An amazing run of swell hereabouts over the last week or so. Relentless and perfect at times, with one big raw evening touching big enough for some rather long boards to get a run without seeming silly. 

Bell's when it gets over a certain tipping point becomes rather hard to catch. At a size somewhere around maybe three to four times overhead, the big fat lumps have a habit of going from zero to hero in a very sudden second. An early hook in makes it all the easier, and for a while I wasn't getting it. A six ten and old bones meant a couple of cartwheels down the face, but somehow the old rheumy eye dialled in and I managed four or five giggles before dark by sitting in, and under the lip, letting the fates guide me down.

For the rest of the past week the endless perfection allowed, amidst the crowds, quite a bit of fun.

I also did some filming, albiet not that successfully as I was having camera operator issues, which means, really, that I'm a bit better at directing than shooting, though I am working on it. Jon Frank. Respect.

The shots are from the smaller, more shapely yesterday morning of the larger night before. I do have to say it is not a bad set of reefs to have just up the road.

There is something very different about long period swells. On Saturday and into Sunday past we were raked by zephyr groomed lines caressing the reefs. Conditions had fallen into place in a way they rarely do. The power was a level up, with speed to burn, and Bells was beginning to look more like Indo than Vicco.

It was even arguably hollow.

And everyone knew it. The internet drums had been banging away, and it was packed. Everywhere. A couple of 'secret' spots were reeling, but alone a couple of hundred metres out just didn't feel right. to me, much as I would have liked to paddle out and explore.

So Bells it was, with dozens out, but somehow, if you knew how and where, you can find waves.

How I went is sort of irrelevant, as others in the water were providing some fine entertainment. The Gudauskas brothers were doing impossible things, Ross Clarke Jones sat waiting patiently for the two bombs he carved like an angry chef with a six foot blade, and I attempted to pull into a frothy barrel that I was completely crushed by right in front of all of the above and their water photographer Ed Sloane. 

My 6'2" MC was largely behaving, but my experiment of smaller fins was not working to plan as I was sliding a little on the larger waves which puzzled me until I checked them pre surf on Sunday and saw I'd not tightened them enough. All three were flopping about in their boxes like drunks in a bar. Once tightened the problem went away, and in the slightly less perfect conditions with half the crowd my three hours was epic, exhausting fun. I ran out of arms for the first time in ages, and actually shined a late afternoon surf.

Still ten hours in the water in two days is not bad for an old coot.

The pics are snaps from the Saturday, lightly overcast skies and empty waves amidst the crowds, and there were bigger waves on offer too. This was not the best of it. True.

Some good waves around today. 

I just got out of the water from some absolutely cracking Bells. Both it and Winki busy but very consistent and some fun ones coming through. For some reason I was catching a few too, despite being on just a six two... somethings gotta give soon I suppose but I am not complaining. My last wave was a best ever, a bomb from way out back through to the Button. Full width of the Bells bay. Plus some. Never happens. Still don't believe it.

The other good thing that happened recently was just before the Reef Tour I received a call from Surfing Australia inviting me to attend the Surfing Australia 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame Ball up in Sydney. We'd been nominated for an award for the Reef so up I went, fortuitously in a way as the next day the Reef rehearsals were to begin.

Anyway but blow me down and we won the Hall of Fame Surf Culture Award for 2013. So stoked given two that one of the other nominees was the Gra Murdochs wonderful White Horses project. I'd have loved a draw.

The other great thing was catching up with some old friends and making some briefly new ones. Had a chat with MR, Parko, Simon Anderson, Bob McTavish, Tommy and Nick Carrol, and  Nat Young, who is an old mate so it was old home week there.

Plus Cheyne Horan who still looks as fit as a flea and is a really lovely guy.

The highlight though was seeing Westerly Windina (formerly Peter Drouyn) who looked amazing, has had 'the op' and to see the love and acceptance in that room on the night was very, very special.

Nat giving his old contest rival and 'new best girlfriend" a hug and kiss on stage says it all. Just great.

Pics today.

Bells and Winki, our trophy and my iphone snap of Westerly, with Steph as she was inducted in to the Hall of Fame.

Finally some decent waves. It's been a long flukey summer down here, the water warm as toast and the waves on the Torquay coast pretty damn miserable. The beaches to the east and west have been firing, the boys and girls there with smiles wide and cheery. 

Alas, not so for us, until today.

Today it is firing, the swell being caressed by a schizoid wind that refuses to settle into one direction, though it has remained light and, if anything, has served to make the waves 'interesting' in a good way.

Some nice sets amongst it too, with a bit of power to boot. Naturally the weekend has brought the crowds but you can't begrudge a wave can you? The general demeanour in the water has been controlled. A fair bit of dropping in going on but tempers remain calm. For me... I'm sitting out the heat of the day to give it another hit in an hour or two, get some more crumbs thrown to the side for coots like me, and with luck I'll get a couple of hooters, just like this morning.

As for the rest of the news over the past month, well that's why the blog has gone begging.

We toured the East Coast of Australia with the Reef, sell out crowds everywhere and all bar one performance went seamlessly. Great receptions universally and kudos to all involved. It has been an epic run. 

Now for the test of time.

Next week it is off to Hong Kong, and with luck, the world will get to see it over the next year or two.

Shots for today: Winki this morning, and me giving a pre concert talk at the Sydney Opera House. 

Who'd have believed? And it was my birthday last week too. 59. Now that I simply cannot believe.

As the old saying goes.. Life sneaks up on you like a windscreen on a bug.

It's all on down here at the moment, and the big news is pretty big.

The Culture and Arts Minister of Western Australia announced the other day that Screen West would be backing The Reef to be made into a feature film.

A statement from the Australian Chamber Orchestra said:

The Reef – the recently released concert from world renowned violinist Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, is to be made into a unique feature film in Western Australia. The Reef is an immersive experience in music and film.  With no spoken dialogue the film journeys us through a Mythic Day on the awe-inspiring Gnaraloo Reef, and the coastal inland of Western Australia’s Coral Coast, creating an analogy for our entire lives – dawn to dusk, birth to death, with all the joy, hardship and beauty in between.

“Developing The Reef was one of the most adventurous mind and body expanding experiences an orchestra could ever have. To travel to this region with the purpose of creating a project, and then embarking on a tour that exceeded all our expectations, was a life changing experience. The idea of the film is to take us higher and deeper into this amazing journey. The inspiration for the entire project has come from Western Australia and it is fitting that the film will be realized in WA, with the wonderful support of the WA Government.” Richard Tognetti

The concert version has and will be playing to worldwide audiences (Australia, Maribor in Slovenia as part of the Maribor Festival, and soon Hong Kong, Europe and the US), and will now be translated to the big screen. With substantial material already filmed in WA, the next stage of filming will be mid-year back at Gnaraloo and inland from there, with a predominantly WA crew.

The Reef will be produced by Richard Keddie of the Melbourne based company - The Film Company;  and co-produced, written and directed by Mick Sowry; along with Perth producer Cheri Larsen. Mick Sowry, Richard Tognetti and Richard Keddie teamed previously to make the multi award-winning film MUSICA SURFICA. The ACO is also a producing partner."

Which in a nutshell means we have a big year ahead.

Pretty damn cool too. 

Preceding this we are about to embark on a REEF tour of eastern Australia, seven performances in total in this phase of the ever evolving Reef Redux. Tickets selling fast so anyone on East Coast Oz who reads this better visit the Australian Chamber Orchestra website to get a ticket now. 

Another series of journeys that started with a random email back in 2007. Check back to that far in this blog and you can read how it unfolded. Crazy stuff.

As for the rest of life, the occasional surf led to an experiment yesterday when I borrowed the board at bottom and was lightly mind blown. Of course I fell and goosed out but found the joy eventually. Given the relatively crappy conditions all I can say it is very fast, very agile and a bit of a thought machine. It also paddles amazingly well, at 5'8" it picks up waves like a board 8 inches longer. That I'm as old in numbers as the board is long think about your board choice if you think being 'a certain age' is limiting you. There are alternatives that lead to a lot of carvy fun.

Shots today, some Reef screen grabs, a return to Rachmaninoff, and that board.

The Reef. Vocalise. from The Reef on Vimeo.

Just over two weeks since the last post, a new year stretches its arms and we begin again.

No holidays away for us over Christmas, so its been kicking back at home, babysitting a little white dog called Sonny Jim, and his scruffy brownish pal Roo, getting the occasional surf amidst the endless summer on-shores, having the odd sunset beer, worrying a lot as that is what I do best, and preparing for a new tilt with The Reef.

As a few projects are needing my computer gear in good working order, and since I've not updated software for ages I thought I'd do the right thing and do so with those tools I like to use most.

Naturally after no updates for four years or so, there are some new tricks in the code so I've been revisiting some shots just to see what it'll do. No pyrotechnics mind you, just noodling about getting a feel and trying to rescue some exposure disasters or make some silk purses from my usual sow's ears.

Digging through my Reefy snaps, taken while scouting about or waiting for waves, here are a few to start.

The chap in black and white is the wonderful Warren Pfeiffer, while the two at bottom are Ryan Burch and his little white foam slab under repair. The rest are just things I saw while wandering about.
The crab is still undergoing therapy.

Well I hope the Festive Season was a happy one for all and not too stacked with the lunacy and angst that usually accompanies the end of the year.

My main hope, though, for all of you who read this, and all of you who don't, is that it has been safe. 

For us... we risked life and limb on a drive to Mordor, my name for a beloved stretch of coast, a chance to catch up with some dear old friends and their boys, who I love dearly, having watched them rise from twinkles in an eye to twinkly eyed young men. My two young men have grown up with them so this reunion of sorts was heartening and sobering too. Time has really flown.

In the village at the Trading Company, Old Bill continues to cast his sea crackled eye at the passing throng, throws out the odd nugget of wisdom, and even the odd hug, as he near squeezed a tear from my eye in memory of my Dear Old Dad. Good on you Billy. I was very touched.

One morning, too, we were gifted with some cracking waves, a little gap in a bit of a horror run typical of this time of year, what with early morning onshores and small swells.

Banks everywhere and one very sucky, hollow right was mine! mine!! mine!!! for an hour or two at the bottom of one of the most rugged shorelines on the earth. Jagged, angular and near beach less, but breathtaking too. I could go on. Suffice to say it was not perfect but perfect moments don't need to be.

To sit out there, gaze at the constantly shifting horizon and just be... was the best present I could imagine.

Pics today, some snaps of a divine morning, courtesy of being at the right place at the right time.