A place I would certainly live on. Might have to wait for the right conditions. But who would be in the water?? Crowded at 5. Civilization surfing sucks give me this life.
poo-manTuesday, 26 Apr 2016 at 7:48pm
Cool clip! Hardly anyone goes there for a surf destination but those waves look fun. Is it normally that good?
zenagainTuesday, 26 Apr 2016 at 8:32pm
Good surfing and good edit.
Great vid.
Tim BonythonTuesday, 26 Apr 2016 at 9:56pm
nice! Just don't show the Webbers.
freeride76Wednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 6:36am
kiwis?
really nice. kill for that little left right now.
grumpyWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 7:22am
How cool , another spot exposed by some look at me hipsters
BobCWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 2:31pm
I agree grumpy...Off with his bun !
soz_punterWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:07am
Given the dire state of the Norfolk Is. economy, I don't think they would begrudge a bump in surf related tourism.
loose_lips_sink...Wednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:09am
Really ? Another clip posted up on Swellnet of an whole island,(not just a spot this time) in the south pacific that a generation or 2 of respectful visitors from all corners of the world have kept on the down-low for years,blown out for all to see just for a couple of surfers & filmers to get their 15mins of fame..or should I say their 6.05mins of vimeo fame & magazine article.
I just don't get how these guys sponsors ie Rip Curl in this case..Justify attaching their name to blowing out another scared area by using a couple of talented young surfers (that probably receive not much more than a couple of grand max a year travel incentive & box of clothes from their "Sponsors" but thats a whole different topic...) All parties involved should know better & weigh up the longterm effects these sorts of trips can have on a location & its local community if seeded out to the surf media outlets dying for content on the cheap.
I just don't see the return on the investment for the riders career's or the company/magazine/websites outweighing the exposure of these types of locations.
The aspiring pro surfers & media should go somewhere where the horse has well and truly bolted already ie -The North shore of O'ahu in the winter & earn your place in the scheme of all things pro surfing in front of all the world's lenses & people that make the machine keep ticking over....and a community that will keep ego's & attitudes in check too if someone steps over the line in their quest for fame behind or in front of the lens.
I have said this before & I will say it again,Swellnet has a responsibility here when these webclips arrive in their inboxes which are of locations somewhat easily accessible by the bulk of the Swellnet viewership.
stunetWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:18am
Are you aware of the parlous state of the Norfolk Island economy? We've had a dialogue with locals over at Norfolk (see recent photos spreads) and their tourism bureau for a while. The end goal for them is MORE tourism, they need it to survive.
This wasn't our video but we'll gladly run it without a skerrick of guilt because we understand their plight.
We could create a Refugee center there , seeing we are paying $1m per person on Narau , then we wouldn't have to subsidise the Norfolk Islanders , are they indigenous to the Island?
velocityjohnnoWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 8:12pm
After reading those articles, I'd suggest any Norfolk locals following this thread have a read of "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" before you sign your island away...
tonybarberWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:45am
It may pay for you to go there and have a look yourself. The north folk want you and anyone to come over. BTW this ain't a 'secret' spot by any stretch of the imagination, maybe yours. Trevor Hendy runs a great swim, dive retreat there also.
yehmateyehFriday, 29 Apr 2016 at 5:24pm
I tend to agree with that. Having said that, the waves on that clip - while well surfed - we're hardly world class in reality. Many a closeout and lots of backwash. After seeing the clip, I'm still in no rush to go there specifically for a surf trip
sharkmanWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:24am
ah yes its all about the money , and because there is a problem with the economy , well sell something , do they have any rainforests or sacred reefs???
Coops70Wednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 10:01am
The place is not really a secret spot is it. With all the surfers I know who know about the place they just can't be fucked to go there. Call it laziness but they would rather go to indo or Fiji where they know they can score waves. This place will never get crowded but even if you had ten in the water I reckon you would still have a mellow vibe. And as far as money for the economy goes at least its kept in Australia.
lostdoggyWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 11:12am
My experience too.
bonzaWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 12:39pm
I don't think its laziness per se.. but more money for your buck. Like many places in this country, over the last 10-15 years tourism entities and the regional areas they support that haven't had the luxury of mining dollar income have suffered, cause its just too easy and waaaaay cheaper to holiday overseas. Norfolk island in particular is outrageously expensive
mk1Wednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 3:01pm
You guys knew about this spot too? Damn, I thought it was only me.
chookWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 3:25pm
i've heard they're not the friendliest people on norfolk. there is some hatfield/mccoy feud, and it's not just about the merits of full-volumed single fins. plus, locals have some sort of claim system... that fish you just caught may not be yours.
tristan da cunha is the island for me!
derra83Wednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 3:30pm
Many of them are descended from Fletcher Christian so I imagine they can surf alright.
spendaWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 4:09pm
Well it sure is nice to see surfing in different locations, and not be force fed another snapper reel (as happens on some other websites).
Jelly FlaterWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 4:52pm
Nice vid, fun looking waves...
Loose lips and any others who don't 'get it' and wanna have a whinge.... well, crawl back under your rock!
Great to see an interesting looking environment and see people surfing, having fun and sharing it. All the hysteria about 'exposure' to 'unknown spots' blah blah farkn blah...
There are plenty of waves, plenty of space and for those willing to go, well it's all out there ready for ya. Just go surfin and say hi to someone in the line up, get a few and keep smiling, it's not hard! ;)
chookWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 5:30pm
i so want to go to both norfolk and lord howe. guess i should get a yacht and set sail.
wallywombatWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 7:30pm
Im with the guy thats pissed off. Herd all the excuses before on why it is okay to exposure unknown surf breaks. There is no excuse! Enjoy your solo surf and keep it to yourself. So that next time you dont have to surf with half the the world. ie Indo. Egg heads!
webclips are ruining surfing
velocityjohnnoWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 7:51pm
"webclips are ruining surfing"
now THERE'S a topic for a Surfpolitik article...
stunetWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 8:17pm
Hey Wombat!
The Norfolk Island economy has been gutted in recent years. The GFC put a stop to tourism, while a protracted politcal row with Australia undermined commercial stability, the result being a quarter of the population leaving the island, large swathes of businesses closing, and the island teetering on the edge of insolvency.
The Norfolk Islanders WANT tourism. Need it for their survival.
But I assume a solo session is more important to you, eh?
loose_lips_sink...Wednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 8:32pm
Jelly Flater,Stu-net & crew..I may hop out from under my rock again here.Everyone has raised some valid points but I am still going stand firm on my opinion.I am old school & proud of it...I don't think I am the only one but we are a dying breed by the looks.
I guess I am just idealistic to the values that I was shown by the guys that I respected on my own journeys & I still try to live by regarding keeping things quiet.Once and a while I will throw my 5 cents worth into the ring when I think a line has been crossed.
PS-Listen to Chook- He is on point with his comments..I was involved briefly with a girl from this island a decade or so back who was a very proud descendant & she explained to me a few things about the british "Experiment" and the feuds he touched on. I found some text which explains this better than I could ever do it.
....The settlement of the Pitcairners on Norfolk Island in 1856 by the British Parliament was referred to by politicians of the time as "The Experiment".
In that romantic era of Queen Victoria, a great interest was taken by the British in the fate of the Pitcairners - a brand new race that had lived isolated for so long, yet was sophisticated and devoutly Christian.
It was the aim of Queen Victoria in granting Norfolk to the Pitcairners that the race remain isolated and the effect of this isolation from the surrounding world be studied. Thus, Her Majesty instructed the Governor that he preserve and maintain the laws and usages of the Pitcairn people. The Pitcairners were to be allowed to continue their self-government, compulsory education and universal sufferage in the same way as they had done on Pitcairn Island.
For 40 years the Pitcairners ran their affairs with minimal interference from the outside world. However, they were happy to welcome those who wanted to live with them on Norfolk. This did not sit well with those who had devised "the experiment"; reasons were sought to strip the Pitcairners of their authority. The official stance of the British Parliament was that the Pitcairners were not handling their affairs with "proper loyalty and respect", and against the wishes of the Norfolk Islanders, the Government of New Zealand, and the head of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, the island was stripped of self-government and its administration placed under the authority of the Colony of New South Wales.
The island has remained under the authority of others since then; the Norfolk Islanders still battle to regain full self-government - and to escape the binds that Australia has placed on them. These binds, in contrast to the aims of "the experiment", are bringing the culture of Norfolk's people closer and closer to that of Australia. It is the stated intention of the Australian Parliament to "strengthen the Australian identity in the external territories". Insidiously, Australia is taking away the identity of Norfolk Islanders as descendants of the Pitcairn people and replacing it with an externally imposed identity and culture.
Before our eyes in the closing stages of the 20th century a bloodless genocide is happening. Although there are many who oppose it, time is a difficult enemy. The "old" Norfolk Islanders are dying out, and the young are being taught by Australian schoolteachers to view themselves as Australians. But they are not Australians in any way besides their citizenship. They are the descendants of a proud and strong people who were given an island homeland by the British Crown 140 years ago.
Australia has overstepped its authority. The world must be told of the Norfolk Island wrongs and bring pressure to bear on Australia to correct those wrongs. If not, Australia will have wiped out a people and stolen their homeland....
CoasterWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 10:00pm
I don't think they qualify as a brand new race. They're decendents of the English crew from the mutiny on the Bounty who lived in Tahiti for a while and married some Tahitian women before moving back to Pitcairn. It's interesting history and the inhabitants were offered the option of moving to Norfolk; no one was forced to go.
I think the stuff about secret spots is a bit overdone. No one owns the ocean and secrets eventually come out. It will be boring reading here if they only ever show locations that everyone knows. And, with apologies, I don't think the surf in those clips is anything special. I'd rather drive a couple of hours down the coast to rural surfing locations than ride those waves on Norfolk. But I wouldn't mind going there for a holiday.
There are more opportunities for work off the island rather than on it and so many of the natives head off to live elsewhere.
Jelly FlaterThursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 11:00am
Coaster - yes, so true...
Loose lips... Well... Blah blah farkn blah...
That is a humorous and overly analytical spiel!
Surfing is about fun! Yes respect the locals, enjoy yourself and smile.
No one has exclusive rights to anything.... This is no argument about politics/ genocide and over hyped historical truths or untruths...
Live in the now, be happy - it's simple.
Someone surfing a wave is a beautiful expression and a feeling we should be willing to share and promote.
Everyone does it their way - no right or wrong!
Enjoy and share!! Oh, and be happy doing it, we all want the same thing.
I'm old school, I keep things quiet. I live in a place with 10 min access to sprawling national parks with beaches, points and reefs ... I sometimes get lonely surfing by myself! For real...
I made lifestyle choices and they have worked out fine.
I don't video and I don't promote my sessions in pristine perfect waves...
And if somebody else wants to, well it's their choice.
The more content you are with your own life and experience of surfing the less you care of any development/progress etc.
there will always be crowds and snakes in the line ups and idiots who just want sponsor dollars or stickers or whatever.
All that is outta your control so skip the try hard educational viewpoint...
Go surfing, smile and bring that feeling back on land - it's all you got! ;)
Fear breeds fear
loose_lips_sink...Friday, 29 Apr 2016 at 10:01am
Jelly Floater...yeah spot on !! I get exactly your point of view & your lifestyle is very similar to mine. I just want to bookend my comments on this and clear a few points up.
I rarely ever comment on topics here,The only other time I jumped into the forum ring was when a webclip of area that rarely breaks in NZ was posted a day or 2 after the swell event and when some pretty ignorant & borderline racist comments were made about Balinese surfers in forum after a webclip on Padang Padang.
I only added in the text re- Pitcairn Islanders to give some historical hindsight into the area..I didn't write it.Its a area with a lot of history that many Australians probably might not know the history of....I thought some readers might appreciate it.
I deplore "localism" in all its forms...I have been fortunate enough to have spent most of my 20's & 30's travelling round the Pacific & Indian oceans experiencing a lot of really good waves while working on yachts.I have never thrown a punch or been punched anywhere in those 2 decades or so which I am proud of,but I have seen some truly fierce localism first hand in areas of Polynesia,Micronesia and to a lesser extent the Western Indian Ocean during the late 90's & 00's.(Indonesia is whole different story which I am sure has been discussed at length by others)
People being hospitalised for pretty much only glancing at a wave,Accommodation shake downs & bribes being paid to local authorities of the back of hassles in the water etc. The one & only common factor I have seen with most of this is when attention gets cast on these areas & the money (or potential for money to made) gets crew from outside the area to start sticking their flag's into the spot so to speak to turn a profit from or from the Surf Companies to use these areas as media mine for their marketing imagery again to turn a profit.
Magazine's and the old analog Videos & Dvd's were the medium of choice for this exposure & due to the thought going into these with the long production cycles,a certain amount of care was used by the professional's to at least disguise certain waves within the content produced.
My gripe with the modern day self produced webclip & self promoting aspiring pro surfers is that they don't seem to have any sense of keeping a location cryptic anymore..Hence attention gets cast on a place almost in realtime then the localism cycle starts or gets elevated which is what we all don't want.
Jelly-You are 100% correct that all of the above is well out of my control,but I do think the Digital Surf Media has a responsibility that can make a difference...Word of mouth will always end up exposing spots eventually and everyone has the right to enjoy any wave anywhere,but some places just do not need that process digitally speed up.
Jelly FlaterFriday, 29 Apr 2016 at 10:42am
fair enough... Actually, well said.
I relate to a few of the things u mention there
- and have witnessed and experienced similar things within surfing in the same eras...
And nz is pretty all time some of the time ;)
Gary GWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 8:53pm
Classic stitch up, Swellnet.
Tell everyone it's Norfolk Island but actually run a clip full of that secret wave 'Olivers' at Victor Harbour. The Norfolk pines are a dead giveaway! It's like the time I gave one of the guys at the gym a banana smoothie and told him it was a protein shake.
Gary is onto you lot and your publishing of a wide range of interesting content which can be accessed voluntarily for free.
clifWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:28pm
I would have thought the 'hit rate' for surfing here would be low, hence there is unlikely to be a mass influx of surfers. Add in being expensive and people will head elsewhere where the bet is more sure for less $. So the tourism benefit argument is questionable but the benefits of keeping it off the grid is equally questionable. I can, however, understand the effort to promote tourism given people's lives on the island are at risk - that = pretty high stakes - unlike an uncrowded leisure-time surf for a handful of people who declare themselves 'old school'. I've always respected the old school codes but sometimes issues are bigger than us and our personal desires.
southeyWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:37pm
Gary G. for Norfolk Island ( read Victor Harbour ) president /mayor ! Vote now .
thermalbenWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:38pm
Just did a quick scan and return airfares are around $900 (ex-Syd). Accomodation isn't cheap either. Hard to imagine NI becoming overrun with surfers in the near future - sure, those waves looked super fun but it ain't Skeleton Bay.
southeyWednesday, 27 Apr 2016 at 9:40pm
So ( surf ) tourism isn't their answer !?!?
You know because we are all cheap bastards .
saltmanThursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 10:32am
Agree with last 2 posts
For the cost of one week in modest accommodation on Norfolk - you can spend twice as long in Indo in twice the comfort, and much better chance of scoring waves
I cant Norfolk being over run with frothing hoards. More likely a few middle aged blokes and the missus for a week of R&R and a possible wave
saltmanThursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 10:33am
Nice video - it is good to see something other than the GC
k00kThursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 11:34am
Notice it is only them in the water!!! This is not the first clip of surfing norfolk. Waves on norfolk have been well documented for years starting with the Webbers. This is the most consistent spot and there is never anyone out, and this is the only spot they filmed. NI will never get crowded lineups... no travelling surfer goes back, for there are much better cheaper options. Never the less a great spot to check out. If this 6 min clip which doesnt expose anything that allready hasn't been exposed, gets a few tourist over there injecting much needed money into their economy which is literally bankrupt then awesome! Great job Swellnet! Im over surfing this sharky joint by myself anyway!
Dusty_ballsThursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 1:17pm
Nice one kOOk. Looking at this clip and others I've seen from Norfolk I see potential for fun waves and I am keen to visit one day for a chilled holiday. Reality is...for a pure surf destination it's not going to attract your regular froth brigade with Fiji, Indo, PNJ, Hawaii etc all a cheaper and better quality options for waves. Chill out hard core old school what ever you wanna claim yourself...Maybe run a clip of Lord Howe next. hahaha
yehmateyehFriday, 29 Apr 2016 at 5:34pm
That's not very nice calling someone a kOOk like that
PCS PeterPanThursday, 28 Apr 2016 at 2:57pm
PINETREES VID COMMENT. . .
Nice vid , well done gang ! Just goes to show if you use good talent , shoot footage in great conditions and edit well , you can make ordinary look special.
Don't get me wrong , I surfed Norfolk in 1991 . got some waves but narrow options is
the problem !
freeride76Friday, 29 Apr 2016 at 11:26am
I heard the rockfishing for big kings is all-time.
anyone confirm?
gnomenFriday, 29 Apr 2016 at 3:11pm
Yes, rockfishing for kings is the accepted thing over there, as well as a lot of other good eating fish.
Qld could buy Norfolk Island...No! That's not a comment.
This is actual weird freaky News from the Future.
Story continues from crew's top notch comments....
1914 UK transfer Norfolk Island to Aust.
2014 Report (Very good read into Island Air/Sea access logistics) https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_...
2015 Fed Govt revoked Norfolk's "Self Rule"
2015 NSW pick up the $32m Tab for services in return for Tourism
2021 NSW $192m contract expires in (June 2021 )
2021 Fed Govt put Norfolk Island out to Tender $200m for all states...
28th Jan 2021 Qld Premier :
Qld Sassy Bitch: "We've heard NSW wants to abandon their responsibilities!"
Qld Saucy Bitch: "It'd make a good edition (Play thing!) for Qld Tourism Portfolio!"
Gotta luv how our Premier needs to speak to Tourism Minister (Not Human Services?)
This is a "Health & Education Contract".(Qldurrz already need to apologize!) [ SOS ]
28th Jan 2021 Qldurrz consider irresponsible $200m Norfolk Island WSL WSR.
Comments
A place I would certainly live on. Might have to wait for the right conditions. But who would be in the water?? Crowded at 5. Civilization surfing sucks give me this life.
Cool clip! Hardly anyone goes there for a surf destination but those waves look fun. Is it normally that good?
Good surfing and good edit.
Great vid.
nice! Just don't show the Webbers.
kiwis?
really nice. kill for that little left right now.
How cool , another spot exposed by some look at me hipsters
I agree grumpy...Off with his bun !
Given the dire state of the Norfolk Is. economy, I don't think they would begrudge a bump in surf related tourism.
Really ? Another clip posted up on Swellnet of an whole island,(not just a spot this time) in the south pacific that a generation or 2 of respectful visitors from all corners of the world have kept on the down-low for years,blown out for all to see just for a couple of surfers & filmers to get their 15mins of fame..or should I say their 6.05mins of vimeo fame & magazine article.
I just don't get how these guys sponsors ie Rip Curl in this case..Justify attaching their name to blowing out another scared area by using a couple of talented young surfers (that probably receive not much more than a couple of grand max a year travel incentive & box of clothes from their "Sponsors" but thats a whole different topic...) All parties involved should know better & weigh up the longterm effects these sorts of trips can have on a location & its local community if seeded out to the surf media outlets dying for content on the cheap.
I just don't see the return on the investment for the riders career's or the company/magazine/websites outweighing the exposure of these types of locations.
The aspiring pro surfers & media should go somewhere where the horse has well and truly bolted already ie -The North shore of O'ahu in the winter & earn your place in the scheme of all things pro surfing in front of all the world's lenses & people that make the machine keep ticking over....and a community that will keep ego's & attitudes in check too if someone steps over the line in their quest for fame behind or in front of the lens.
I have said this before & I will say it again,Swellnet has a responsibility here when these webclips arrive in their inboxes which are of locations somewhat easily accessible by the bulk of the Swellnet viewership.
Are you aware of the parlous state of the Norfolk Island economy? We've had a dialogue with locals over at Norfolk (see recent photos spreads) and their tourism bureau for a while. The end goal for them is MORE tourism, they need it to survive.
This wasn't our video but we'll gladly run it without a skerrick of guilt because we understand their plight.
http://www.news.com.au/national/norfolk-island-is-in-crisis-but-is-anyone-in-australia-listening/news-story/1ac69c350ecbd6ed58c011667800d9ff
http://www.traveller.com.au/how-norfolk-island-has-gone-bust-1vqve
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-19/norfolk-island-to-lose-parliament-will-pay-income-tax/6330620
We could create a Refugee center there , seeing we are paying $1m per person on Narau , then we wouldn't have to subsidise the Norfolk Islanders , are they indigenous to the Island?
After reading those articles, I'd suggest any Norfolk locals following this thread have a read of "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" before you sign your island away...
It may pay for you to go there and have a look yourself. The north folk want you and anyone to come over. BTW this ain't a 'secret' spot by any stretch of the imagination, maybe yours. Trevor Hendy runs a great swim, dive retreat there also.
I tend to agree with that. Having said that, the waves on that clip - while well surfed - we're hardly world class in reality. Many a closeout and lots of backwash. After seeing the clip, I'm still in no rush to go there specifically for a surf trip
ah yes its all about the money , and because there is a problem with the economy , well sell something , do they have any rainforests or sacred reefs???
The place is not really a secret spot is it. With all the surfers I know who know about the place they just can't be fucked to go there. Call it laziness but they would rather go to indo or Fiji where they know they can score waves. This place will never get crowded but even if you had ten in the water I reckon you would still have a mellow vibe. And as far as money for the economy goes at least its kept in Australia.
My experience too.
I don't think its laziness per se.. but more money for your buck. Like many places in this country, over the last 10-15 years tourism entities and the regional areas they support that haven't had the luxury of mining dollar income have suffered, cause its just too easy and waaaaay cheaper to holiday overseas. Norfolk island in particular is outrageously expensive
You guys knew about this spot too? Damn, I thought it was only me.
i've heard they're not the friendliest people on norfolk. there is some hatfield/mccoy feud, and it's not just about the merits of full-volumed single fins. plus, locals have some sort of claim system... that fish you just caught may not be yours.
tristan da cunha is the island for me!
Many of them are descended from Fletcher Christian so I imagine they can surf alright.
Well it sure is nice to see surfing in different locations, and not be force fed another snapper reel (as happens on some other websites).
Nice vid, fun looking waves...
Loose lips and any others who don't 'get it' and wanna have a whinge.... well, crawl back under your rock!
Great to see an interesting looking environment and see people surfing, having fun and sharing it. All the hysteria about 'exposure' to 'unknown spots' blah blah farkn blah...
There are plenty of waves, plenty of space and for those willing to go, well it's all out there ready for ya. Just go surfin and say hi to someone in the line up, get a few and keep smiling, it's not hard! ;)
i so want to go to both norfolk and lord howe. guess i should get a yacht and set sail.
Im with the guy thats pissed off. Herd all the excuses before on why it is okay to exposure unknown surf breaks. There is no excuse! Enjoy your solo surf and keep it to yourself. So that next time you dont have to surf with half the the world. ie Indo. Egg heads!
webclips are ruining surfing
"webclips are ruining surfing"
now THERE'S a topic for a Surfpolitik article...
Hey Wombat!
The Norfolk Island economy has been gutted in recent years. The GFC put a stop to tourism, while a protracted politcal row with Australia undermined commercial stability, the result being a quarter of the population leaving the island, large swathes of businesses closing, and the island teetering on the edge of insolvency.
The Norfolk Islanders WANT tourism. Need it for their survival.
But I assume a solo session is more important to you, eh?
Jelly Flater,Stu-net & crew..I may hop out from under my rock again here.Everyone has raised some valid points but I am still going stand firm on my opinion.I am old school & proud of it...I don't think I am the only one but we are a dying breed by the looks.
I guess I am just idealistic to the values that I was shown by the guys that I respected on my own journeys & I still try to live by regarding keeping things quiet.Once and a while I will throw my 5 cents worth into the ring when I think a line has been crossed.
PS-Listen to Chook- He is on point with his comments..I was involved briefly with a girl from this island a decade or so back who was a very proud descendant & she explained to me a few things about the british "Experiment" and the feuds he touched on. I found some text which explains this better than I could ever do it.
....The settlement of the Pitcairners on Norfolk Island in 1856 by the British Parliament was referred to by politicians of the time as "The Experiment".
In that romantic era of Queen Victoria, a great interest was taken by the British in the fate of the Pitcairners - a brand new race that had lived isolated for so long, yet was sophisticated and devoutly Christian.
It was the aim of Queen Victoria in granting Norfolk to the Pitcairners that the race remain isolated and the effect of this isolation from the surrounding world be studied. Thus, Her Majesty instructed the Governor that he preserve and maintain the laws and usages of the Pitcairn people. The Pitcairners were to be allowed to continue their self-government, compulsory education and universal sufferage in the same way as they had done on Pitcairn Island.
For 40 years the Pitcairners ran their affairs with minimal interference from the outside world. However, they were happy to welcome those who wanted to live with them on Norfolk. This did not sit well with those who had devised "the experiment"; reasons were sought to strip the Pitcairners of their authority. The official stance of the British Parliament was that the Pitcairners were not handling their affairs with "proper loyalty and respect", and against the wishes of the Norfolk Islanders, the Government of New Zealand, and the head of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, the island was stripped of self-government and its administration placed under the authority of the Colony of New South Wales.
The island has remained under the authority of others since then; the Norfolk Islanders still battle to regain full self-government - and to escape the binds that Australia has placed on them. These binds, in contrast to the aims of "the experiment", are bringing the culture of Norfolk's people closer and closer to that of Australia. It is the stated intention of the Australian Parliament to "strengthen the Australian identity in the external territories". Insidiously, Australia is taking away the identity of Norfolk Islanders as descendants of the Pitcairn people and replacing it with an externally imposed identity and culture.
Before our eyes in the closing stages of the 20th century a bloodless genocide is happening. Although there are many who oppose it, time is a difficult enemy. The "old" Norfolk Islanders are dying out, and the young are being taught by Australian schoolteachers to view themselves as Australians. But they are not Australians in any way besides their citizenship. They are the descendants of a proud and strong people who were given an island homeland by the British Crown 140 years ago.
Australia has overstepped its authority. The world must be told of the Norfolk Island wrongs and bring pressure to bear on Australia to correct those wrongs. If not, Australia will have wiped out a people and stolen their homeland....
I don't think they qualify as a brand new race. They're decendents of the English crew from the mutiny on the Bounty who lived in Tahiti for a while and married some Tahitian women before moving back to Pitcairn. It's interesting history and the inhabitants were offered the option of moving to Norfolk; no one was forced to go.
I think the stuff about secret spots is a bit overdone. No one owns the ocean and secrets eventually come out. It will be boring reading here if they only ever show locations that everyone knows. And, with apologies, I don't think the surf in those clips is anything special. I'd rather drive a couple of hours down the coast to rural surfing locations than ride those waves on Norfolk. But I wouldn't mind going there for a holiday.
There are more opportunities for work off the island rather than on it and so many of the natives head off to live elsewhere.
Coaster - yes, so true...
Loose lips... Well... Blah blah farkn blah...
That is a humorous and overly analytical spiel!
Surfing is about fun! Yes respect the locals, enjoy yourself and smile.
No one has exclusive rights to anything.... This is no argument about politics/ genocide and over hyped historical truths or untruths...
Live in the now, be happy - it's simple.
Someone surfing a wave is a beautiful expression and a feeling we should be willing to share and promote.
Everyone does it their way - no right or wrong!
Enjoy and share!! Oh, and be happy doing it, we all want the same thing.
I'm old school, I keep things quiet. I live in a place with 10 min access to sprawling national parks with beaches, points and reefs ... I sometimes get lonely surfing by myself! For real...
I made lifestyle choices and they have worked out fine.
I don't video and I don't promote my sessions in pristine perfect waves...
And if somebody else wants to, well it's their choice.
The more content you are with your own life and experience of surfing the less you care of any development/progress etc.
there will always be crowds and snakes in the line ups and idiots who just want sponsor dollars or stickers or whatever.
All that is outta your control so skip the try hard educational viewpoint...
Go surfing, smile and bring that feeling back on land - it's all you got! ;)
Fear breeds fear
Jelly Floater...yeah spot on !! I get exactly your point of view & your lifestyle is very similar to mine. I just want to bookend my comments on this and clear a few points up.
I rarely ever comment on topics here,The only other time I jumped into the forum ring was when a webclip of area that rarely breaks in NZ was posted a day or 2 after the swell event and when some pretty ignorant & borderline racist comments were made about Balinese surfers in forum after a webclip on Padang Padang.
http://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2015/03/17/tropical-cyclo...
http://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2015/07/08/padang-padang-...
I only added in the text re- Pitcairn Islanders to give some historical hindsight into the area..I didn't write it.Its a area with a lot of history that many Australians probably might not know the history of....I thought some readers might appreciate it.
I deplore "localism" in all its forms...I have been fortunate enough to have spent most of my 20's & 30's travelling round the Pacific & Indian oceans experiencing a lot of really good waves while working on yachts.I have never thrown a punch or been punched anywhere in those 2 decades or so which I am proud of,but I have seen some truly fierce localism first hand in areas of Polynesia,Micronesia and to a lesser extent the Western Indian Ocean during the late 90's & 00's.(Indonesia is whole different story which I am sure has been discussed at length by others)
People being hospitalised for pretty much only glancing at a wave,Accommodation shake downs & bribes being paid to local authorities of the back of hassles in the water etc. The one & only common factor I have seen with most of this is when attention gets cast on these areas & the money (or potential for money to made) gets crew from outside the area to start sticking their flag's into the spot so to speak to turn a profit from or from the Surf Companies to use these areas as media mine for their marketing imagery again to turn a profit.
Magazine's and the old analog Videos & Dvd's were the medium of choice for this exposure & due to the thought going into these with the long production cycles,a certain amount of care was used by the professional's to at least disguise certain waves within the content produced.
My gripe with the modern day self produced webclip & self promoting aspiring pro surfers is that they don't seem to have any sense of keeping a location cryptic anymore..Hence attention gets cast on a place almost in realtime then the localism cycle starts or gets elevated which is what we all don't want.
Jelly-You are 100% correct that all of the above is well out of my control,but I do think the Digital Surf Media has a responsibility that can make a difference...Word of mouth will always end up exposing spots eventually and everyone has the right to enjoy any wave anywhere,but some places just do not need that process digitally speed up.
fair enough... Actually, well said.
I relate to a few of the things u mention there
- and have witnessed and experienced similar things within surfing in the same eras...
And nz is pretty all time some of the time ;)
Classic stitch up, Swellnet.
Tell everyone it's Norfolk Island but actually run a clip full of that secret wave 'Olivers' at Victor Harbour. The Norfolk pines are a dead giveaway! It's like the time I gave one of the guys at the gym a banana smoothie and told him it was a protein shake.
Gary is onto you lot and your publishing of a wide range of interesting content which can be accessed voluntarily for free.
I would have thought the 'hit rate' for surfing here would be low, hence there is unlikely to be a mass influx of surfers. Add in being expensive and people will head elsewhere where the bet is more sure for less $. So the tourism benefit argument is questionable but the benefits of keeping it off the grid is equally questionable. I can, however, understand the effort to promote tourism given people's lives on the island are at risk - that = pretty high stakes - unlike an uncrowded leisure-time surf for a handful of people who declare themselves 'old school'. I've always respected the old school codes but sometimes issues are bigger than us and our personal desires.
Gary G. for Norfolk Island ( read Victor Harbour ) president /mayor ! Vote now .
Just did a quick scan and return airfares are around $900 (ex-Syd). Accomodation isn't cheap either. Hard to imagine NI becoming overrun with surfers in the near future - sure, those waves looked super fun but it ain't Skeleton Bay.
So ( surf ) tourism isn't their answer !?!?
You know because we are all cheap bastards .
Agree with last 2 posts
For the cost of one week in modest accommodation on Norfolk - you can spend twice as long in Indo in twice the comfort, and much better chance of scoring waves
I cant Norfolk being over run with frothing hoards. More likely a few middle aged blokes and the missus for a week of R&R and a possible wave
Nice video - it is good to see something other than the GC
Notice it is only them in the water!!! This is not the first clip of surfing norfolk. Waves on norfolk have been well documented for years starting with the Webbers. This is the most consistent spot and there is never anyone out, and this is the only spot they filmed. NI will never get crowded lineups... no travelling surfer goes back, for there are much better cheaper options. Never the less a great spot to check out. If this 6 min clip which doesnt expose anything that allready hasn't been exposed, gets a few tourist over there injecting much needed money into their economy which is literally bankrupt then awesome! Great job Swellnet! Im over surfing this sharky joint by myself anyway!
Nice one kOOk. Looking at this clip and others I've seen from Norfolk I see potential for fun waves and I am keen to visit one day for a chilled holiday. Reality is...for a pure surf destination it's not going to attract your regular froth brigade with Fiji, Indo, PNJ, Hawaii etc all a cheaper and better quality options for waves. Chill out hard core old school what ever you wanna claim yourself...Maybe run a clip of Lord Howe next. hahaha
That's not very nice calling someone a kOOk like that
PINETREES VID COMMENT. . .
Nice vid , well done gang ! Just goes to show if you use good talent , shoot footage in great conditions and edit well , you can make ordinary look special.
Don't get me wrong , I surfed Norfolk in 1991 . got some waves but narrow options is
the problem !
I heard the rockfishing for big kings is all-time.
anyone confirm?
Yes, rockfishing for kings is the accepted thing over there, as well as a lot of other good eating fish.
Looks like another Christian involved in mutiny, with at least one aussie being asked to leave- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-29/modern-day-mutiny-as-norfolk-islan...
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/norfolk-islanders-will-become-australias-n...
Qld could buy Norfolk Island...No! That's not a comment.
This is actual weird freaky News from the Future.
Story continues from crew's top notch comments....
1914 UK transfer Norfolk Island to Aust.
2014 Report (Very good read into Island Air/Sea access logistics)
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_...
2015 Fed Govt revoked Norfolk's "Self Rule"
2015 NSW pick up the $32m Tab for services in return for Tourism
2021 NSW $192m contract expires in (June 2021 )
2021 Fed Govt put Norfolk Island out to Tender $200m for all states...
28th Jan 2021 Qld Premier :
Qld Sassy Bitch: "We've heard NSW wants to abandon their responsibilities!"
Qld Saucy Bitch: "It'd make a good edition (Play thing!) for Qld Tourism Portfolio!"
Gotta luv how our Premier needs to speak to Tourism Minister (Not Human Services?)
This is a "Health & Education Contract".(Qldurrz already need to apologize!) [ SOS ]
28th Jan 2021 Qldurrz consider irresponsible $200m Norfolk Island WSL WSR.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/27/queensland-govern...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-27/nsw-to-walk-away-from-norfolk-isl...
Ok! So the crew smells a Rat...
Top secret **StarShots * * Outpost or something even more sinister?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-11/norfolk-island-water-solutions/11...
Airport takes Bombers / Desal / BOM? / Communication upgrades.
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/govt-awards-first-grants-for-alternative-...
Qldurrz won't be alone in scoping remote no blame Quarantine Options?
Note: Norfolk residents vote in > ACT. ("Qldurrz guilt free Pirate Quarantine!")
Just pipe-up & get yer eyes off our Covid Hellhole scam!
Qld grey nomad spies trialling Timeshare at refurbished South Pacific Hellhole
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-30/norfolk-island-stranded-australia...