Merry Christmas! I was trying to think of something to do with Christmas and it’s with thanks to Dale and Zoe I have the true tale of Wendy Bendy Bertha.
Poor Wendy (formerly named Bertha) the Chicken, somehow broke her leg. Dale and Zoe took her to the righteous vet at Raymond Terrace who set her leg in a cast.
Wendy in the cast
Poor Wendy had to be suspended in a basket and with lots of loving care was slowly on the mend.
Poor Wendy on the mend
Because she was so good, the next trip into the Vet for a checkup Wendy got a little special treatment.
Wendy picked out a video - her favourite Chicken Run of course.
Wendy picks Chicken Run
Wendy went in to try on some new shoes.
WBB goes shoe shopping
Wendy even picked a handbag to match.
WBB picks a matching handbag
Wendy paid from her own credit card.
WBB pays for the shopping
Wendy even got to sit on good Santa’s knee and tell him what she wanted for christmas.
Wendy and Santa
Wendy eventally got back out in the paddock with all her friends especially Scooby the horse, but now Wendy has a very unique Chicken Strut .
WBB back in the paddock
10/12/11 The surf was solid and choppy but this Redhead Body boarder finds a gem amongst the trying conditions.
Redhead bodyboarder 10-12-11
Rique Smith at Redhead with a selection of his dad Col Smith’s channel boards. Photo with thanks from David and Brendan.
Rique Smith with Col Smith channel boards
25/11/11 Pacific Dreams opened their new Darby Street Newcastle surf shop.
The shop is full of new boards, some second hand ones and a lot of surf gear.
Pacific Dreams 1
One of the features in the shop is a huge skylight highlighting 4 large surf photos. This one I took around 1975 of Roy lee and Martin Littlewood working together in a lantana covered chook shed at Redhead.
Pacific Dreams 2
PD owners Roy and Jan join the boys Ronnie and Bidsar in celebrating some hard work getting it all together.
Pacific Dreams 3
Roy enjoys a beer with Ronnie Rudder and board maker Peter McCabe.
Check out Grubby’s boards on web site www.petermccabesurfboards.com.au
Pacific Dreams 4
The girls in front of the huge amount of surf gear on offer.
Pacific Dreams 5
The PD boys enjoying a few beers.
Pacific Dreams 6
Chris and Megan Totterman with Roy in front of the wall of photos Chris worked hard in creating.
Pacific Dreams 7
Shane and Ronnie maybe trying to tell me there is something up on the roof.
Pacific Dreams 8
A rare trip in front of the camera Roy and Crow. We went to school together and started surfing together around 1964.
Pacific Dreams 9
Roy has a couple of beers literally, just remember Roy you got to get up early and get this shop up and running.
Pacific Dreams 10
Saturday 5/11/11 a heavy 2 metre swell hitting Newcastle and a poor guy gets swept out of the Bogey Hole by a large set and is in rough water with no way back in. The situation was filmed by a visitor to Newcastle and here are some stills of the situation unfolding.
An unlucky swimmer gets washed into some rough water at the Bogey Hole.
surf rescue1
Lucky he keeps a cool head and Newcastle Lifesaver Mick Body comes up on the Quad and makes his way down to the rock ledge. Mick signals to the guy to go further out.
surf rescue2
Mick dives in with the torpedo tube just in time to cop a set coming.
surf rescue3
Mick makes his way out through some heavy going.
surf rescue4
Mick gets close when the heaviest wave comes.
Surf Rescue5
No more images available. Mick got to the swimmer, the Jet Ski launched out from Nobby’s arrived soon after and takes them back to Newcastle Beach. A well coordinated rescue which showed some strength and courage and lucky the guy was a strong swimmer and kept his cool.
Black Ned’s Bay at Swansea is a picturesque place to go for a paddle. The wind was stiff from the east and no beaches were worth a look for a surf but, a paddle out here on a SUP, or anything that paddles can make up for that. It is quiet beautiful protected and there is lots to look at. Best go at high tide as the bottom has some sharp oyster shells on the Mangrove roots. I had a paddle here a month or so ago and a pelican came flying toward me, landed not 10 foot from me and grabbed a fish, I though – I wish I had a camera on me so I came prepared today.
Black Ned’s Bay entrance from Swansea Channel
Black Neds Bay entrance 27-10-11
Pelicans on a sand spit at Black Ned’s Bay
Black Neds Bay Pelicans on sandspit 27-10-11
Boats moored at the entrance
Black Neds Bay Boats 27-10-11
There are lots of islands to explore
Black Neds Bay Islands 27-10-11
The mangrove trees reflect into the glassy water
Black Neds Bay Mangrove reflections 27-10-11
A Ski paddler comes the other way, a smile and a wave is common place
Black Neds Bay Ski Paddler 27-10-11
There are lots of pelicans here as the bottom is shallow and they can see their dinner
Black Neds Bay Pelican 27-10-11
The shallow water has some sharp oyster clusters to beware of. I suggest you don’t jump in, maybe wear booties in case
Black Neds Bay the sharp things on the bottom 27-10-11
Another spreading Mangrove tree with its reflection in the water
Black Neds Bay Big Mangrove 27-10-11
I took a run under the Swansea Bridge and I noticed a bloke looking over with interest. I recognised it was Kevin Harman – the Lake Macquarie areas master of all things to do on water and a great bloke, I stopped for a chat. Kevin is an icon in our area having built and ridden surfboards in the 60′s, windsurfed in the 80′s then became the World Champ Masters ski paddler as well as winning Aussie State and Branch titles.
Kevin Harman at Swansea Bridge 27-10-11
Redhead Lovely arvo 18/8/11 and a few good waves and some good surfers out.
Redhead Surfer 18/8/11
Redhead surfer 18-08-11 1
Redhead surfer 18/8/11
Redhead surfer 18-08-11 8
Redhead surfers 18/8/11
Redhead surfers 18-08-11 5
Redhead Bluff with the late arvo sun showing out its colour.
Redhead Bluff 18-08-11
But it went pearshaped Friday arvo 19/8/11 a strong front hit wiping the surf out for the weekend.
Storm coming 19/8/11
Redhead beach storm 19-08-11
Bad moon rising 19/8/11 Storm clouds on the way
Redhead stormy sky 19-09-11
Boys at the Barby for TR’s 21st Crows Garage 1980
Crows Garage party 1977
Sidewinder cranking at the Mawson 1978 – Great Band!!
Sidewinder Mawson 1978
Chambers of Horror Newcastle Show 1979
Newcastle Show Chambers of Horror 1979
Peaceful Byron Bay early morning 1979
Bryon Bay 1980
Mark Richards, 4 times world surfing champion taking time out to surf a local break.
Martin Littlewood and Roy Lee making boards in the old Chicken Shed down along the Redhead Road around 1976. Both are now established respected board makers. Martin as Delta Designs in Margaret River and Roy as Pacific Dreams in Newcastle.
Windsurfing was big in the 70’s and Jim Wiley was one of the best shown here at Blacksmiths.
This was a big day at Redhead in 2001, the waves were huge and some of the local guys were ripping. Unknown surfer.
Unknown surfer Redhead Beach July 2001
A classic line up at Byron Bay in the late 70’s
Bells Beach Surfing Competion in 1977. The surf was good and big for the finals. Sorry I can’t remember who it was.
Another good line up – Newcastle Cowrie Hole in 1978.
Out of control storm in June 2007 making a mess of Redhead beach. The storm grounded the Pascha Bulker at Nobby’s the day before.
Cold Chisel first came up to Newcastle in the late 1970’s and played at the local southern pubs and clubs the Orana, Belmont Sporties, Mawson, Swansea Workers and went on to bigger things quick. They always played their guts out and got a big Newcastle following. great guys too. Ian Moss wowed us with guitar, Jimmy Barnes revved the crowds, Don Walker’s songs made us listen and the beat was held by Phil and Steve.
Jimmy and the boys were outrageous and played great stuff. Ignatious was a showman and always up to mischief to say the least. Rumours were he left a lot of gigs in the roadies gear boxes. Here at he Belmont Sporties I had no idea what he was going to do next.
Cold Chisel toured Newcastle constantly making Newcastle a Chisel stronghold. The music suited our town’s working class fans and were always great shows.
After another great gig at the Mawson, Don Walker gets to sit down and relax and takes the jar going around. Don was always thinking… and well, just maybe he comes up with inspiration and the first words for a new song (Cheap Wine).
Lou Reed came to the Civic and gave a great show, I was lurking about a bit back from the stage with my camera when a big wild hairy guy picked me up put me on his front row seat and said “now take an fn picture mate”. Lou eyballed me, I clicked and then Lou just winked at me and carried on the great show.
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