At the end of summer each year, the east coast of Australia experiences a kind of wet season. When it rains here, it pours.
After a couple of soaking wet days on a motorbike, I was beginning to question whether this ride north to Noosa was really a great idea. Everyone else was wondering the same thing. But, as it happens with us surfers, when the sun finally did shine and we found a fun wave, all of our worries were forgotten. The waves weren’t perfect, but it gave us all a chance to ride something other than a motorbike, and my bum was starting to get sore.
After a few waves and a whole lot more paddling than we’d bargained for, we packed up the campsite and made our way out of town. The sun was out in full force for the first time since we’d left Camperdown. Things were full throttle until we realised that to get back to the highway, we still had to navigate the floodwater. This time, our convoy came off second best. The 78 Ford van got wet where she shouldn’t have and skipped a beat mid-crossing. Luckily, she didn’t blow her load. The same guys who’d stayed dry the day before had to join us in the wet and push until she came. We let her relax for a moment before she kicked over and we could get “on the road again”. Next stop, Byron Bay. On we went, up the north coast of New South Whales, happy to no longer be stranded.
~ HARRISON ROACH
Photography by Anthony Dodds & Thomas Walk
