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
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.
Digger windsurfing at Blacksmiths around 1979 – Full throttle and fins out, heading right at me.
Saturday morning a cool stiff sou-wester sprung up. The surf was small and flat but picturesque between cloud banks.
Col Smith hanging 5 at Redhead 1978. This was not a popular surfing manouver at the time on short boards, but has come back in favour with the reappearance of longboard riders.
Newcastle Show 1978 – the Spruker talks up the Haunted House Ride.
The Redhead Gables 1978. Flying into Redhead, as you do, the first property you saw was a large grand old house with tennis courts known as the Gables, originally a Miners Hostel, then a Convent, now a housing estate. Development in Redhead has now caught up to it on both sides of the road.
August 2010 – The sand banks have not been good for surfers – except for the hardy bodyboarders geting some gnarly closeout barrels. Unknown bodyboarder Rehead Little Beach August 2010
A week later a little smaller, but good shape for the bodyboards. August 2010. Is that Bob the barber walking down for a session on the right? Yep.
Simon Anderson wins Bells 1977. Simon surfed powerfully in a solid swell to win and he enjoys the moment after a close final.
Redhead Surf Club 70th Reunion around 1977. A bunch of old mates meet up over a few frosty glasses.
Col Smith shaping Channel Boards
Redhead Beach May 2007. Not a bad right and no one out. A film company making the movie “Newcastle” were set up in the beach car park, so other surfers were surfing a bank further down the beach. I paddle out here 5 minutes after taking this photo, when from the other side of the shark tower, one of the films surfing actors paddles out with a water cameraman in tow. I struck up a conversation and he advised it was no problem with me out during the filming, so we shared the break for the session with just the two of us out.
Surfest Sunday 20/03/11 around 11:30 Semi Finals, unsure who the riders were, could’nt catch the commentary.
Newcastle Surfest Semi 20-03-11
Newcastle Surfest Semi 20-3-11
Newcastle Surfest Semi 20-03-11
Newcastle Surfest 2011 – Body Painting Tent.
Newcastle Surfest Body Painting 20-3-11
Super Moon – very full moon Sunday 20/3/2011 The clouds opened up a hole and the moon shone through the black.
Redhead’s long serving and legendary Beach Inspector Wally Berwick picks a befitting board out of the Surfest collection assembled at Redhead Beach in 1986. Another picture courtesy of Tom Fordes collection.
Redhead Beach January 17th 2011 unknown surfer on a big swell pushed down from Queensland.
Redhead Beach unknown surfer 17-01-2011
Redhead Beach unknown surfer 17-01-11
Looking over Lake Macquarie from Belmont 16 Footers Balcony on a very calm late March Sunday afternoon, and enjoying a cold beer too.
Belmont Lake Macquarie 11-03-2011