main street on Lembongan, very quiet, definitely an island feel to it.

The whitewater you see there is a reef break on Lembongan called Playgrounds, which sat a few hundred yards offshore from our hotel. The break is named for its fun and forgiving waves, which provided us with numerous great sessions. At the right tide, which usually seemed to be closer to high tide, the wave breaks both left and right and can serve up some fairly long rides. We got one session during a late afternoon there that I will never forget. It was head high and rolling through perfectly with a few small barrels, one of which I managed to sneak into. It tends to get a bit crowded at times, but when you get it right it's hard to beat this spot.

Another picture of Playgrounds, this time on a bigger swell. This was taken the morning we left to head back to Bali.

This is a Hindu temple behind our hotel on Lembongan. Beautiful architecture to say the least. There are usually people gathering here at most hours throughout the day.

This is a view of several bungalows on the Lembongan oceanside. It was taken on the skiff ride to our ferry back to Bali. The dark areas in the water are seaweed farms, which are protected by the reefs that serve as a barrier to the island. Seaweed is Lembongan's largest cash crop and is an integral part of the lives of many people on the island. When we woke up to check the surf we could sometimes smell the fresh seaweed being hauled up the beach. There are people working on the farms every day. The water is beautiful and crystal clear, which became most apparent when we went snorkeling our second morning there.

This is a reef break they call Razors, which usually can't be surfed due to its inconsistency, shallow bottom, and fast wave. We never surfed it, but it got some huge waves our final morning there when the swell was peaking, which was when this picture was taken. That morning we surfed at Playgrounds and a similar break nearby called Lacerations. The wave in this picture was probably 6-8 foot and might very well have been incredibly difficult and dangerous to surf, as nobody was out there.

Jordan and I with our Indonesian friend Alex, who works at Bungalow Number 7. He helped us out a bunch. I'll definitely try to find him if I ever make it back there.

Switching gears back to Bali now. This is a World Cup bar right on the street that runs parallel to Kuta beach. There were plenty of bars showing all the games. Notice the McDonald's on the side there. Indonesia has many of the same large chain businesses. They even had Starbuck's.

This was taken from the parking lot at Dreamland. Very nice A-frame peak right there. There were some very nicely shaped waves this session, but it had a tendency to close out when the tide began to drop. We still caught some great ones though, as usual.

This is a view of the cliff at the world-renowned beach/reef break Uluwatu. We surfed Uluwatu on our final day. The swell wasn't what it had been the day before, but we still got some amazing waves just a couple hours before low tide. The bottom was incredibly shallow, and just a few feet in some spots, which was a bit nerve-racking. There wasn't all that much power though, so it wasn't particularly dangerous.

A view of the Uluwatu lineup from the cliff. What an amazing left.

Another wave rolling through at Uluwatu, this time with a little bit of a barrel. The waves weren't as hollow as they can be due to the smaller swell size. They were still plenty of fun and had lots of drive though.

Jordan and I with our Indonesian friend Edie. He worked out front of our hotel in Kuta and helped us out a bunch with transportation. One of the nicest people we met the entire trip. He's also very dedicated to learning, as he reads books and newspapers constantly, both in Indonesian and English.

I think I've exhausted this post a bit, but I hope these pictures helped to share some of the experiences from my trip. I'm sure I've left out a bunch of details, but I'll definitely be more than willing to talk more about everything in person. It was a trip that no blog post can fully encapsulate. That's all for now. I'm looking forward to finishing with my last exam on the 24th and then being able to enjoy my last few days in Australia. Look for another post or two before I leave.

ARTS2090 Research Distribution Project

(Note: the following piece of writing is the final project for my ARTS2090 Modes of Publishing class at the University of New South Wales)

Remix Culture: Invading the World One Tile at a Time

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48382770@N02/4577983896/

Artistic creation, particularly in the modern era, often relies upon the reworking and subsequent combination of ideas from past generations. According to political activist Lawrence Lessig, “we can’t stop people from taking culture and remaking it in a way that expresses their ideas differently” (RiP: A Remix Manifesto, 2009). In recent years, this phenomenon, which is often referred to as “remix culture,” has caused increasing tension within the music industry between mash-up artists and copyright holders (O’Brien and Fitzgerald, 2006). However, the impact of remix culture extends well beyond the musical realm to include various other forms of publishing. This project will explore the contemporary example of the world-renowned French street artist known as “Invader,” whose unique artwork highlights a tension between independent artists, large corporations, and governments. As Invader’s situation indicates, remix culture will ultimately prevail in society, due to its invincibility and tendency to spread.

Although Invader’s work may seem simple upon first glance, his genius extends well beyond what meets the eye. Invader’s ceramic tile mosaics, which portray characters from the 1978 video game Space Invaders and other arcade classics, serve as an example of remix culture because they reproduce copyrighted video game iconography in the form of street art (Mitchell and Clarke, 2003). In addition, “Space Invader’s work mirrors the video game culture it references, acknowledging the sensory-overloaded public’s need for immediately digestible symbols” (Fairey, 2005). One common criticism of video game art, though, is that it lacks sophistication in terms of technique and purpose (Mitchell and Clarke, 2003). A closer look at Invader’s work, particularly with regards to his motives and execution, helps to disprove this criticism. Despite the fact that Invader is not the only street artist who uses video games as inspiration, his work stands apart from his peers due to a number of factors, namely its creativity and scale.

When art effectively borrows and combines different styles and elements, it can sometimes be called eclectic (Hume, 1998). Thus, would it be fair to call Invader’s work eclectic? What, if anything, do mosaics and video games even have in common? To the average person, it might not seem like much at all. Invader’s creativity and subsequent originality can be seen in the way in which he establishes a connection between mosaics and video games, two separate entities. Through his recognition of the similarity between ceramic tiles and pixilation graphics in early video games, Invader set out to construct an art project that would eventually prove to be revolutionary. In so doing, he was able to turn limitations into assets by way of his translation of pixels on a screen to tiles on a wall (Fairey, 2005). Invader’s unprecedented method of bringing video games to life by way of an ancient decorative technique indicates yet another way in which his art relates back to the topic of remix culture. His work builds upon what has come before it in order to express new ideas.

The scale of Invader’s work, arguably its greatest strength, helps put his artistic goals into perspective. Unlike many other street artists, Invader has created an international spectacle that lacks limitation, allowing him access to a large portion of the world’s population on a daily basis. Beginning with his Paris project in 1996, which now features over 500 mosaics scattered across the city, Invader has embarked on a worldwide artistic journey, during which he has plastered his work on the side of public edifices in over thirty cities worldwide, spanning five continents (Fairey, 2005). The global nature of Invader’s ongoing project can be best summarized by his own words. “I’m invading space, public space. And it was very logical… I’m invading the planet with Space Invaders characters… I put them on walls all around the world” (Bomb It! The Global Graffiti Documentary, 2007). Based upon the wide reach of Invader’s work, he has achieved something truly groundbreaking in the artistic world, in that his creations are both easily recognizable and readily accessible to many.

Aside from the artistic achievements of Invader’s work, he has highlighted a number of tensions in today’s world, mostly due to the illegal nature of his actions. One of these tensions exists between corporations and artists, while another exists between governments and artists. “The installed invaders become counterculture surveillance drones, reminding people that government and monolithic corporations aren’t the only ones watching” (Fairey, 2005). Invader’s mosaics serve not only as art, but also as a public outlet for political expression. According to Lessig, remix culture, which usually results in tension, is a sign of creativity and progress. “This is writing in the 21st century. It is literacy for a new generation. It is building a different democracy. It is building a different culture, where people participate in the creation and the recreation of the culture around us, a form of culture that has existed from the beginning of human society.” (RiP: A Remix Manifesto, 2009). That being said, how far should society be allowed to go, particularly when the bending and breaking of current laws becomes an issue? As Invader’s story suggests, the possibilities are endless.

The first tension caused by Invader’s art deals with the potential copyright protection of his subject matter. As stated before, Invader’s mosaics depict copyrighted material in the form of street art. This facet of his art results in tension between artists and copyright holders or large corporations. That being said, it seems a bit ridiculous to be accusing him of violating copyright laws, due to the fact that he is merely interpreting video game characters for his art rather than reproducing them once again in digital form. This exact dilemma of how copyright laws should be interpreted is one that remix culture seems to refer back to time and time again. The most extreme interpretation of existing copyright laws will not just make remixing more difficult, it will make it near impossible (Lessig, 2005). When speaking about the prevalent nature of remix culture as a whole, Lessig put it best by saying, “if this is a crime, then we have a whole generation of criminals” (RiP: A Remix Manifesto, 2009). Lessig is alluding to the fact that the entire modern generation has relied upon the practices of remix culture, and if society is going to punish individuals, it might as well punish everyone. On the other hand, if copyright laws are interpreted more liberally, that leaves room for remix culture to flourish and artists such as Invader to not have to deal with being called a thief.

The second tension caused by Invader deals with the fact that defacing public property is illegal. Due to the presence of his artwork in multiple nations, Invader is not only a domestic criminal, but also an international criminal. For this very reason, Invader chooses to remain anonymous, and only appears in interviews while wearing a mask (Bomb It! The Global Graffiti Documentary). This particular tension, which exists between artists and international governments, deals less with remix culture and more with purpose. Even though some people may consider Invader to be a criminal, the motivation behind his artwork reveals a sense of potential reconciliation. According to Invader himself, he believes that his work possesses the ability to raise society’s awareness about a number of factors. “If there were not artists like me, to make things in the street, there would only be advertising everywhere… It’s not there to make people happy or to show nice pictures. It’s just there to make you spend your money. That’s why I think I’m not a vandal. What I’m doing is good for the population, because it’s an alternative to advertising” (BOMB IT! The Global Graffiti Documentary, 2007). Thus, amidst all of the criminal activity, there exists a desire to reach society on an intellectual level.

The invincible nature of Invader’s artistic experiment displays the manner in which remix culture possesses the ability to overpower older media institutions and practices. His artwork has remained in most areas, due both to the difficulty of its removal and the locations he selects. “Space Invader’s mosaics are rarely removed, because they’re visible to the right people yet under the radar of the “wrong” people… He is winning the war by not bringing the wrath of the authorities, while still reminding people that underground expression is alive” (Fairey, 2005). The fact that his artwork has rarely been removed and is present in over 30 cities worldwide stands as a testament to the staying power and invincibility of his work. Likewise, Invader has remained anonymous and free of criminal charges, which further adds to his legacy. Through his work, Invader has developed a method of illegal expression that has defeated authoritative control in multiple nations and has reached an extensively wide audience.

Based on the contemporary example of the street artist Invader, which highlights a number of societal tensions, there exists an eventual tendency for remix culture to prevail in the modern age. In addition, Lessig’s ideas about the significance and necessity of remix culture help prove that artists such as Invader are essential in order for creativity and progress to occur. “The last decade is filled with extraordinarily good work by some of the very best scholars in America, mapping and sketching alternatives to the existing system. These alternatives would achieve the same ends that copyright seeks, without making felons of those who naturally do what new technologies encourage them to do” (Lessig, 2008). Therefore, if copyright can be somewhat compromised without harming anyone in the process, then it makes sense to explore alternatives to the existing system. It makes little sense at all for society to favor restriction over creativity. If this type of thinking were to become dominant, the development of new ideas would become stagnant. It seems only natural to build upon the past in order to move forward. Remix culture has existed throughout human history and will continue to do so until it becomes derailed by an opposing force. Regardless of whether it happens through mash-up music or video game street art, remix culture will emerge victorious over the forces of copyright oppression. All you have to do is walk through the streets of some of the world’s biggest cities to learn that the invasion of remix culture is everywhere.


Bibliography

Bomb It! The Global Graffiti Documentary (2007) Directed by: Jon Reiss. Los Angeles, USA. [film]. LA: Antidote Films.

Hume, Helen D. (1998) The Art Teacher's Book of Lists. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Lessig, L. (2005) The People Own Ideas! Technology Review. June Issue. pp. 46-53.

Lessig, L. (2009) Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy. London: Bloomsbury.

Fairey, S. (2005) Space Invader. Swindle Magazine. Issue 03. [online] Available at: http://swindlemagazine.com/issue03/space-invader-2/ [Accessed 1 June 2010].

Mitchell, G and Clarke, A. (2003) Videogame Art: Remixing, Reworking and Other Interventions. Level Up: Proceedings of the 1st International Digital Games Research Conference. Utrecht, Netherlands: University of Utrecht Press Utrecht. pp. 338-349

O'Brien, D. and Fitzgerald B. (2006) Mashups, remixes and copyright law. Internet Law Bulletin. 9(2): pp. 17-19.

RiP: A Remix Manifesto (2009) Directed by: Brett Gaylor. Montreal, Canada. [film]. Montreal: EyeSteelFilm.

One More Day

Jordan and I leave for Bali tomorrow evening, and I have to say, I don't know if I've been this excited since arriving in Australia. Not to mention, the World Cup starts in a little over a week. I'll be in the Darwin airport for the return layover during the U.S. opener against England, so I should be able to find a TV to watch the game, even though it will be around 4am.

The current plan for our trip is to spend our first night in Kuta, and then hop a ferry ride to the much smaller island of Nusa Lembongan, which we've heard amazing things about. Both our travel books and people we've talked to have raved about it. It's basically a much smaller, less crowded, and less developed version of Bali. We plan on spending two or three nights there, and then heading back to Bali for the remainder of the trip. As usual for this time of year, the surf report looks excellent for everywhere in the area. Hopefully we'll score some great waves and have an incredible trip. I will be leaving my laptop at home, so don't expect to hear from me all that much until I arrive back in Sydney on the 14th.

Also, my next post, which will go up in the next 24 hours, will feature my final assignment for my Modes of Publishing class. Although the assignment itself has very little to do with this blog, it's a requirement that we publish our work via blogger. Thus, I will be posting my work online for everyone to see. My paper deals with the topic of "remix culture" and how it relates to the world renowned street artist Invader, who some of you may or may not be familiar with. Feel free to check it out. You just might learn a thing or two.

Destination: Bali

"We'd discovered the biggest candy store for surf there could ever be."
-Surfing pioneer Gerry Lopez, talking about the discovery of Bali in the 1970s.

The time has come for one of the most coveted surfing pilgrimages known to man. On June 4th Jordan and I will be traveling to the Indonesian island of Bali for what will likely be the trip of a lifetime. We will return to Sydney on June 14th, just in time to prepare for final exams. Words can hardly even begin to describe how I feel.

Planning this adventure had been on both of our minds since we arrived in Australia, and when the opportunity arose to book an affordable flight a few weeks back, we seized the moment. There was no point in waiting around any longer and continuing to dream about how awesome it would be to go to Bali. Thus, we decided to make that dream a reality.

In case you don't know much about the island of Bali, it's widely recognized as one of the world's top surfing destinations, and has even been referred to as "The Disneyland of surfing." As one of the 17,000 islands that comprise the Republic of Indonesia, Bali is home to over 3 million people, 90 percent of whom adhere to Hinduism. Compared to Australia, prices are incredibly cheap in Bali, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations for traveling Australians. Besides world class surfing, Bali also offers beautiful beaches, exotic wildlife, bargain shopping, and active nightlife. That being said, this will be a surfing intensive trip, so we won't have much time for anything besides eating, sleeping, and of course, surfing.

In terms of the waves, the southern portion of the island receives consistent swell nearly all year round, due to the fact that both its east and west coasts are exposed to the Indian ocean. It features a wide variety of waves to choose from, ranging from expert reef breaks to beginner beach breaks. On top of that, the island sits near the equator, so both the water and air temperatures remain warm all year. I checked the weather yesterday and it said that both the air and water temperatures were around 84 degrees, which would be the warmest ocean water I've ever been in. The photograph from above is a stunning view of the lineup at Uluwatu, one of Bali's most iconic reef breaks, located on the west side of Bali's southern peninsula. The island is littered with barreling waves, all of which are easily accessible within a short drive.

We're currently working out the specific logistics of our trip, but we'll likely be staying around the Kuta beach area for the first couple nights after we arrive. We've bought an Indonesian surfing guidebook as well as a Lonely Planet guidebook for Bali in order to help us do a bit of research. The overall plan at the moment is to warm up with some of the beach breaks and then make our way toward some of the reef and point breaks. There are plenty of waves to choose from in Bali, so we should have plenty of fun no matter where we surf. I'll have more information about the trip once we get closer to departure. If you know of anyone who has been to Bali, definitely let me know, as I'm trying to gather as much information as possible.

Bondi boom

How's everyone doing back in the states? It must feel great to be heading into the summer. In case you didn't realize, were actually heading into winter down here in the southern hemisphere (notice Nick and I are putting on our wetsuits). Calling it winter is a bit of an exaggeration though. It was sunny and close to 70 today with clean 6-8 foot surf and a water temperature of around 72, enough said.

I feel a little weird not being done with classes yet, but alas, I'm in Australia and I surf every day, what more could I ask for? It's hard to believe that at this time the past two years I was already back home on Martha's Vineyard dealing with water temperatures as low as 52 degrees. The thought of jumping into water that cold right now makes me nauseous. However, the thought of tearing into clean empty waves back in Chilmark always brings a smile to my face. Australia's only fault may be its crowds, but they don't cause problems too often.

School has been going well, but it's always a challenge to get work done seeing as I live so close to the beach. Whenever I get home after classes the first thing I usually do is head straight for the ocean, even if I'm exhausted or have work to do. It's great to be able to take my mind away from everything for a couple hours before having to buckle down and open up the books. I figure that I can do school work any time of day, but I can only surf when it's light outside. This train of thought has resulted in many endless afternoons of surf and many endless nights of work. Such is life in Australia. I once heard a saying that Australians don't live to work, they work to live. I couldn't agree with this more.

In terms of my social life (yes, I do have one here, how amazing) I have been going out a decent amount, but it's just as easy to stay in and try to save money, as the price of virtually everything around here can be quite daunting. That being said, the highlight of this past week was without a doubt when I headed into the city with a few friends to see Vampire Weekend (one of my favorite bands) play an excellent show. This had been planned for quite a while, as we bought tickets a couple months back when we learned they would be playing in Sydney during their inaugural Australian tour. The show was amazing and I will be sure to try to catch them next year in Nashville if I get the chance. Here are a few photos from the concert.


In other news, we've had an incredible run of swell here this past week. Luckily, our friend Garrett, who is currently learning to surf, decided to head down to the beach with his camera a couple times this week when the surf was a bit too big for him to paddle out. It was pretty choppy, but there were some decent waves rolling through. The first few were taken from the south section of the beach, while the others were taken from the north section of the beach a couple days later. Here they are, captions included.

Nick and I gearing up to paddle out

Nick rolling down the line on a messy one

Unknown surfer taking off on a bomb

Me pulling away from a massive closeout, well overhead

A huge one rolling through by the North Bondi rocks

Me ducking under the lip of one, heading for the back door

Unknown surfer heading down the line on a great one

Nick getting ready to snap the lip, notice his leotard wetsuit, very retro

Me trying to pump down the line and beat the section

We had excellent waves this afternoon, which were much cleaner than the ones in the photos. Unfortunately, our new found surf photographer Garrett didn't make it down to the beach to document it. Hopefully we'll be able to get him out there again sometime soon.

It's crazy to think that I've only got a little over one month left here. As a result, Jordan and I have officially decided that we need to make the most of it. Now, you might be asking yourself, what exactly does that mean? In my next post I will be releasing the information about our next surfing expedition, which we just planned two days ago. All I will say at this point is that we're heading to Mecca (figuratively, not literally). So long until next time.

urban surfing

Greetings to everyone back home. Stay away from those floods if you're in Nashville. The pictures I've seen look crazy. Just so you know, it drizzled here today for the first time in a couple weeks. The air temperature has still been in the 70s though, so no need to panic. I surfed in my trunks today, but got cold after about an hour and a half, not too bad. It's getting close to permanent wetsuit weather, but that's nothing I can't handle. Surfing back home in Chilmark often requires a wetsuit during the summer, particularly in the mornings. I'm convinced that Australia doesn't have a Fall season. It still feels like summer here, how wonderful.

On the whole we've had above average surf this week. The swell has been consistent for the most part, but the crowds this weekend became a bit frustrating, so my friend Nick and I decided to take one session off to get some good photograghs. On Sunday afternoon we walked around Bondi to take a few photos with our friend John's camera (zoom lens, expensive, etc.). Sunday tends to be a particularly active time of the week around town. The surf photos are from nearby Tamarama Beach, which has become my surf spot of choice as of late. We surfed the waves in the photos earlier that morning. As always, make sure to click on them to see the enlarged versions. I'm going to let the images do most of the talking. Here they are for your enjoyment, there's a whole bunch (captions included):

Apparently parrots that sit on people's shoulders are normal around here.


The Sunday markets at the Bondi elementary school. Typically a hipster haven. Trendy gear sold separately

Art tent at the markets.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Jim Morrison."

Campbell Parade, Bondi's main drag. Busy as ever. Notice the palms. Florida?


Pool at the Bondi skatepark overlooking the beach.


Local ripper. I'd hurt myself if I tried to drop into that pool. The surf was small at Bondi, so we headed down the road to Mackenzie's Bay and Tamarama...


Cliff meditation at Mackenzie's Bay. Very Zen.


Bodysurfer at Mackenzie's. Just about as close to nature as man can get.


Opposite side of Mackenzie's. Boogie Boarding is alive and well in Australia. Surfers here call them "speed bumps." How fitting.


Massive wave rolling into the rocks. The people give a good idea of scale.


Tamarama freight train. Look out for the lip.


Our Australian friend Christian and I checking out the action from the rocks. We ran into him getting out of the water when we arrived.


Our other Australian friend Paedor (pronounced Pada with an Australian accent) taking off on one close to the rocks at Tamarama.


A heavy wall rolling through. Steep takeoff. How about that for a left?

That's all for now around these parts. I'm looking into planning another camping excursion sometime soon, so I will update with those details if and when they become available. As always, thanks for checking out the pictures and feel free to leave a comment (if anyone actually read this far). It didn't work out too well last time I had a huge post...

anzac day

Picture this: you're at a Sydney bar at 4:30 in the afternoon with more people than you've ever seen there on a Saturday night. Everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder around a fenced off area, holding 5, 10, 20, and sometimes even 50 dollar bills in the air. People are shouting, hollering, clapping, speaking in accents from all across the globe, using slang words that you don't understand, and of course, trying to get you to gamble with them (everyone is friendly, don't worry). This event only happens once a year. They're all betting on a coin flipping game known as Two-Up, which is incredibly simple, but very entertaining. You win some bets, lose some bets, have a blast, and miraculously leave the bar with more money than you showed up with.

This is what happens all across Australia and New Zealand only one day of the year, April 25th, ANZAC Day, which celebrates the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). It's similar to Memorial Day or Veteran's Day back in the USA, but the attitude is more of a combination between the 4th of July and St. Patrick's day, everyone is looking to have a good time. It was definitely one of the best cultural experiences I've had so far in Australia.

To make the weekend even better, I woke up this morning to solid 8 foot surf right out front at Bondi. The wind was on-shore, meaning it was a bit choppy out there, but there were still some great waves rolling through. Luckily, it wasn't too crowded because of the size of the waves and the strength of the currents. People were also probably recovering from Anzac Day. I had a great session this afternoon and am now relaxing on the couch, reflecting back on one of the best weekends I've had so far in Australia. Hard to believe I've been here for three months and only have two more left before I head back.

In terms of school (yes, I do in fact go to school here in case you were wondering), I had my most strenuous week of work last week, so it was great to be able to have an authentic Australian weekend in order to celebrate. Two presentations and a paper all crammed into one week was difficult to manage considering I live right next to the beach. When I come home from class all I want to do is surf, so I usually save my school work for later on when it's dark outside. I wrote a paper about Australian surfing legend Mark Occhilupo for my Sport, Law, and Society in Australia class, which was pretty interesting. The paper basically hailed him as the most significant Australian surfer of the modern era. It outlined his impact on the sport and his legendary comeback from obscurity to win his first and only World Championship in 1999 at age 33, one of the greatest feats in sports history. It's great to know that I'm becoming a student of the sport.

In terms of what's next for me, I'm looking into making some travel plans for our time off either before or after exams in June. Jordan and I are exploring a few options right now. It could be quite epic. I'll have more information at a later date. Until then, hang loose.

"heaps of swell, mate"

That's a kangaroo crossing sign if you've never seen one. It's been far too long since I've updated, sorry about that. The remote regions of New South Wales don't exactly provide the best options for regular internet usage, especially when you're gone for 10 days. The McDonald's free internet just doesn't cut it (so slow). No need to worry though, I'm alive and I surf every day, what more could I ask for?

Before I begin, I want to point out that I've updated the map on the right side to include all of the spots I've surfed while here, which now totals 15. Also, please feel free to sound off in the comments section. It's good to hear from people and know that somebody actually looks at this thing. Even though this post is long, please make sure to check out the pictures and videos. They're well worth it. Anyways, back to business.

My semester break was a spectacular journey to say the least. The epic adventure featured ripping right hand point breaks, 10 foot beach break swell, new surf spots, barrels, a shark siting (holy shit), classic campsite dinners, Australian hospitality, and some great laughs. After my third tour of the coastline, I feel like I know the area quite well. This surfing and camping exploration went a little something like this:

On Thursday (April 1st), I hopped on the Sydney public transit and picked up our rental campervan (it was really just a minivan with a bed in the back). Jordan and I began the journey by ourselves, traveling north to stay at Yagon for the first night. After waking up the following morning to nearly flat conditions, we decided to get right back on the road and head to Crescent Head. The surf forecast for Crescent was one of the best I've seen so far in Australia and it ended up holding true, with solid swell rolling through for a full three days. When we pulled up Friday afternoon the surf was head high and pumping off the point. See the pictures below for confirmation. Make sure to click on them to see the enlarged versions. The first photo was taken on Friday and the second on Saturday morning.


Some of the rides on the biggest waves could easily last for over 200 meters. Pretty hard to believe. Unfortunately it was quite crowded, due to Easter Weekend, which became frustrating by the middle of Saturday when there were over a hundred people out there. Due to the crowds, we decided to explore some of the nearby beaches, which ended up being more exposed to the incoming swell direction. We surfed at a beach break close by with only a few other people out. The wind was offshore and the surf was a solid 8 feet with occasional sets rolling through that were 10 feet. It was definitely the heaviest session I've surfed in Australia, but I didn't at all feel in danger because it was so clean. Most of the waves were closing out, but I ended up getting a couple good ones that stayed open. Here's a picture I took from the parking lot.


On Sunday we drove up to Scotts Head, which is about an hour from Crescent. We were able to score an excellent and uncrowded beach break session there that was honestly some of the most fun I've had surfing in a long time. Jordan and I were out for around two hours and caught about 30 waves each. It was near head high and very clean, but not too difficult to catch and ride. I didn't bring my camera for the long walk down the beach. Sucks.

That afternoon we made the drive back to Crescent, where we decided to surf the beach break right next to the point before sunset, little did we know this wouldn't be such a good idea. Most people were surfing the point and there were only a few others out at the beach break. We'd only been out there for probably 20 minutes when the unthinkable happened.

After I caught a wave that took me near the inside, I heard Jordan yelling my name from about 40 yards away. He was signaling toward the beach, saying that we needed to get out. I was in about waist deep water, so I hopped onto a bit of whitewash and headed in easily. Once I reached the shore, I could hear what he was saying. "Holy shit I just saw a shark out there." I quickly turned to survey the water, and just as a big wave was rolling through, I briefly saw a triangular shaped fin and a dark outline glide parallel to the beach and disappear shortly after. If I had to guess it was probably in the 6-8 foot range. I've seen dolphins before, and this definitely wasn't one. It made sense as it was near sunset, which is typically when they feed close to shore. After consulting a fisherman down the beach, we learned that you can sometimes spot what he referred to as "Bronze Whalers" or Copper Sharks on this stretch of beach at that time of day. They are somewhat dangerous, but attacks are rare, as they typically hunt bait fish. Scary stuff, but the journey rolled along.

The following day (Monday) we stopped in for a quick surf at Scotts Head again, which was excellent, before we headed about three hours inland to meet up with our friends Garrett and Nick in a small town called Armidale. They had been visiting with family friends on a private ranch for Easter weekend and had taken a train to meet up with us. After breaking out the tent and spending the night in a campsite in Armidale, we continued along toward Byron Bay, where we would meet up with our fifth and final traveler, our friend Jason, who'd been in Byron for a music festival that weekend. We spent two nights in Byron and the solid swell continued during our time there. Here's two photos from nearby Broken Head, where we scored some great waves. The waves pictured here are actually at the back beach at Broken. I wanted to paddle out there, but the other guys weren't so keen on surfing alone, so we paddled out at the front beach break where it wasn't quite the same, but still very good and hardly crowded. I guess the shark story had some of us a bit rattled.


After our two nights in Byron, we headed back down the coast toward Sydney, spending Thursday night in Scotts Head and Friday night in Yagon. The surfed wasn't quite the same as before at Scotts Head, but we were able to find a nice point break that was working well on the way down to Yagon at a place called Wallabi Beach. It wasn't at all crowded which made for a great session. It doesn't get much better that surfing an uncrowded point break. Here's a couple photos from the spot.


The final leg of the trip went well, even though Yagon didn't serve up too much clean surf. We managed to sneak in a great session on Saturday at Avoca Beach before returning the camper back to Sydney. Overall, the trip was a major success, as I got to surf some of the best waves of my life, see some amazing parts of the country, and spend some quality time with everyone on the trip. If the previous photos weren't already enough, here are a few more pictures and a few candid videos of us that were shot with Jason's flip video camera. Captions included.

Our whole crew, L to R: Jason, Garrett, Jordan, Nick, me.

Atop a headland checking out yet another surf spot.

Garrett walking on his slack line. I've started to learn. Very difficult but great for balance.

Beautiful shorebreak at back Crescent on the return leg.

Leaving Scotts Head to search for waves.

After the session at Wallabi Beach.

Waking up at Yagon on the final day.