Cheese and baguettes

Did a recky at the Zuider Zee for you girls... but since it's inside the dijk, there's only some blasting onshore winds creating windchop.

I really love Amsterdam - the canals, the cheese, the trams,the conveniently English speaking people. And everyone rides a bike so it's peaceful and clean.

Paris by contrast is quite gritty, although the sun was out for our visit so it was lovely. We all went to the top of the Eiffel Tower...I'm sure you are very proud of me as it was very high and very scary.

Check out this guy and his ball skills at the top of a pole at the Sacre Cour (the beautiful Sacred Heart church at the top of a hill overlooking paris).

Amsterdam

Walking the alleys of Amsterdam with my cousin Cindy and her husband Richard near the coffee shops and red light district. Tried to ignore the wisps of marajuhana smoke as we walked along.

Family surf at The Pass

Greetings from Byron
After a week of 1 ft kiddie waves I felt I should finally get wet .
Swell picked up to  3-4ft  beautiful peeling waves . Dodging between the tall , blonde and beautiful , the seasoned Byron locals  and the holiday makers I pulled off long rides of 300 m from the Pass . Feeling very proud of myself , ready to get back into it at diamond ! Surrounded by steamers I decided to brave the winter water and surf in my bikini . Lasted st least an hour til a pretty young thing asked me if I was cold .... Well I was  warm until she mentioned it .- then quickly began to realize it was winter and that's why we wear steamers ... Oh well , the adrenalin worked for quite a decent surf till temperature forced me out ... I hear it's snowing at Barrington.... Awesome weather here . We have booked again for 2nd week of next July holidays - Clarkes beach caravan park - come join us !
Ps photo of my biggest wave  won't upload - Damn ....

Cathy

Whale spotting off Blackhead beach

I couldn't let a July go by without uploading a whale photo... This one was spotted from our loungeroom waving his tail in the sun (trying clicking the photo to get a larger view - I don't have telescopic lens!).

The Grom and I are heading for Diamond this morning, any MOBsters keen..?
SM

MOB Museum

Well girls looks like we have our own museum now......xx

You have to win it to ring it!

I'm back.
Had to go off line for a week or so to deal with some technical issues. The moral to that story is don't buy Dick Smith SD cards - they are lousy quality and prone to exploding. Wish I knew that earlier. As it turns out my photos were not all retrieveable, but there are some here to help you get the feel of the Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro.

This is taken from the rock platform on low tide. It gives you an idea of how close you are and how big and beautiful the waves were.

 This is the view from the beach but much later when the tide and the beach was fuller. This is a women's heat - Carissa Moore is surfing. She went on to win the event a couple of days later.

The view from the beach early in the morning, before the thousands arrived and took up every available grain of sand...

And, you know I love a good celebrity photo - so here are the few that we got before it became too congested and the security guards whisked the surfers off to safety.

Adriano De Souza posing with some idiot for my photo.

Miguel Pupo (yes a grown man, Edie is on the uphill!)

Is that a young Nick Johnson..? No, its John John Florence

Kelly wasn't surfing that day because he qualified the day before to go straight through to the next round. He was sorry we couldn't meet up but I said that was fine because I know what a busy life he leads. Anyway, Steph sends her love.

SM

Hmmm, have you noticed something different round here?

Shooting a few with Steph

Had a look at Bells on a lay day yesterday and came across this nice young lady suiting up for a surf. She could see straight away that I was a surfer too, so she asked if I would come out and shoot a few waves with her as a little pre-cursor to today. Of course, I was polite and said I would only if she would get in a photo with my family. She was delightful and very accomodating. Bless her heart. I think she said her name was Stephanie... Gilmore! Only the best female the world has ever seen. She was the epitomy of a female role model - polite, happy and friendly to pesky fans. Go Steph! We will be cheering for you girl!

We are having a lay day around Apollo Bay today but the surf is big and going off at Bells. I will try and meet some more celebs tomorrow when we venture out there again. :)

SM

Catch up with Kelly and the gang

Surferboy at Golfcourse, Mollymook

I hope you girls are getting some waves back home. I'm still dreaming of my lovely waves at Blackie Point last Monday. We are off to Bells tomorrow. I'll see if I can get a picture with Kelly ;)

SM

Weekend at Wallum

The Grommie organised a sensational girls surfing weekend away, and when she asked for surf - she got it! We started out at Queens Head on Friday afternoon after looking at some nice waves peeling off down the beach. But there was a problem when we (I!) got down to sea level because these waves were huge! I had already convinced Champagnekate and Grommie that we could do it so I had to suck it up and lead 'em out there. Needless to say I didn't last long, but Grommie got some beauties!

The next morning we headed off to Crescent and decided we would have to at least have a go at these mega waves. Paddling out was no problem thanks to the large rip flowing out, but CK and I found ourselves out with the big boys at the very end of the point when we really didn't want to be there. After some serious panic (we were shaking as we looked down on those monsters passing under us) and some serious paddling, we found our way back and caught one in.

Meanwhile, Grommie was lapping them up! This is her above in the botttom right corner cruising along a big one.

Still shaking, but safely out!

Later in the day, with a little bit of wind.

Of course, the food was divine. For the record: sushi rolls, thai beef salad, salmon steaks and salad, roast vegetable salad, goats cheese, pear and blue cheese tart, spinach and cheese pie, yummy chicken balls, chicken salad, avocado, beer, wine, mango icecream, chocolate mousse... Need I say more?

Still hungry, CK eats the moon.

Sunday morning... and it aint getting any smaller! Three guys ended up around the headland on that strong rip that CK and I were in the day before. Two of them took their lives in their hands and paddled in through the trecherous rocks on the little back-beach, and the other was rescued by the clubbies in the rubber duck. Grommie and Dewy had a hand in signalling the stranded surfer from their spot on the headland. I expect they will recieve an award on Australia day for their dedicated work.

The view from the shade.

The MOB (minus a few) at the beautiful Lorikeet cottage.Thank you beautiful ladies. Now, I would love you to make a comment below, or post photos of your own. You can do it, go on...

 

SM

Gotta love life

just waiting on my lift for a weekend of friendship, champagne, wine, amazing wholesome food and of course awesome waves and gentle sunshine xx

A bit of silly...

It reads:

Red eyes, green feathers around neck, friendly demeanour. Arnold is a dearly loved member of our family and we love him dearly. If you see him, please call Carol.

It just tickled my fancy while i was looking for something to post to get us in the mood for fun and laughter this weekend!! I can't wait to be surfing those long righthanders at Delicate Nobby. Anyone seen a weather forecast yet?? Don't spose it will matter much anyway, we will still have a blast! See you there girls. Girls surfing weekend - here we come!

SM

I love the look on the pigeon's face.

Better late than never

Thank god we get together for birthdays, otherwise I would never see some of these lovely women! Thank you Laura for the reason to get together and for the lovely tea party. Only (English) you can tilt the teapot like you do (see photo).

Champagnekate was noticably absent for this photo... some lame excuse about biopsies or something.

(Note the superb choc mud cake in the foreground made by Yours Truly)

love ya's all!

SM