Right now at the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere we're heading into the coldest air and water temperatures for the year. Over the road the sea is still heavily polluted because raw sewerage is still being pumped from New Zealand's second largest city straight into the water ways. Yep the local council has made gains, but those of us caught living in 'The Orange Zone' don't even know if we can stay in the area we've chosen to live in. We still get some major earthquakes and we've had over 7,000 quakes in the past 10 months.

Let's hope we get no more in the five of larger range, lets hope they just gradually fade out and life can begin to get back to normality for those of us lucky enough to have lived through this catastrophe.


Both the West and East Coasts of the islands have been blessed with south swells over the past month. 'The Boss' did a quick West Coast jaunt to catch some fine weather,warm water and wonderful waves. He reckons that it was great to get away from the shakes and meet some really friendly local surfers elsewhere in the country.


A chance to catch up with some old mates and talk about the surf while catching a few images of what was happening in the water in Spring like conditions.
We've got a few shots from that trip splashed around the front page of Paco Divers, Rohan Morris and Ant Hema carving in Westport.


The best have been saved for the print media. We're also updating our Groms Page, Girls Page and Sick Spots pages over the next couple of weeks. If you know any of the surfers that we haven't been able to name flick us a note on the Editor link at the bottom of the page. The Boss hates running unnamed shots of surfers, and everyone that gets run costs the photog a cream bun! You know it!!

Its been a tough month in Christchurch. A really tough month for the victims and families of those who died or received major injuries. Some people spent up to a week or two not knowing whether or not their sons, daughters or partners were still alive. Something as major as this puts things in perspective for all of us really. For those of us unlucky to live through such an event but lucky enough to be alive after it, there seems to be a whole new out look on life.


And now the Japanese people are going through something that seems to be a whole lot worse, what can you say really when 20,000 people or more have died! The support and help that is offered, from a kid holding a cake or toy stall, to the companies that offer thousands in cash has been amazing! So in some ways a tradgedy brings out the best in a lot of people, and there have been a lot of amazing stories about people who have helped others. All these things help to make us feel a lot better when for the past few weeks the future has seemed so uncertain. The boss reckons that when it all settles down it'll be a time for new beginnings - we can look forward to that can't we!

This roll over features photos from The Nationals in Dunedin plus a few Dunnos sessions.

 BillY Stairmand's 'Turbo Tweak' during a heat at St Clair Beach (2)
Sequence Right and below.

                                                                                                             (3)



Above:2011 New Zealand National Champion Jay Quinn

A short piece on the board art of Brett Summerlee - Artist and Teacher in Gissy!  Check out our News Page


Plus a photo essay of the North Wai Dunga Classic - check around the site for all of these plus a few more changes over the next couple of weeks.  Check out our Malibu Page

 Some of the crowd at the North Wai Dunga Classic February 2011

We'll do our best to keep things moving now that the boss has lost his favourite pie shop with the earthquake, he's grumpier and more hard to please than ever... typical really!

The Magic of the West Coast: Westport's Tip Head brings back memories of long hollow rights and a strong rip that keeps dragging you off the bank. The quality of the waves has to be worth the paddle and the long struggle through the shallows and back up the beach, yup sometimes you gotta work hard to get the gold - but its worth it!                                            Ancient Images:  Family Silver or Forgotten Junk                                

The boss picked out these two shots from a bedraggled contact sheet that he waved under our noses! That's Westport Breakwater February 1976 he snarled. The top one was a cover shot of NZ Tracks magazine and they both featured in a double page photo spread that he got paid $40.00 for. Yup $40.00 - good money in those days photo rates have only gone down since then he reckons!! He took these shots using a Miranda Sensomat RE Camera, a 400mm Safari Lens with a 2X Soligor converter slapped on the end. It was off a tripod and about as sharp as a bloody milkbottle with some cream still stuck on the bottom he reckons.

Above : Ben Rees

The surfers were a carload of Ozzies passing through town. Apparently they cornered the boss at a local gas station wanting to know where all the good spots were cos they hadn't seen any other surfers. The boss wasn't giving an inch he reckons, he'd only settled in town a couple of weeks before and there was no way that he wanted to fall out with the locals! What brought all this on you might be wondering! Well some of the staff had just come back from a West Coast Trip with a few shots of the West Coast, including some that The Boss thought were exactly the same as a couple the boss had shot nearly forty years before - we'll let you be the judge. Jonny Wardrop 2010 Westport Breakwater Ben Rees 2010 Westport Breakwater Even the kid who gets the coffee and the sausage rolls from the bakery down the road had a smirk on his face when he heard The Boss ranting on. But there was no bloody way he was going to contradict The Boss! We weren't say'n anything either, sometimes you gotta just bite your tongue (or in this case a sausage roll) and keep your mouth shut while you chew, its bloody hard when you stomach starts shak'n and you wanna laugh and cough at the same time, cos yuh know its bullshit. But its probably best to let The Boss have his memories and dreams of the past! He pays the bills!!!

Above: Jonny Wardrop  Below Ben Rees

Sam Hawke: Brighton Pier - Shhh Don't Tell!!

Yep its that time of year again...

Just as the Japanese whaling fleet heads south we hear little from out politicians about the rape and pillage around Antarctic waters. Word has it that the Tooth fish's days are numbered, gazillions of krill continue to be caught for fish food and fertilizer. But the fat man with his hand snugly on his wallet still doesn't want to get the message! And the politicians who are on his payroll are just fat cat front men with sparkling teeth and lying eyes. Yup the plugs been pulled and the baths nearly empty, soon we''ll have nothing but the crap caught in the plug hole to fish, play and live in! A mate of ours would call it bottom feeding, we'd better get used to the fact that we'll all be bottom feeders shortly. Lining up as mud larks waiting for our turn to fish and frolic in the sewers - that is- " unless... someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is gonna change its not!!" Philosopher , genius and children's author Dr Seuss