Bondi was not doing it this morning—a drizzly, dark, cold day with tiny waves. Yawn. With the lack of enthusiasm to perform my morning rituals (Bondi documentation), I look to my 25 terabytes of archives – specifically, a time of hotter weather and blue water – yes, Costiera Amalfitana. For those recently joining my readership, we […]

Geez Bondi was quiet this morning. Nobody was around at all. Even the promenade was deserted as light drizzle kept everybody under the covers. Rather cold start with 8 degrees and 6 knots of southerly. Small waves all week! Thursday looks nice with 23 degrees. :: uge

The swell has done a runner, and we’re left with 1-2ish footers. Friday’s bring out the biggest crowds, especially at sunrise and with 23 banging degrees forecast. We currently have light 8 knots offshore NW winds in Sydney. It will swing NE around lunchtime. Small conditions will be the theme of the next few days. […]

Another good-looking day – clear skies and cooler temps at sunrise. Eight degrees when I woke, but now it’s warming up to 22 degrees. The forecast is for 23 tomorrow! The surf has cleaned up with NW offshore winds earlier. As I write, it’s swinging NE. Bondi has waves in the head-high range…looked a little […]

Everything was cast in bronze this morning as bigger surf and onshore breezes stirred up a moist surf mist. The conditions were pretty terrible for surfing 2/10. Out the back had some rogue 3-4 footers, but the nemesis onshore was making such a mess. The inside had a shorey, but it was fickle (not worth […]

A pre-sunrise swim with a frosty westerly is always invigorating. The fantastic spate of waves continues, and the groms are feasting (wow – there are so many of them!). It’s not big, say waist to chest high, with the odd head-high one. The rips make great waves but also make it harder for me to […]

How good is this weather! A shark parked itself underneath me yesterday whilst surfing South Bondi. The water was crystal clear I could see it clearly about a foot underneath me tootsies. A curious bugger – had a look at me and then glided on by out to sea. In all my time in the […]

Hi. Hello. How are you? Remember me? I know, I know. This ‘daily’ photo email thing seems to be a little erratic, a little irregular and a whole lot not daily. I can explain… As of today, I can officially pilot an under 25-kilo RPA (remotely piloted aircraft). It took me all week to get […]

I spent the weekend chasing the sun up to The Gold Coast. Wow, it feels like summer up there, with temperatures reaching 24-25 in the day and everyone parading around in bathers. There wasn’t much swell on Saturday, so it was a blue lagoon. Sunday, a fresh south swell started to wrap into the points […]

The swell has subsided, and the new bank setup has been revealed. There’s a nice gutter towards the middle, but the rest looks straight. 2-3 foot waves, clean conditions with offshore winds. Small crowds due to cold conditions. Dark morning, overcast skies…tough shooting conditions! Have a great weekend. Big surf on Sunday! :: uge

The swell has come right up, and the mercury right down. There are waves in the 6-8 foot range and only a hand full of crew braving the uncomfortable conditions. It was around 4 degrees before sunrise, and the wind chill bit deep. WNW winds at 10 knots are keeping it neat. It’s pretty mind-blowing […]

Geez, it was a chilly start to the day (9), especially before sunrise (sub 9). At Bondi, you’d think it’s peak summer as a few guys paddle out in their boardies, chatting with me like it’s a balmy summer morning. At sunrise, chest-high waves and its offshore – onshore now with that annoying southerly blowing. […]

After a massive span of clear skies and sunshine, we’re opening this week with a dark, drizzly morning and 2-3 footers. Six knots of NW wind is perfect for Bondi – so the waves are clean. Mondays are the best for crowds – combined with most parents returning to work after schoolies – and the […]

I’m not much of a longboarder, but I love shooting pics of the legropeless maniacs. It’s graceful, slower and more predictable than short boarding – kinda like a dance. It also doesn’t matter if it’s 0.5ft or 10ft – they always catch waves. Far Northern NSW is a longboarders haven, with dribbly points spinning off […]

The southerly is blowing up here (Far North NSW), so you’ll need to find a point for protection. There’s slightly more swell today, but it remains small and suitable for large surf craft. Waist to shoulder high. Yet another glorious winter sunny day with warm temps – lucky, aren’t we? Max 22. The waiting period […]

I prefer north to south, particularly in winter when it’s warmer. Yesterday it was 24.5 degrees up here on the far north coast, and it felt like summer. The mornings are cool, but the middle of the day is glorious. We’ve left Port Mac and driven closer to the QLD border where the waves are […]

Sorry about the recent radio silence. You know it’s ’cause of school holidays…and nothing beats a road trip heading north to the warmer weather. I’ll confess – I’ve driven past the Port Macquarie turn-off on the A1 highway (many times) in a hurry to get to North-North-Bondi (Aka Byron Bay). I never knew Port Macquarie […]

It’s raining in Bondi this morning, and shooting wasn’t high on the priorities. No, I didn’t jump on a plane headed for Italy, do not worry. Pre-Rona, we did a handful of tours in Italy and spent all our money on helicopters – my shooting platform of choice. One heli even stalled over Capri, luckily […]

Geez, Bondi is quiet. So many have left for Europe. We’ve got a little pulse in the south swell, and Bondi had a wave in the shoulder to the head-high range. The banks are a little funky, and Jetty reckons it wasn’t worthy. WSW winds are keeping it frosty, especially exiting the water. The new […]

How many small, flat days we’ve had this winter is incredible. It starkly contrasts the everyday cooking waves of our recent Autumn. (In my mind, it was one of the best Autumns). Today it’s knee-high and very slow. You’ll need a very positive attitude, a longboard over 9 feet long and plenty of patience to […]

Now that we’ve passed the winter solstice, the year’s shortest day is behind us. It’s allllll gravy from here, folks. The mornings will be brighter, the days longer and 4-6 foot daily. Ok, maybe the last part is a lie. This morning it was incredibly dark, hard for me to shoot. The swell has plummeted, and three […]

It’s a little odd today. Whilst I saw some cracker waves I also saw a lot of close-out junk. Needless to say, my morning swim was brisk. Submerged in the brine you’re fine, but the dash up the road into the morning offshore winds is torturous. The waves have slipped gears, it’s only shoulder high. […]

Every swimmer that ran past me on the shoreline cursed the same thing “!@#!@$!@#$ it’s coooooollllld” Yeah, it is chilly init? Officially it was only 4 or 5 degrees, but, after a swim and a gust of icy wind, you’ll think you’re in the snow naked. The swell is back and waves are over head-high […]

It’s the splendid time of year when whales migrate along our east coast. This morning there was plenty, randomly breaching and coming in close. My 600mm lens acts as a whale-repellant; should I stalk a breach with my camera, the whales know it and never surface! Argh. Finally, the waves have returned, breaking around waist […]

Overnight on our Instagram channel, 100,000 people viewed my footage of Bondi, flat as and looking sublime. We’re experiencing a prolonged flat spell, and the lack of rain this winter is creating some idyllic ocean clarity. It’s a welcome sight after a couple of years of La Nina, where these conditions did not exist. Everybody […]

The waves are tiny, weak, feeble and JUST surfable. Select high-volume surf vehicles with a positive attitude, and yee shall find stoke. Mini stoke. The weather is cold yet pleasant. The skies are clear and 8-knot westerlies are keeping the temps down. Some say this winter feels colder; I think we have no cloud cover, […]

After being in the tropics recently, it takes a little adjusting (yes, still) to swim presunrise. I’m a wuss in the cold; I reckon something to do with my heritage from the equator. I will say, a cold morning swim will always kickstart you into top gear and fill you full of energy. Overnight we […]

It is so rare for Bondi to be this flat, swell-less and calm. Typically there’s always something moving. Not today. It’s cool, though; 18-26 knots of chilling westerlies will ensure you’ll keep your jumper on for most of today—beautiful clear skies to match. Finally, Thredbo is a mountain of white after a late start to […]

A very chilly start to the day, with a late sunrise as we approach the winter solstice of June 22 (the shortest day of the year). The skies were clear, and the solar welcome. I love how Sydney people still swim, no matter what. The waves are dwindling, and tomorrow they will even get smaller. […]

The early low tide wasn’t conducive to producing rideable waves at Bondi this morning. Waist to chest high surf, limping on shallow banks, mainly closing out straight. Perhaps a fuller tide will be more enjoyable. Fortunately, the skies were relatively clear, and a nice ban of hot pink clouds was strewn across the atmosphere. I […]

I swam out this morning, not quite sure what I’d find. The horizon was blocked with thick clouds, dampening my light. In the south, I came across a very shallow sand bank, a new one. Little tiny waves were draining on it, piping momentarily before closing out. My boy said, “It’s fully pumping, Dad”. I […]

Today was an awkward morning for my morning rituals of Bondi documentation – it was very dark, and then lots of drizzle. The precipitation forced me to retreat several times, so I only captured a wide shot of Bondi as the sunrise presented pinks. The rest of the pics included today are randomly plucked off […]

Since 1973 today, June 5, has been World Environment Day. Today is a reminder that people’s actions on plastic pollution matter… No, it’s not Sculpture By the Sea – it’s a massive pile of plastic sh!t on Bondi Beach this morning. Like many on the promenade, it’s laid in a fabulous curly fashion! United Nations […]

This morning was a bit vanilla in comparison with yesterday’s dawn extravaganza. Today’s sunrise was smothered with thick grey clouds, so it was rather dark and flat for my morning shots. The waves appeared to be growing, it was only shoulder high at 6:30 am, but I noticed long period larger sets as I left […]

Wow, what a crazy morning! The sky was a blaze, and an odd coloured rainbow decorated our skies. I’m told we’ve got VIRGA to blame. Virga refers to a meteorological phenomenon that occurs when precipitation falls from a cloud but evaporates before reaching the ground. It appears as streaks or wisps of precipitation hanging from […]

For something different, I ventured south today to Maroubra. The waves were smaller as it’s very south and missing the bay, but Mahon Pool at the North End was a buzz with morning swimmers. Mahon Pool was originally a naturally formed rock pool along the cliffs to Coogee. During the Great Depression, the public requested […]

It’s oh so damn straight at Bondi; I can’t help but think the current beach of machines rearranging the sand has got to be a good thing, right? It can’t get any worse…so the dozer was tearing up South Bondi this morning, pushing sand into the water. Fingers crossed, it forms in 4-5 superbanks for winter swells.  […]

Today it’s looking pretty good! There are waves around shoulder to head high, and barely anyone around (odd). Winds are light, and surfaces are optimal. The cold weather and late sunrises de-motivated many. Not enough time to surf before work as many finally return to the office. (WFH party is over). It will be sunny all […]

I’m back in Bondi and acclimatising to the cold. Brisk. Hard to believe it will top 23 degrees today after such a chilly start. Bondi had a little left, bowling on the rip. It was empty too, which is rare for here, so the groms took it on. Today is your last day to support […]

The indigenous inhabitants of this region – the Mentawai people – are known for their intricate tattoo art. Tattooing holds immense cultural significance for the Mentawai people, representing various aspects of their identity, such as age, social status, postcode and spiritual beliefs. They live in harmony with the lush rainforests of each island – mainly […]