Well done guys. Congratulations.
Say hi to Prof Andy.
Mick, Blaire and the Yallingup NSR.

Great effort guys, well done. You will have the naysayers but the worse evil is over development/inappropriate development and restricted access. In anticipation of those who say "more surfers will come" - you know what, they are coming anyway. Its no secret, the horse has bolted and now its a management issue.

Well said Mundies

so cool... Ive been camping down Dalys for the last 30+ years, and it's my little sanctuary... no rules, no regulations, not many fuckwits... just the breaks. Hope it stays the way it is. years ago 8 people in water at SH was crowded, but now when it's on theres over 20... but thats a sign of the times I guess. Even so, middle of winter, middle of the week, it's still possible to paddle out on your lonesome. SH is my all time fav wave, and Ive been all round this big land... SH rocks. Now, back to my vino...

Oh yeah, just wondring... how much of the headland is actually a reserve? does it go to Spits? Baby Lizards?

Seeya's down there

so does as surfing reserve = no camping zone ?

Victor, you were never allowed to Camp at Daly's in the first place.

There's that sign when driving in pointing to Gleesons Landing if you wanted to camp.

Not that stopped me and my mates, nothing better than waking on top of that headland to pumping surf.

And Drivinglongtime, 'thepharmer' would have more info but I'm pretty sure it includes Baby Daly's but not sure about The Spit.

The reserve doesn't change the camping situation at all victor. That has been the councils domain and the area at Baby Dalys is still designated for camping.

@drivinlongtime-We debated how much of the coast to include in the reserve. We stuck with just the Daly's Headland as it has such a concentration of quality waves in a small area and part of the selection criteria for NSR status was the quality and consistency of the surf, as well as the historical part Daly's has played in South Australian surfing. The fact that the headland offers surf in many different wind and swell combinations in both the warmer and cooler seasons seemed to fit.
We also thought as the area is so popular these days it needed more attention and management to prevent further degradation.
We(Formby Bay Environment Action Group) are certainly working on improving the coastline around the Lizards carpark by planting native flora and improving access tracks to the surf breaks to keep the fragile coastal plants and bushes from getting trampled and improve safety as the cliff edges are unstable and prone to collapse.

onya ys. nuthin will stop me from campin in the car on the headland above SH. There is very little in this world that equals waking up and looking out and seeing SH pumping. very little.

As for the pros and cons of this decision I guess only the future will tell, but one can only think that the knowledge of Daly's advertised world wide as a surf reserve will bring a larger amount of people to the area and inturn will produce a huge impact on the environment. Lets just hope the managment of this reserve have enough cash to back up this idea and protect this beautiful area that many of us call home.

Is not just about cash soulsurfer we really need people who love the place and are willing to give up a couple of hours of their time some weekends(maybe when the seabreeze hits) to join in and help out with some projects.
We are setting up a native plant nursery at Corny Point with land donated for us to use by the council so we can have a supply of seedlings to be planted around the headland. There's also a shitload of boxthorns and other weeds to be removed.
We also have projects requiring $$ such as improving the steps down to Daly's which really only go half way down, a toilet at Salmon Hole to stop the crap hill in front of Rockpools etc. So it's gonna take a multi-pronged approach and is not a short term thing. If you or anyone is interested in helping out please contact [email protected]. We would welcome the assistance from anyone who loves this beautiful area that many of us call home!

Hey guys,
for those of you that are planning on coming over to the Daly Head dedication weekend, the unveiling of the plaque is on location at SH carpark at 4pm. Special guest, Quenten Aguis (Adjahdura Decentant) will be leading a dreamtime walk of the area prior to the ceremony. If your interested in joining Quenten, limited positions are available and its first in first served basis. Keep ya eye on this forum if you dont want to miss this as i will be taking bookings soon and its sure to fill up fast.
FBEAG is well known for putting on great parties for all ages, this one promisese to top the lot. The 50yr reunion was aimed at the older generation and was a great sucess, This time were throwing a party for everyone with members of top Adelaide band 'Poetikool Justice' making the trip over, unleashing their new act "Headphone Piracy". Anyone who's seen the Dedrick lads in action know what a high energy set they are capable of and are sure to raise the FBEAG party bar higher than previously seen!! Dont miss it or youll regret it.
Same goes for the Daly Head book, made with Christo's assistance, even he's certain they will sell like hot cakes and with no future printing they will no doubt become a collectors item. Available on the day and night only.
More info on bands, rare surf films, art and other special guest soon.

HA! Just read the 50 year reunion thread, and can't believe you guys tried to blow up the suck rock! Leave that suck rock alone!! That section has delivered some nice little barrels over the years, and plenty of "maybe, if" moments, usually resulting in a gentle rock kiss.

Sounds like a fun (crowded) weekend coming up.

Yeah, let's hope the surf is better this time than last time!

Actually Ben there was a really good bank down past lizards that was being surfed on the day of the 50th anniversary party but when I heard you trekked down to the PM's beachie I didn't have the heart to tell you. I missed it also as I was too busy setting up the said party. It was the old drive to every break on the peninsula and you might have found it scenerio. I was actually sceptical when I heard about it too till someone produced photos. It looked smoking. I've never seen a good bank down there myself? Oh well.....

Yeah I know I missed that bank - saw a few pics of it from the Saturday (I surfed Ethels solo that morning, and it was terrible). I checked out the bank past Lizards the next day but it was really small and with six people on it already I thought I'd let them have it.

Never seen such a deep, well aligned gutter like that at Dustbowl before though! Reminded me of a Waits/Johanna/Woolamai setup.

Surfed that bank late Sunday arvo after the party with old mate whitesox, just me and him till sundown, was still pretty bloody good, sometimes it pays off to sleep in !! Have to say it was the best banks I've ever seen at that end of Formby Bay. Thought I was in Indo after a couple of screamers!! Must have been the tide?? Went back on the Monday and it was gone, never to be seen again? Luckily several other banks came to life in the middle of the bay. Didn't get much work done that week . Pretty sure Andy took some photos late Sunday arvo if you don't believe me

I saw a couple of pics and it looked bloody unreal. I wonder how many mysto banks have popped up halfway along Dustbowl over the years that no-one can be arsed getting to?

Definately a good bay to keep an eye on.. Have surfed heaps of good ones on that beach..There's a few little reefs and stuff along there to! never last long though..sort of here today gone tomorrow kind of thing. Just up from Lizzies was a left and right into a deep gutter last year that stayed around for while. Best to take the rods if your going on a mission..and a shovel!!

It's a funny coast the Yorke. When you live here it's easier to just surf the reliable spots than chase the fickle gems. There really is alot of potential around though.I was spewing I missed that bank. A few days before the weekend I was surfing 2ft lame duck pondy and heard later the bank was going off. I tried to convince myself it wouldn't have been that good then I saw photos and heard rave reviews! I hate missing good waves around my local:(

Love Yorkes, been going there since I was 5 years old in the early 80s. Think I know who you are Yorkey.

Out of interest what is the criteria for a NSR in Australia. I presume there is something about consistency & wave quality, amongst other historic and nature reasons?? Can someone let me know how we got this across the line?!

Also out of interest, what is the benefit of it gaining NSR status? Other than some recognition In what other way does it benefit the area? Access to funding for coastal regeneration etc? Or does it prevent development through state/local protection?

Pretty much what you have stated arbus is what got Daly's over the line. I also think a desire by the NSR board for the reserves to cover quality surfing areas across the country rather than mostly east coast spots and earn the "National" in the National Surfing Reserve tittle. Spots in SW WA were added in the last few years too. There really isnt that many surfing spots with the historical connection and concentration of waves in different winds/swells that fit the criteria.

From our(FBEAG) point of view, NSR status helps us to apply for council and government assistance to meet our environmental objectives at Daly Heads. As a group in the community surfers are not the most vocal or visible. It's easy to see how more vocal groups like fishers get their needs met regarding coastal infrastructure etc. Just have a listen to the opposition to Marine Parks and you can see that the squeaky wheel gets the most oil.
We hope that NSR status will help us to show that surfers are a significant group with a historical connection to Daly's and we deserve our voice to be heard when it comes to what happens on the headland in the future.

Interesting to see the changes happening at Yorkes, hope it is all managed well and the place remains relatively unspoilt after being off the radar(over here at least) for so many years. I used to do the trek from Adelaide most weekends and any time I had free to get over there from '79 to '91 which is when I moved to Sydney (still here although I spent 3 years in SE Asia in that time with heaps of trips to Indo and a couple to the Maldives!!)
Yorkes still holds many great memories for me and remember some great days there with not too many people around. Used to camp at the end of the road above the cliffs between Lizards and Tressies or stay in Marion bay with a few local mates.
Hope it all goes well for FBEAG and I reckon I might head over around March next year for a couple of weeks to have a look around, it's been about 5 years since my last visit. Is Paul S still in Marion Bay?? The Hanna boys still got the shops?

Paul S is still around twigs. His lad is one of the top junior surfers in S.A now. The Hanna's got out of The Innes Park Trading Post though and unfortunately it recently went out of business under the new owners. We're all really bummed about that as we have to drive 5km further to the Marion Bay Shop to get our hotdogs after surfing Chinaman's now;(

Wow.. I can't believe it has closed! Did competition from the Marion Bay traders (which are closer to local residents) eventually put them out of business, or was it a decline in the number of visitors to the park?

http://www.ypct.com.au/index.php/news/91-news2-news2/613-innes-trading-p...

It couldn't be a numbers decline. I reckon it was under-capitalised. Virtually no stock in the supermarket section from day one (no red frogs!!!), and a steady decline in the bar's meal quality. My mate and I just stopped stopping there on the way home to MB.

Dam! Closed? My last trip there Marion Bay was sooo packed for dinner. I thought the increase in population would have spilled over to Rhino's though? What is Squizzy going to do now?
Oh, that's right, he's busy headlining the next Underbelly.

Come to think of it, there definitely wasn't much food on the shelves last time I was in the Trading Post (earlier in the year) - it seemed to be a shell of the place I remember in the early 90's. A real shame too, as it was just part of the routine over there: walk in, order some lunch and an Ice Coffee, and then stand at the back wall looking at the fading shots of perfect Chi's and Pondi from years gone by until the food was cooked.

Wow, no way! I can't believe Rhino's is gone.

Their snittys with that special secret sauce were amazing after a long day in the sun. Good for a beer as well looking towards Rhino Head.

I recommend the MB store for a good hotdog with the lot and chips, and the pizzas at the Tavern are awesome but yeah, never thought Rhino's would go under.

Things have changed quite a bit though since I used to frequently visit with expensive park fees, paved roads to Westcape and no Surfers campsite anymore :(

A real damn shame and a real dropped ball. The previous owners of the MB shop weren't especially friendly or flash but the old bloke who's got it now is to grocering and fast food what Stalin was to fine art and good architecture.

That shop was great when Shaun ran it and did quite well I think. Always plenty of food on the shelves and he was such a nice guy always helping us out. Still see him kicking around Pondie and SH on his blue board when it's on.

Reckon management has a lot to do with it - the shop at Corny is the same. Big Jan ran it for years but after she left it was one owner after the other until the current owner arrived full of enthusiasm and did the place up a bit. Now it seems to be doing quite well.

Anyone know if that shop at the Pines which was owned by Schwabby ever got sold? I know it was on the market for a long time. Is it still open these days - they used to have the best steak sangas....

Congrats to the FBEAG and hopefully this helps to preserve the area for future generations.

Back on the Daly's side, is the shop on the highway at Hardwicke Bay closed as well? That was a real saviour for a fuel stop on many occasions. Small business feeling the pinch.

yeah schwabby sold it, while it was closed and lost the post office to corny, new owners are good, the hardwicke bay shop is closed now too. pity, SEE YA AT THE PARTY.

I remember many a surf with Shaun on his blue board at Pondi, telling the lineup to clear the way as there was a set coming and he didn't want to be dodging people all the way to the shore. Classic.

Haven't surfed big Pondi for a good few years now, but I had the place wired re boils and landmarks to score the best waves.

Such a fun wave and beautiful area!

I always timed my surfs around Shauno, when he goes out, I come in, and vice-versa!! That's how you get the good ones there and have an enjoyable surf, still true to this day

YS Thanks for the update on what's happening over there.
Shame to see the shop shut down.
Doesn't suprise me that Paul's son is a good surfer. Paul could hold his own out there.
Speaking of Shaun and Pondi, I remember being over there for a couple of weeks in the late 80's and the swell jumped from 2' at Pondi to about 6' plus in a matter of a few hours. Shaun had his boat anchored in the bay overnight and it ended up high and dry on the beach by the next morning!! Cranking waves the next day with offshores!!

Get my best waves when Shaun the prawn is out at SH. He takes some good ones off the boils on his belly and eggs two out of three of em getting to his feet, cheers buddy! haha great bloke, when he scores one all the way through you gotta love it though!

Can only see positives in this. Good work FBEAG and be good to see an end to the landmines on the hill. Hopefully the dunnies will be set back maybe in that little dugout area or something?

Not the Tavern...devo.
Use to hit Yorkes all the time in me dole days, good times and great schnitzels! We would rent Shauno's green fisho shack for 5 bucks a nite n dine on salmon n coopers. Almost accidently burnt it to the ground one time...Shaun doesnt know bout that tho so lets keep it to ourselves hehe.
U guys are doin some great work over there n its good to see people looking after a special place.

We are getting a limited run of tee shirts made up that will feature the Daly Head Surfing Reserve plaque design on them. They look awsome. Sales of the tee shirts as well as from the Daly Heads book and proceeds from food, soft drink/water(byo alcohol) at the party + donations on the night will be used to make a start on our 2013 projects.

Thanks for all the positive words and encouragement on here everyone and we look forward to seeing you all on 12th January at 4pm(Salmon Hole Carpark) for the dedication ceremony and plaque unveiling & party that night 2km north of the Daly Head turnoff on the Marion Bay to Corny Point Road. Camping is permitted at the party.

Maybe a shuttle bus would be good to get home...haha

What wonderful news. Congrats to all who contributed to this achievement.

At my new home (Freshie) we have just celebrated the conclusion of the naming of the Freshwater to Bower reserve with Nick Carroll speaking eloquently on the matter.

Yorke's remains such a beautiful spot, thrilled to see Daly's recognised.

Just an update on plans for the Surfing Reserve weekend and party. I'm stoked to announce surf filmmaker Tim Bonython is attending and is working on a film to be shown on the night featuring archival footage of his work over the years and hopefully some locally filmed stuff too! Should be awesome.
We have also had a busy week getting a one tonne rock dropped by crane truck into the carpark at Salmon Hole (overlooking Daly's) for the plaque to be mounted on and cementing it in place.
Should be an amazing weekend on the 12th of January 2013!

Congrats SA - what a awesome team to pull this historic declaration off! The first in South Oz - yeah!

Unreal stuff YS. The Swellnet team are coming over too.. let's hope there are some waves this time!