NZ: Raglan Round 2

Whale Bay - Raglan, looking pretty delicious

It's been a bit windy (with a slightly unfavorable direction) since I got back to Raglan but there have been some moments in the last few days well worth writing home about. There were a few fun days and I had the best sesh of my whole NZ trip so far. An evening up at Indicators with a handful of people out and a belly full of excellent fish & chips. It was my 3rd paddle out of the day and the first time the waves were good enough to surf this particular point(Raglan has 3 main points), which added to the magic I'm sure. The wind died. The sun was shooting rays in all directions from behind the clouds. The waves were absolutely pumping. Non-stop, solid overhead sets. I was drooling all over the place. And Kelda had her camera... unfortunately Erin and I ending surfing a bit farther up the point, it front of the sun and out of camera range, but she still got some beautiful pics of the evening.

How much fun does this look. Pic: Kelda

Indies - So good. Pic: KeldaSomebody with a nice little one on the inside. Pic: Kelda
Drooling after a good sesh. Pic: Kelda

Manu Bay

The Hair Cut... I forgot how it came up but Kelda was cooking dinner one night, think it was Falafel, and I asked if she wanted to feed me, she said only if she could shave my head because she apparently has some weird obsession(fetish?) with petting a freshly buzzed head. Little did she know I was planning on finding some clippers soon anyways and doing my self in. So... we both got what we wanted, and, she got a good sequence out of it.
Here's the now standard slideshow of some more pics...

NZ: Gisborne and the East Cape

Raglan was getting flatter everyday and the reports were calling for a short period windswell to nail the East coast so I made the mission and scored the best waves of the trip so far... what would I do without the internet???

Robby and Paula decided to hop in "The Van" (Not smelly anymore, the new Astroturf dries in a flash!), Dropped Robby off in Hamilton but not before we went straight to Hell, Hell Pizza that is. You can order any of the seven deadly sins in a delicious pizza version along with several other devilish options. Why can't more restaurants have a sense of humor? I sold my soul when I found out the pizza boxes have a tear-out-and-fold-yourself coffin that can house any left over slices. Pure marketing genius!

Here's Robby digging his own grave

Paula needed to catch bus to Wellington in Lake Taupo. The area is loaded with hot springs and thermal pools. Erin (Who I met up with when I got to Gisborne) had shown her a place between Rotorua and Taupo where a hot creek runs into a cold stream and where they mix is a nice big pool to lounge in. The place was pretty sweet. No pics sorry.

So after nearly missing Paula's bus the next morning I headed on my way to the East Cape... when I got there it didn't look too promising, 25-30 knot onshore winds and just pissing rain. So I got me some steak, corn and taters and had a feast back at camp. When I woke up the next morning it was blue bird and offshores and I got to surf this all day long... just silly...
This place reminded me of The Base back home. At low tide the sets would just come in, take a turn up the beach, wedge up, and set up some good long hollow lefts and a speedy right complete with a perfect launch ramp on the end. I think I boosted the biggest air of my life this day... definitely didn't land it. And I got a couple decent tubes. The Gizzy kids rip this place to shit!

The next day was a bit smaller but still fun. I was chatting with a local in the parking lot and he mentioned a spot about 45 mins up the cape and down a dirt road a few miles... my kind of spot. He said it would be better and uncrowded (Why wasn't he there?) So I went. It paid off...

Chest high, clean peaks all to myself? Yes Please! And keep them coming.
I think I'm falling in love with this country!

Beach front Accommodation, complete with free light show.
And you should have seen the stars this night... I could literally see satellites it was so clear.

Beautiful drive up to the spot. (Hard to find a drive around here that isn't) Came around a corner and started drooling when I saw this set up. Parked one of the auto industries finest right on the beach, hopped in my trunks, lathered myself in sunscreen and surfed the above empty line-up until I couldn't paddle anymore. What did I do to deserve this?

That evening I broke out the stove on the sand and made one mean breakfast scramble for dinner; Mushrooms, onions, zucchini, chopped Italian salami, garlic, eggs and Colby cheese with buttery toast and a glass fine red wine. I should've got the shot of my plate... damn it. Could've got the cover of Camping Magazine or something. Life is grand indeed!

I was chilled back in my chair digesting dinner and watching the stars come out when I got humbled... not a single person in the world knew my whereabouts. How often does that happen? Not enough. I was truly lost and it was a good feeling.

So it was flat the next morning, and so wind swells go. right now I'm on my way back to Raglan(different route) for a good swell coming this weekend. I'll end this post off with a shot that sums up my recent photographic style... sloppily taken from the window of my car. As I'm writing this, I'm camping at a spot just ashore from that active marine volcano(White Island) to the right.

"On the road again. Going places that I've never been. Seeing things that I may never see again... I can't wait to get on the road again - Willy Nelson

Slideshow...

NZ: Raglan - Solscape

Manu Bay, Raglan - A view from the perch at Solscape

If you cut off just a thin slice of heaven, toasted it to get those nice crisp edges and smothered it in world class left point breaks you might have a place called Solscape (Soul Escape? Quite possibly). Met some folks in Piha that let me in on this little secret(Brenda got stuck here for 8 months of her year long trip, it's that good.). Located on the hill overlooking Manu Bay, there are old cabooses turned into backpacker rooms a nice community kitchen and lounge area, a camping/van area with a badass open air camp kitchen. And the cherry on the top is there is the option to work around the property for 1-2 hours a day in trade for free lodging... or if that's too much work for you, you can always just pay $15 ($7.50 US) per night to camp there. I've met quite a few people that have called this place home for the last several months and I can see why...

Camp Kitchen - pics by Dan

The waves were pretty small when I got there but still had some fun ones at Manu and the beachbreak. Plenty of time for Dominos, eating, drinking wine, checking out the local waterfall and having a good laugh with folks from all over the world.

Ruth-less Dominating Dominos

Paula, Dan(The Man), Ruth, Me, Robby

Here's some more pics...

NZ: Piha

Piha on the West coast was fun. Ended up staying 5 nights or so. The waves were good so it was hard to leave... and why bother, it's not like I had anywhere to be. However, I wasn't aware that Piha has a liquor ban and they don't sell any at the small mini-mart there.... lame. You have to drive 40 minutes back to the nearest store. So I was sober most of the time except for the occasional beer at the local Bowling Club (Bowling is different here... it's kinda like Bocce Ball and played outside) and Brenda let me in on some of her white wine.

Extremely fun waves with 2-3 sessions a day, the place works on all tides and there's ton's of good bars and reefs up and down the beach.

A meal fit for a king, I've been gorging myself!

Here's some more pics of the place and the waves in this nifty slideshow....

NZ: Warm Waves, Warm People

This place is unreal! I wasn't expecting the weather to be this tropical and the water to be this warm. Trunks in January on both North East and North West coasts? Are you kidding me? Ha!

Taupo Bay Sunrise - go here!Beach AccessDid I hop on a flight to the Bahamas?

I made it back to the ranch alive... spent the last week just camping out and exploring all the little nooks and crannies around Northland. One minute you could be in the middle of a rain forest, the next you could be looking at 400 foot high sand dunes or stumble out onto a deserted white sand beach. If there's onshore winds on one coast, drive to the other side and it's offshore. Rad!

Mangawai Heads... not working.

So I Started out at Mangawai Heads, not happening but saw the potential. Then posted up for a couple days in Taupo Bay and scored some fun waves. It's a secluded little bay with crystal clear water and giant, lush cliffs around it. Went up to the tip top of the country and back down the west coast... the famous Shippwrecks Bay was flat but I got beach near Dargaville pretty fun.... long, headhigh, A-Frame, mushy sandbar waves.

Large native Kauri Tree... wish you could see how big (and old) this really is.

Campsites here are a lot different than in the states. First of all I haven't paid more than $9 US to camp anywhere (that won't even get you an extra vehicle pass in the states), they all have clean stainless steel kitchens with microwaves, fridges, stoves, 4 or 5 sinks, laundry, internet, nice showers and most of them don't charge for hot water. And the owners at Taupo even invited me up for dinner and wine on their deck... fresh fish and basil stuffed portabellos if you're wondering. Delicious! It throws you off how nice people are here... almost too nice.
So The Van (AKA Betsy II) is awesome but will need to have the inside completely overhauled. 2 layers of carpet don't go well with the wet and damp surfing/camping lifestyle. I thought it would nice to have an icechest with a drainplug at the bottom, WRONG! Take a long, bumby dirt road, add one leaky icechest drainplug topped with a scoop of wet boardshorts and a dash of damp towels then bake at 85 degrees for one week and voila! - Moldy Death in A Van-Cake!

The Stinky Van - look closely and you can see the leaky blue culprit just sitting there... leaking!

I just got some astroturf at the store. We'll see how it does.

And just so you know, I'm the official Gumboot Throwing Champion of the NZ Campervan Club for the month of February. Yep. Took gold. So what if it's one of the dullest, stupidest games ever played? I won so good they named a street after me...
Next stop... Piha to Raglan!

New Zealand: Auckland and beyond

Well, well, well, I'm finally here. The land of the long white cloud... actually it's been hot, humid and sunny and it feels a little like Cost Rica where you get that thin coat of slime on your skin. I love it. I'll be calling this country home for a year.

The 12 hour flight was relatively painless. I watched 3 movies (one was "W." - so glad that idiot is gone!), got served free New Zealand Chardonnay, and fell asleep listening to the sexy accents of the Kiwi stewardesses. I don't know what it is but when I hear a kiwi girl talk my body goes limp and I start drooling all over myself. Not the best first impression I know. Funny thing is a day later I'm walking down the street in Auckland and a car stops in the middle of the road, a blond girl stares at me, takes her sunnies off for a better look and starts screaming and pointing... it was one of the stewardesses, then she invited me for drinks. Ha! And so I hear that's the way shit goes down in New Zealand. Friendlyness squared.

On Saturady I picked up some hot wheels at the weekend car swap from a couple Brits. A '93 Nissan Caravan DX!! Pictures to come soon.. I'm waiting until I pimp my ride a little more, then I'll do a photoshoot in a proper NZ setting. And driving on the other side of the car on the other side of the road is absolutely nuts! Add a stick shift to the equation and you've got yourself a scary good time.

Right now I'm staying at a family friends place out NW of Auckland. They are super nice! 10 acres with horses, donkey, pig (see picture of Sophie below) alpacas, cats, dogs, pond with island... the whole bit. The home cooking and solar heated pool is definietly a plus. The view has the famous Auckland Sky Tower and a nearby island volcano in the distance. Pretty good gig. (Rebekah and Renny, you guys rock!) And I got a chance to clean out the van and wash some stuff before I go rogue for a while up the East coast to find some supossed swell that's coming to meet me for a barrel or three.

6 New Originals in the Store

Before I left for NZ, I boxed up 6 experimental pieces (which is why they are so cheap) I had been working on over the last few months. I'm actually really liking them. I've been cutting up old Surfing mags and gluing them on simple shapes and patterns. These are all 12.5 x 12.5 inches with plywood frames, ready to hang. $100 each USA shipping included.

Check them all out right HERE in my store. If you want any, my lovely state-side studio assistant will gladly get that shipped off to you!

My Store: www.abelstore.blogspot.com

Offshore Score

I picked off quite a few of these yesterday evening. The sun was setting over the islands, nearly a full moon rising in the East, psychedelic colors everywhere, straight offshore winds, overhead A-frames... wish I had a camera in the water. It's sessions like this that make life well worthwhile.