21st January 2012

Posted on November 9, 2012 by geoffcrow

Redhead regular and a real nice bloke, Glen “Lenny” Folkard was attacked and bitten by a shark surfing at Redhead Wednesday afternoon 18/1/2011. With him keeping a cool head and the gutsy efforts of the guys in the water, he was brought in quickly. The Lifeguards and luckily some paramedics were there to help slow the blood loss and with the Ambulance’s speedy attention he is recovering in hospital from some large gashes.

The guys who helped should get unlimited waves from now on. Many thanks to Nathan, Steve, Tony and Danny and any others who were there and helped.

From all the Redhead guys, we wish Lenny all the best in his recovery and hope he can put it behind him. Did it rattle us? Yes … eveyone’s talking about it and going back out in the water very warily. This is the first shark attack since the 1930’s at Redhead, so the odd’s were big considering how many people have gone into the water in over 80 years. But we know they are out there. Fifty sharks were sighted that day between Blacksmiths and Newcastle from the air.

Steve Butterworth and Col Smith with Jim Pollard Channel Boards at Redhead 1978. This photo appeared in Sea Notes Magazine in 1978 .Steve & Col Sea Notes Mag 1978

Steve and Col Sea Notes Mag 1978

Surfhouse Surf Shop top of town Newcastle. A great place to browse for surf related gifts and a range of local surf photography to hang on your wall. Surfhouse Surfshop Newcastle. Alas no longer there now…

Surfhouse Surfshop Newcastle

Redhead Little Beach 27/9/2011

Redhead Littel Beach 27-09-11

Colourful Sunset Redhead 10/1/2012

Redhead Sunset 10-01-12

Newcastle Harbour and Nobbys Headland 12/11/2011

Newcastle Harbour & Nobbys

Herron looking for a feed at Belmont South 14/1/2011

Herron Belmont South 14-01-12

Swans in Belmont South Bay 14/1/12

Swans Belmont Bay 14-01-12

7th March 2012

Posted on November 9, 2012 by geoffcrow

Dad and Grom Silhoutte Surfcheck Blacksmiths Beach 4/3/2012. The early morning sunlight was blazing off the chop created a blinding glare. Alas the onshore wind was up already.

Blacksmiths surf check 04-03-12

Redhead Double ski 4/3/2012 Mike and Ray take a straight line in.

Redhead dbl ski 04-03-12

Bird on watch at Redhead Shark tower on a damp and gloomy morning 5/3/2012.

Redhead Shark tower 05-03-12

Redhead Beach chopped out, but still a nice view 22/1/2012.

Redhead Beach 22-1-12

School of mullet in the shallows of Lake Macquarie 5/12/2012.

Fish in lake Mac 5-02-12

Belmont Yacht races 5/2/12. These two boats pass at full throttle with not much to spare.

Belmont Yacht Race 3-05-02-12

Blacksmith’s Beach Litterer – the Crow 5/3/2011. The early bird gets scraps out of the bins for breakfast. Maybe we can train then to put it back in.

Blacksmiths Crow 05-03-12

Redhead sand dunes showing a bit of colour after some rain 5/3/2012.

Redhead Beach 05-03-12

Redhead beach big rip 11/2/2012. There has been a strong rip out the front of the 1st Creek for a while now that keeps you paddling the whole time to keep on your lineup.

Redhead Beach Rip 11-02-12

Redhead surfer Col Smith Scrapbook

Posted on October 18, 2012 by geoffcrow

Various photos of Redhead’s Col Smith from his surfing career.

Col Smith was Australian Champion and placed in 3 Hawaiian Contests in 1976.

Col helped pioneer Channel Bottom Surfboards, first surfing Jim Pollard’s boards with the rolled edge “corrugated” style, then with Martin Littlewood Delta Designs making the hard edged Clinker channels, Col went on to making his own boards and also worked with other board builders, mostly shaping 6 channels with “Bee” tails.

Col Smith with Jim Pollard channel boards for Bells Beach 1976

Col Smith 1976 with Jim Pollard channel Boards for Bells Beach

Col Smith at one of his favourite local breaks 1977

Col Smith at one of his favourite breaks 1977

Col Smith portrait from newspaper 1976

Col Smith newspaper Portrait

Col Smith shaping Channel boards at Redhead

Col Smith Shaping channel bottoms 1977 at Redhead

Col Smith in Tracks Magazine surfing Pipeline in 1976

Col Smith in Tracks at Pipeline

Surfer Col Smith and Shaper Jim Pollard celebrate Col’s Hawaii Surf contest wins in 1976

Col Smith and Jim Pollard celebrate Cols Hawaiian success

Col Smith surfing Margaret River WA on an asymmetric channel board around 1986

Col Smith at Margaret River

Col Smith at Pipline 1976 Tracker Poster

Col Smith Tracker Poster Pipeline Hawaii 1976

Col Smith Asymetric Channel 1986 Margaret River

Col Smith Asymmetrical Margaret River

Col and Kim Smith with Martin Littlewood at Margaret River with Asymetric channel boards.

Col Smith at Margaret River with Martin Littlewood 1986

Col Smith in Tracks Magazine 1987 surfing big Banzai Pipeline

ColSmithTracksObit1987

11th August 2012

Posted on October 16, 2012 by geoffcrow

We were trying to find a spot to go for a paddle out of the raging wind. 10/8/2012 Ronnie Rudder on his SUP at Swansea’s Black Ned’s Bay.

10-08-12 Ron Rudder on SUP

Redhead early saturday morning 27/07/2012 the swell was a bit wonky but there were only a few surfers out.

27-07-12 Redhead Beach

Belmont Wetlands off the Fernleigh Track 23/07/2011. We saw a huge easy 3 metres long red belly black snake a hundred metres further on by the side of the track.

23-07-12 Belmont Wetlands

Redhead Beach half in Shade and Sun. It was freezing in the shade but as the
sun came up over the cliff it was sunny and warm down the beach.

27-07-12 Redhead Beach shadow-and-sun

Friendly Pelican in Black Ned’s Bay 29/07/2012

29-07-12 Black Neds Pelican

A surf check at Blacksmiths 20/7/12 – no waves but the sun shining on the water was nice.

20-07-12 Blacksmiths sunlight

Black Ned’s Bay – a scenic little spot.

10-08-12-Black Neds Bay

22nd February 2012

Posted on October 16, 2012 by geoffcrow

Redhead Beach 22/1/2012

Redhead Beach 4-2-12

Redhead Body Boarder 4/2/2012

Redhead Body Boarder 4-2-12

Redhead Beach 22/1/2012. The Pig Face leaves are turning red.

Redhead Beach1 22-1-12

Redhead first Creek wind on the water 22/1/2012

Redhead 1st Creek1 22-1-12

Redhead Shark Tower 21/1/2012

Redhead Shark Tower 21-1-12

Redhead First Creek 22/2/2012

Redhead 1st Creek2 22-1-12

The following Photos are by Jo and Geoff from their New Zealand South Island hiking
trip last week. Some beautiful landscapes, a very beautful place.

21st October 2011

Posted on October 16, 2012 by geoffcrow

Dudley Beach 25/6/11

Dudley Beach 25-6-11

Newcastle Big cold winter swell 13/7/11

Newcastle Beach 13-7-11

Newcastle Harbour Tug 14/6/11

Newcastle Tug Boat 14-6-11

Blacksmiths Surfer 4/6/11

Blacksmiths surfer 4-4-6-11

Redhead surfer 1 4/6/11

Redhead surfer 9-4-6-11

Redhead Surfer 2 4/6/11

Redhead surfer 2 13-4-6-11

Newcastle Beach Big surf close up 14/7/11

Newcastle Beach surf 14-7-11-7

Redhead Bluff up close 10/6/11

Redhead Bluff 10-6-11

Redhead Beach early morning right hander 14/10/11

Redhead Beach right 14-10-11

Saturday morning 22/10/11 around 7:30 am. The surf was very ordinary at 2 foot with a light onshore starting up, but it was the best place to be to
watch the local dolphins throw a party. Dozens of dolphins gathered
just outside the break in what appeared to be an introduction of the
new young calves to the extended dolphin clan. The young ones were
accompanied by adults as they cruised around and around, meanwhile
the young adults cavorted further out getting some serious air. They
threw some awsome stale fish moves but without grabbing a rail. They
stayed for almost an hour in the same area while the few surfers out
watched in awe a few metres away.

27th July 2011

Posted on October 16, 2012 by geoffcrow

Saturday morning started out as normal the last few weeks – wet cold with big surf.

Redhead Shark tower with some big surf 23/7/11

Redhead Beach 23-7-11

It cleaned up Monday but was still big. Redhead 25/7/11

Redhead Beach 25-7-11

Swansea Channel entrance Sunday 24/7/11

Swansea Channel 1 24-7-11

Fishing Boats wisely stayed inside the heads Sunday 24/7/11 as going out past the bar was dodgy.

Swansea channel 24-7-11

Monday Blacksmiths 25/7/11 dredging sand and double ups – a rare sight.

Blacksmiths surfer 25-7-11

Redhead Monday 25/7/11 A surfer tries his luck.

Redhead Beach surfer 25-7-11

A Sand Crab’s art 1981 – maybe a bird?

Sand Crab patterns 1981

Narabeen’s Col Smith awesome backhand reo Bells final 1977.

Narabeen Col Smith at Bells 1977

Bali Kids 1977. These kids slept just outside my losman at Legion in an open sleep out and were great company.

Bali Kids 1977

Bali Legion beach 1977 – no high rise yet.

Bali Legian beach 1977

Belmont Bay at dusk from the 16 Footers Balcony.

Belmont Bay at dusk 24-7-11

Body Boarders Redhead August 2010

Posted on October 16, 2012 by geoffcrow

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

Bodyboarder Redhead Aug-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. Redhead Bodyboarder September 2010

Redhead Body Boarder 5-9-11

Simon Anderson wins Bells 1977. Simon surfed powerfully in
a solid swell to win and he enjoys the moment after a close final.

Simon Anderson 1977 Bells Beach Winner.

imon Anderson Bells Winner 1977

Ian Moss – Cold Chisel … sings Georgia Belmont Sportsmans Club 1976.

Ian Moss- sings Georgia

A Hunter Valley Coal Mine around 1986.

Hunter Valley Coal Mine

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show at Speers Point Park in 1999.
Surfers liked the Ninja Turtles, as the movie characters acted and spoke like Corky Caroll, the 1960’s legendary 5 times US surfing Champion who created surf speak and lives the carfree fun surfing life we all dream of.

Ninja Turtles show

The BIG Right hander in the Sky. Storm coming over Redhead about 1984

Storm Cloud Wave Redhead 1984

Cloud Wave Redhead 1984

Peter Garrett and Rob Hirst Midnight Oils at the Mawson Hotel about 1978 getting serious.

Midnight Oil Garret-Hirst

Redhead Surf Club 70th Reunion around 1977. A bunch of old mates meet up over a few frosty glasses.

Redhead SLSC 70th reunion

Redhead’s Col Smith in his shaping bay with a new batch of channel boards around 1978.

Col Smith shaping Channels

Angus Young and Surfing in the 1970s Redhead Beach

Posted on October 16, 2012 by geoffcrow

The recent AC/DC Tour reminded me of a photo my wife Sandy has of her
younger sister Vanda and Angus Young taken at the Hard Rock Cafe around
1974. Both very young and VERY Rock ‘ N Roll. Angus and Vanda 1974 Hard Rock Cafe Melbourne

Angus and Vanda

I did’nt take the next two surfing photos – When Redhead’s Graham
Harkin developed his first roll of film from his new underwater camera I
got a copy of some of these because they were great photos. Taken
around 1977 at Birdie Beach.

Phillip Woodward surfing Birdie by Graham Harkin 1977

Phillip Woodward surfing

Chas Woodward at Birdie Beach by Graham Harkin 1977

Chas Woodward at Birdie

Water shot of Peter Pitt surfing Redhead Little Beach around 1976

Peter Pitt Redhead 1977

One of the good things happening in surfing is the variety of
surfing equipment people are now making – old ideas, mixed with the new.
You would’nt look out of place walking down the beach now with this
1976 5’6″ Martin Littlewood Delta Fish. Bob Scarr & Delta Knee Board 1976

Bob Scarr with Delta Knee Board

Eddo – William Harrison. We wern’t sure what he was doing when he
surfed but it was always interesting. Shown here at Newcastle Mattara
Surfing contest around 1977, close to the foam and close to the nose.

Eddo Mattarra Contest 1976

Grant Brooks showing his cool casual style surfing at Redhead around 1977 .

Grant Brookes Redhead

Cold and windy and big and no one out. Redhead Little Beach around 1977.

Redhead big no one out 1977

Redhead Shark Tower and other stuff

Posted on May 23, 2011 by geoffcrow

The Redhead Shark Tower Rocks have always meant a lot to most Redhead locals, it has the best ring side seat to an awsome view of the bluff and the surf.

My daughter Lia in 1976 playing in the storm blown foam in front of the Redhead Shark Tower. This photo also appears on the ABC Website – You know you grew up in Newcastle when…see http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2010/02/22/2826363.htm

Lia Redhead Shark Tower 1976

Lia Redhead Shark Tower

After a storm around 1975 the Shark Tower Rocks showed themselves for the first time since I was a kid (bloody long time aye) Shark Tower Rocks exposed 1975.

Shark Tower Rocks exposed 1975

I remember surfing this day still – Redhead Little Beach about 1985.

Redhead Little Beach going off 1985

Eddo again around 1977 – William Harrison defines the re-entry – goes right over to the dry side and glides back down again right in front of the Shark Tower Rocks.

Eddo’s Re-entry behind the Redhead Shark Tower 1977