The Daily Good News
Call me biased but I reckon my birthday falls in the best week of the year. This year I decided to celebrate for a whole week. Nothing extraordinary, no big knees up. Didn’t even drink a single beer for the duration of the festival as I like to think of it. Didn’t have to.
Huey usually puts on a decent spread but this year was a pisser. Started the week with a wahoo/ tuna combo fishing trip. That’s food sorted. Then myself ragged in all kinds of pumping waves - hollow, long ,fast warm water waves . Most of which were uncrowded.
Bookended the festival with a final fishing trip today and scored a nice little marlin. Pretty satisfying from a 13 foot tinny on your own.
Thing is , I’ve been talking to mates at every point of the compass and they’ve all got the same story. Tassie, WA , SA, QLD all seemed to get a little golden streak. I couldn’t be more grateful to live in such a beautiful place as Australia. We are so fckn lucky. Start of May is unbeatable wherever you are I reckon. Light winds, clean and strong swells. Warm water. Crisp days with enough sun to keep you stoked but nights are great for getting cozy.
Ten out of ten, Huey.
Nice haul blowin , I’ve only ever hooked 1 marlin ( black marlin off lembongan ) and never got it to the boat , crazy fight for about 20 minutes then it took a sharp turn and cut the line on reef , I’m guessing it was about 80 kg and it did the big dance on its tail . Not sure what I would have done if I did get it to the boat as it was a tiny seaweed boat with 15 hp motor . Well done , nothing like fresh fish on the BBQ .
Happy birthday Blowy and may all your dreams be dry and your farts wet and may I one day find a cure for my dyslexia.
I didn't realise that another titan of surf website contribution shared my birthday/week. Happy Birthday from your No 1 admirer Blow-boy.
B&W Win for Peace, Love, Humanity & Goodwill to All.
Olympians : "We call a Truce!"
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/athletics/the-sportsman-spirit-wo...
IOC : "A wot!"
Olympians : "All Hail the Gods of Mount Mt K Mart...Please accept our Olive Branch."
IOC : "WTF ...We never ordered this shit...that's not even on our 125th course gazillion star menu!"
IOC : "Finish him off you Loser!"
IOC : "Fuck China > Toyota > Japan > whatever & you sick people, yer empty seats & sissy athletes!"
IOC : "Your weakling Planet is so gonna pay for this icky display of niceness & fairness!"
In a true amateur hour sportsmanlike gesture the Olympians snapped the arms off IOC's Ideal Ken Doll.
Raising Ken's coffee coloured arms skyward to fist pump freedom for Toys, Pets, House Plants & Kites .
https://nypost.com/2021/07/30/tokyo-olympics-expected-to-lose-30-billion...
Not necessarily good news and while I think the Japanese are putting on a good show, the government and the IOC totally overode the wishes of the people and It's a cost we are burdoned with now.
Can't see it being any different for Brissie and I really think they're talking up just how much the economic benefit will be.
Personally I’d like to see the games in one permanent venue and that venue would be Greece. The amount of money countries spend to host the games could be better spent on their homeless and needy. Many countries simply can’t afford to host the games so one permanent venue would stop all the waste of money and corruption. Greece needs a leg up from its financial position and the IOC can help foot the bill to build what’s needed . Ive asked 3 different brizzo’s I know how they feel about winning the games for 2032 and all had a similar answer - couldn’t give a f@ck about games and waste of money. No doubt many will disagree with this idea . Just my thoughts .
Couldn't agree more Supafreak.
I suspect the main reason the IOC likes the present system is that it enables members to extort bribes and favors from the hapless idiots who want to host the games.
Ahh that feeling of relief when a beloved old beast passes another pink slip inspection . Waiting for the verdict becomes more like getting a prognosis from the vet about a loved pet who's seen better days.
https://www.betootaadvocate.com/humans-of-betoota/failing-headlight-bulb...
Granted there're a lot of people struggling at the moment but jeez there's a few positives as well.
Apart from the cracking weather, the beautiful water and the fun little waves, things are just quiet.
Relaxed.
Empty carparks, relaxed lineups, quiet roads.
This was the motorway mid-morning Sunday.
Could be this way for a while yet.
Agree Andy. Just got back from a coast walk and didn’t see a single human or sign of humanity for the whole time. Exactly like it was when Cook sailed past.
It’s still true ….
Two lucky bastards right there ...
What a song.
I was just listening to If Ned Kelly Was King.
Almost companion songs.
There's something so soothing being in a wide open environment with not another human to be seen.
Got my AZ yesterday morning and after work before any side-effects kicked in I went for a dusk walk to one of my favourite places just around the corner from Manly. A couple of people on the track but on heading down further into the bush I ran into a mate and his cousin, checking out the native flora. We hiked together to this old bunker and then rock hopped around to this secluded beach as the moonlight took over the fading twilight.
On the beach the moon cast our shadows on the sand and a large dolphin was surfacing and fishing some 10m off shore.
It was a special time while on a slight high/light headed-ness from the vaccine and I scrambled/walked out sans torch as the moonlight provided just enough to guide the way. A mild winters night and scenes like this, with just me and two mates in a city of millions.
The best news, all the hectic fevers and aches that my mates experienced after their first doses hardly surfaced and I woke early with just some slight/dull aching. Win.
Good to hear Craig , we are all different , I had 6 out of 8 common side effects but my 85 yo mother had nothing , not even a sore arm , second dose was much better only slight nausea in morning .
Maybe the flipside of an increasingly sedentary culture Craig, there’s empty magic spots just a short walk away.
Craig...is that place where the old shacks were built into the rock wall?
Close, next beach around Simba.
And interesting AndyM, one to mull over.
Hey Andy re: that road shot.
thats the place where the chooks hang out, see any?
You get a few this morning?
Just under 6 weeks ago a micro-grom blew in to the Pops household.
The whole taking-care-of-a-newborn gig has been pretty tough, especially with lockdown limiting support from family & friends to supply drops at the front door, yet when the midget smiles it shifts to amazing and thoroughly worthwhile.
Hankering for a wave though... 6 weeks is a long time between drinks.
Congrats Pops.
hope it all goes smooth for you and yours.
Thanks FR.
BTW, digged your recent couple of articles, keep 'em coming!
Nice Craig, I used to take my rod and traipse around the bush and flick lures in the little inlets and tidal creeks just behind my place at Lane Cove in Sydney. 15 mins from the CBD yet I could walk 10 mins and be a world away from everything. Same as where I am now.
I had my second Pfizer on Sunday morning- no worries, bit of a sore arm and that was it. My wife has had a mild fever 38° and two days of lethargy but she's come good now.
Congrats on bringing a little popster into the world- hope mum and bub are doing well. Hope you can get that wave in soon.
Poplet? Yeah congrats Pops!
Onya Pops. Soak up those new family vibes.
Happy days indeed.
Poplet! haha Congrats Pops, and I guess you're getting the vibe that your life will never be the same again :)
Congrats on the Poplet!
Thanks guys.
Yeat WotL, just getting an incling that might be the case!
Congrats Pop all the best to all
Great news Pop life change forever and the better, next he will be 30 and you will wonder where the years went.
Ha yeah, Dad said much the same to me. Hopefully it won't go too fast!
Congrats Pops!
Warm congratulations from NZ too, Pops.
In less epic news, but nevertheless very damn welcome, we were allowed to surf again. And fuck did that feel good.
Thanks gents.
I'll bet IB. Did the waves come to the party?
Not really, Pops, but it didn't matter.
Had two very fun surfs, first in waist to shoulder high waves, then knee to waist high. Good shape, though. Stoked as hell anyway.
Will Poplet be goofy or natural?
That'd do just nicely for me after a layoff IB.
Well, I'm a natural and my old man's a natural so chances are he'd follow suit? Who knows!
Maybe I'll try to teach him to surf switch...
Dont know about anyone else, but im feeling really positive about all this Covid crap right now, it finally feels like there is a glimmer of light appearing at the end of a long dark tunnel or for a surfing related metaphor if you have ever traveled on a slow old ferry in Indo between Islands, we are now at that stage where you can see the islands in the distance where you want to go and the ones you left have vanished.
-Aussie vaccination rates are steadily rising over 36% 16+ full vaxed and the fact we are in lockdown should help us get too 70%+ rates, predicted to hit about 30th Oct
-I know it's a bit bad to say this, but thank god Covid has got out of control in Australia, and the total eradication approach is no more (at least in Vic & NSW), it was never realistic to keep it out long term, the most vulnerable have had plenty of time to get fully vaxed, i do feel for those states like WA or Tassie that may try to keep it out though.
-Indo's Covid spike has flattened to Jan levels, expect there will be more spikes but vaccination rates are also rising and you would expect a huge chunk of the population have some degree of natural immunity. (in March 44% of people in Jakarta were reported to already have antibodies)
-Bali vax rates are also now approaching 80%, so realistically we should see Bali and maybe even Indo open up early 2022 (just my opinion)
And thank fuck winter is over too, weather and water will start warming up, i hate the cold and fishing starts getting better from here on in.
Oh and next week i finally get my first jab.
Good on you Indo. Sometimes it weirds me out being stuck in the one tiny zone but life is pretty good if you’re not in a wheelchair / riddled with cancer etc.
Hope you get some waves and fish.
Cheers, to be honest lockdowns don't affect me much, i can still work and still have lots of work, still surf still fish, my partying days are over and if i really want to go see a mate or whatever for a quite beer i will (sorry Dan)
That said i do feel for those in city areas in harder lockdowns especially those that cant surf or have lost jobs or work.
And yeah there is also many people that are also less fortunate like those in wheel chairs or cancer etc
So really sometimes you just have to be thankful for what you have and be positive and look towards the future.
Dylan Alcott Paralympic tennis final on now.. https://7plus.com.au/live-tv?channel-id=7Mate
Dylan looking sharp! Imagine how much hard work that'd be!
I'm blocked for that link but have been getting right into the Paraolympics on tele here. Been loving it. I hate to use this word but some really inspirational stuff there and the sportsmanship and camaraderie has been something to applaud. Brings a tear to my eye sometimes just watching some of the athletes really getting in and having a dig.
Just quietly there's some pretty hot disabled chicks there in amongst the mix too.
Right Zen, it's totally inspiring!! And He'd just won Gold! Dylan GOAT Alcott.
101 years old and still going strong. Goes to show that a life on/near the sea must pretty good after all
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-17/us-woman-virginia-oliver-still-wo...
In good news, this is how a commenter on Beach Grit has described Swellnet’ punters on Longtoms recent farewell piece…“
The Swellnet commentariat are a boring lot, very staid. They wear Hurley and Rip Curl exclusively, listen to the Foo Fighters and drive Mitsubishi Tritons.
We'll welcome you back with open arms, Longtom, should you need more grit.”
Personally I’m offended, I don’t own any Hurley
In defence of the Foo Fighters claim, which I'll happily wear until about 1998, their first album was unreal - especially in context: solo side project from drummer of world's most popular band, recorded and released following the high profile death of their frontman. Had every reason to fail, as they invariably do.
But a Mitsubishi Triton? FFS.
Second album is really good too, few okay songs on third album, but goes pretty meh pretty fast after that, and I know it's a cliche now but Dave is such a nice guy too, fame and money hasn't gone to his head and awesome how he gets members of the audience to play, maybe they are half set up?..maybe not, but still cool.
BTW. They clearly havent looked in the Tunes thread both Ben and Stu have great music taste and far from mainstream as do many of the contributors here, and in regard to wetsuits, in the recent wetsuit thread, i dont think anyone mentioned Hurley and very few Rip Curl it was all about Isurus.
Beach grit on the other hand is generally just trashy tabloid throw aways crap with comment sections full of one line lame comments and memes.
Dedicated to good news ....