Redhead’s Col Smith also had a great backhand. One of the top Hawaiian surfers was quoted as saying he was the best backhand at Sunset he had seen, after Col had won the Pro Am there.
In 1977 Bali was just being discovered as a surfing/holiday destination and it did not take long to catch on.
The Sunsets at Bali are beautiful.
Balinese Religious Ceremony
The Elephant Cave Ubud
I visited New Zealand’s North Island in Summer of 1979. The weather was warm and pleasant and the scenery there is awsome. I hitched around for a week and was picked up by many friendly people and I have always appreciated their kindness. I had a lift with 2 retired farmers who stopped at some wonderful places and they waited till I took photos and they shared their sandwiches and thermos of tea with me. I got a lift with a milkman who stopped and opened up the fridge and gave me a carton of milk. I got a lift with a farmer who when he dropped me off told me to visit his brother who would put me up. I walked down quiet county town streets and people stopped and said hello. I wonder if its still the same there now.
New Zealand’s North Island in January 1978 had excellent surf and good weather as the following photos show. The NZ people were friendly and helpful and made my short stay there a memorable one. Locals picked me up if I was hitching, took me surfing, to the pub and put me up. The beaches were unspoilt and beautiful.
Driving down the road to this point you are welcomed by a view of one of the best set ups you could imagine.
Redhead Surf Club is a big part of Redhead’s life style and has always had a great crowd.
Redhead Beach on a crowded summer day showing Redhead surf club around 1978.
Redhead Surf Club Members NSW Championships 1978
The Redhead Boat crew were a fit lot and enjoyed their sport. Shown here cruising down a nice wave at Redhead around 1978.
A close inspection of Redhead Bluff (not too close, there’s rocks falling off – like in Billy the Mountain) shows a Tubular Section in it, recent rain has done some corrosive damage and has hollowed out a literally tubular gnarly slab.
A solid swell pumped through on the last Sunday of May 2010 and the wind held them up. Unknown surfer behind the Redhead Shark Tower.
Not somewhere in Europe – Hunter Valley Gardens in Cessnock’s wine country, a lot of very nice different types of gardens, very well put together.
Justin Lee, one of the most consistant long term surfers from the Lake Macquarie Beaches on a VERY solid day at Dudley September 2009. Photo by Geoff Connors.
The Redhead crew celebrate Gillys Graduation
Angourie 1978 4 guys out.
HOW TO GET MORE CHIPS.
In 1968, on a weekend surfari up the north coast, a small group of starving surfers head into town for a feed after a long day of surfing at Green Knob. They stop at their favorite Taree Fish & Chip Shop. The boys walk up to the counter and the beaming old guy behind the counter asks “Yesssh Pleassshse Boyssssh! “ Yes he had a squeak to every S.
Without batting an eyelid one of the guys orders first (…let’s just call him Jim, a normally quiet reserved guy perhaps bouyed by a great day surfing) “Can I have a hamburger and 10 Cssssentssss worth of chipsssh pleassssh!” (10 cents worth is about $3 worth now)
We all roll our eyes and figure we will be thrown out and go starving now… but the gentleman remains cool and proceeds to take the other orders then make the food.
After a tense 10 minutes of subdued behavior from us, he hands over the first order to Jim – and low and behold there is enough chips to feed an army! The rest of us get the standard portion serving of chips.
I guess he felt an affinity to the fellow speech afflicted Jimmy – or perhaps he just admired his cheekiness! The moral of the story – be an up front complete bastard and you can get away with anything.
Ronnie is getting good waves up the coast right now, here is Byron Bay in May 2010, photo by Ronnie Rudder.
Dweezil Zappa, son of Frank, brought his dad’s music to life again in Newcastle at the great Civic Theatre in April 2009. Dweezil played amazing guitar. I saw Frank Zappa play back in 1972 and 1974, awsome. He had guest Norman Gunston (actor Gary MacDonald) play a harmonica solo. Here Dweezil rips out another guitar solo, this one was from the song Montana. My daughter Ellen took this picture.
Col Smith Shaping Channel Boards
On Surfari around southern NSW near Bega 1977 getting close to susnset, we went through this water way and then went back and did it again for the camera.
Blower & Dad's Band
Late November 2010 Redhead Little Beach is starting to get some sand out the back again with the constant North Easters we have been getting.
