Travelling Post 12 - It's all about the Surfcamp

With regards to my post about my first week in Australia, I forgot to say that I had a new mobile phone number, if anyone wishes to contact me my mobile, then email me and I'll email you back my Aussie number. It works out a lot cheaper to have an Aussie phone, and just to leave my other phone turned off until I need to phone home.

My second week started off with me getting up far too early to go to a four day Surfcamp. And after a 2hr drive we arrived, got settled in our cabins and it was off for my first ever surf. My first time into the water was pretty pitiful, they teach you the basics and even they aren't very easy to pick up. I have never been the best at any sport I have tried, ever, and this was no exception, and so frustration did start to set in. During the second session I fared much better and managed to lie on the board in the waves without falling off - well most of the time anyway. To cut a long, mostly boring, story short, by my final, third day of surfing, I could pretty much stand up and ride the smaller white-waves. We were taught the techniques of turning and riding green waves (the unbroken waves) but i didn't quite manage those.

'Hold up', the more observant of you say, 'by your final, third day, I thought you went for a four day Surfcamp.' Well, my response will seem a little wimpish, it was too bloody cold. The weather for the past three days was really cold, even by British standards, the Surfcamp owner said that it had been the coldest front in New South Wales since 1941 (i think I have brought the weather with me) and so getting into a wet suit was not appealing on any of those days either. Being in the water was fine it was the 30-45 minutes either side of the surf time that was bad. It was that cold on the third day we all needed to run around for 5-10minutes to warm up, exercises weren't enough. Also we were getting up for a 6.30am surf and when I woke up I felt too cold, it was like being back at Scouts, waking up at 8am, being too cold to get out of the sleeping bags, I didn't want to do that again, and so I didn't. The second surf of the day was at 12.00 and despite being up for a few hours, my body hadn't warmed up and so again I opted out, and I wasn't the only one, out of 25 or so people, only 5 or 6 decided to go to the second surf of the day.

Despite the weather, surfing was great fun, hard work and rewarding. For those climbers reading, standing up for the first time and riding a wave to it's completion is like when you get to the top of a really difficult climb, just better. Personally, I think surfing is better than climbing, possibly the best sport I have attempted, I would recommend anyone to try, just not in Britain as it'll be too cold haha. What was also really good about the camp, were the instructors, all twentysomething Aussies, on very little pay, doing something that they loved. They had all been surfing for at least 10 years, i think most had been surfing for around 15, and they were really good at explaining the techniques of surfing, right down to the basics when we had to draw a surfboard in the sand and practice 'climbing' on board, and later standing up.

Now I just need to find a cheap surfboard and I'll be a pro by the end of summer.

For those that haven't seen my photos, they are online at http://rhino-rob.bebo.com/

After Surfcamp I went to Manly for a couple of nights and met up with Brendan and Edward. I had a mostly relaxing weekend watching the Manly leg of a national beach volleyball tour. I also learnt beach volleyball is an Olympic Sport and people get paid to do it - I still can't figure out why - it's Volleyball!

So that was the end of my second week, I'm at the start of my fifth week now and living in a house. If you want my address for the next two months for Christmas cards, presents, random gifts, love letters - but only if you're attractive enough, and money - which doesn't matter how attractive you are; then just email me or ask on here.

As per usual I'm gonna finish a post with stuff still to write about, but you can read about The Exciting Adventures of Rob next time at... well until the BBC pick up my story to make into a serial you're just gonna have to come back here!