We had a quick taste of spring weather, then winter finished in style.
The high over Apollo Bay provided clear skies and a warmish day, while swell from the south west reached our shores ahead of the low pressure system that created it. This water was winter-cold to swim in. The preview of spring was followed immediately by winter’s last official hurrah. The photo shows the main beach (east facing) at Apollo Bay. It was a small swell, but groomed nicely by the light offshore wind. This wave is typical of the close-out sets on the sandbank which parallels the shore on the main beach at Apollo Bay. An eastern great egret normally found along the banks and exposed mud flats of the Barham River, amongst the trees and vegetation on the banks of Milford Creek seeking shelter from rough weather. It was very aware of my presence even though I was quite a distance away. It kept a close eye on me. Interestingly, on its home ground on the Barham River it is cautious, but treats me with much less regard and something more like disdain. This photo was taken from my east-facing verandah. To see photos of this bird in its more usual environment, see my post devoted to the elegant eastern great egret: https://southernoceanblog.com/2018/08/24/the-eastern-great-egret/ Another post on this blog also features this beautiful bird: https://southernoceanblog.com/2018/08/24/the-eastern-great-egret/The late afternoon view from my back verandah on a still afternoon when salty mist from the surf hung in the air getting golder by the minute as the sun neared the hilly western horizon. Tuxion Road. Also Cawood St. It was as peaceful and quiet as it looked. But next day winter returned with a strengthening cold northerly / nor’ westerly wind followed by a cold front and gale force winds with rain and hail.The air temperature dips quickly once we are in the shadow of the hills. A neighbour beat us to the punch at putting a match to the wood fire in preparation for the cold night that followed. For the few hours before dark a couple of days ago, the swell picked up sufficiently for surfers to consider it worth the paddle out at the Point. Some waves were ridden. Looking south past Hayley Point at Marengo. The wind picked up the next day and blew for days as the last cold front for winter marched over the state. Photographer on the spot at Hayley Point to capture some late afternoon light on the surf.
Katey and I, recognising each other through the telephoto lenses, each had the same idea.
Photo by Katey ShearerThis photo was taken from a roadside parking spot on the GOR overlooking the surf break known locally as Sledgehammers. The point in the distance is Cape Patton, about 5kms as the gannet flies from where I was standing to take the photo. Another local surf break known as Boneyards, is about a third of the way between the point I was on and Cape Patton. I saw no surfers in the water with the naked eye nor did I notice any through the telephoto lens as I took these photos. I was not surprised given the strength of the wind and the amount of water moving over and around the various reefs between me and Cape Patton.
If you are not particularly interested in surfers and waves, the photos under ‘Lone surfer – photo 1’ will probably be quite enough to get the general idea of a solo surfer well offshore in these seas and weather conditions. Photos 2 & 3 show the same surfer surrounded by different waves.
Lone surfer – photo 1
So it was with quite some surprise that I later learned there was a solitary surfer out in the very waters I had photographed. Upon checking the photos the evening after taking them, I noticed what I initially thought might have been a seal some distance out to sea. On zooming in I could see that I had unwittingly taken a photo of a lone surfer, wetsuited and hooded, sitting on his board way out in the middle of this cold, windy and moving ocean. He would’ve paddled out at Boneyards. I believe the tide wasn’t ideal for surfing this location at that time, which may explain why there was only one surfer out. Seeing a solo surfer out in big waves and wild seas in winter is not an uncommon event along the west cost of Victoria. Respect.
The two photos following are cropped enlargements taken from the preceding photo to better show the location of the surfer.
An alternative method of locating the lone surfer: use the arrows in the circle to slide left and right between these two images to see the surfer’s location on the magnified portion of the second photo.
Lone surfer – photo 2
This sequence of images follows the same format as those of the surfer in photo 1: original photo, two increasingly enlarged cropped portions of that photo, and two slide images with the area around the surfer magnified on the second image.
Lone surfer – photo 3
The dark object on the centre left of the image is exposed reef as the water sucks out towards the approaching breaking wave.
Solid swell from the south marching directly into very strong winds from the north.
Hi John.
Do I detect a touch of sadness in you now that Winter has passed? So many wonderful, powerful wintry photographs and words you’ve treated us to.
With names like “Sledgehammers” and “Boneyards”, I’m conjuring abattoirs, not surfing haunts. Looks to me like the names are well earned.
Nice work capturing Katy chasing the money shots. You are more sensibly positioned!
Hunto
You do indeed detect a touch of sadness at the passing of winter. As you know, it’s the favourite season of mine in this part of the world. I just counted, and it seems this winter prompted an even dozen posts on my blog. There’s the proof that winter is a gift that keeps on giving for this photographer. As you would have noticed, I don’t publish posts by the calendar – I publish a new post whenever I have some photos I’d like to share.
The local names for those two surf breaks are well earned. Quite a few stories from those two places alone, which we can have a yarn about when we next have a coffee.
Katey is a young professional photographer, and a talented one at that. She is also a surfer, and combines those interests.
South 
Interesting use of the slide enlargement!
LikeLike
Hi John.
Do I detect a touch of sadness in you now that Winter has passed? So many wonderful, powerful wintry photographs and words you’ve treated us to.
With names like “Sledgehammers” and “Boneyards”, I’m conjuring abattoirs, not surfing haunts. Looks to me like the names are well earned.
Nice work capturing Katy chasing the money shots. You are more sensibly positioned!
Hunto
LikeLike
Hi Hunto,
You do indeed detect a touch of sadness at the passing of winter. As you know, it’s the favourite season of mine in this part of the world. I just counted, and it seems this winter prompted an even dozen posts on my blog. There’s the proof that winter is a gift that keeps on giving for this photographer. As you would have noticed, I don’t publish posts by the calendar – I publish a new post whenever I have some photos I’d like to share.
The local names for those two surf breaks are well earned. Quite a few stories from those two places alone, which we can have a yarn about when we next have a coffee.
Katey is a young professional photographer, and a talented one at that. She is also a surfer, and combines those interests.
Cheers,
John
LikeLike
Good to see you credit the photograph by your daughter!
LikeLike
Katey is unrelated to me Tom. Important to give credit to others for their photos. Katey is a very talented photographer.
LikeLike