ALL PHOTOS BY MATT DUNBAR
As winter closes in on NSW, keen eyes begin scanning the southern charts for the first substantial swells of the season. Sydney based photographer Matt Dunbar was at home with itchy feet when he spotted something that peaked his interest five hours to the south.
“Neither of us (Steve Wall and I) had done a salty strike mission in a little while,” recalls Matt about making the decision to commit. “It was 11pm the night before and Steve and I were deciding whether to do the five hour drive from Sydney.
“On paper the forecast was looking to be a solid 10-12 foot with good winds for the morning – potentially all time. So we found ourselves setting out alarms for 12:45am and before we know it we were putting the ski in the water at first light down the coast.”
“Once out, a bunch of local hellmen took on the 8-10 foot emerald tubes, and they held the lineup for a good couple of hours before everyone else arrived. There was a mix of parties in the lineup, Hippo and Kai Otton joined local lads Russell Bierke and Whippy Dennis and they took turns paddling into the bombs.
“Although the session wasn’t all time it was still a solid session, taking the lives of at least three boards.”
