Journal Day 40 - Surfing at Bondi beach with St. Patrick.

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Bondi beach.

Planned to get to Bondi and walk the apparently impressive coastal walk to Coogee first, get the bus back to Bondi and then maybe a bit of surf but when I got off the bus at Bondi and set my eyes on the perfect, clean little waves rolling into the long golden beach my agenda for the day changed. I stood for a bit watching some surfers ride a few waves and asked a genuinely stereotypical looking blond, tanned surfer dude where I could hire a board for the day. He told me the spot and I made a bee-line along the length of the beach to rent out a board.
The guy in the shop was a decent fella and only charged me for 2 hours but said I could have the board all day.

So that's what I did. I had about 4 months of surfing to catch up on.

The waves were perfectly rid-able and paddling out the back was a doodle comparing to the raging whitewaters of Donegal.
The weather was ideal too. Sunny and blue skies and a good atmosphere amongst the other surfers.
I quickly remembered why I love surfing so much and I came to the realisation that I think I actually need it in my life.
I guess I'll shouldn't have much of a problem achieving that in new Zealand....

Met a decent Aussie surfer out in the water called John, an engineer student at Sydney uni. Shared a few waves with him and next time I'm at Bondi I'll be sure to call him up for a surf.

From everyone I spoke to the surf conditions today were considered to be good. So I was pretty pleased to discover though that although the weather is obviously better here than back home and the water's a lot warmer, the surf back home is just as good if not better than here. And in general, although a lot more tanned and a tad cooler looking than Irish surfers, the standard of surfing isn't much better either.
And to boot, because the weather is generally crap back home apart from the rare summer corker, the beaches are far less crowded.
So Big up Ireland.
Plus it is St. Patrick's Day!

Had a massive fish and chip with a couple of pints looking over Bondi beach and then headed back into Sydney. Was a bit tired to bother trying to hook up with any groups of drunk fellow countryfolk to celebrate so just found a quiet enough pub for a pint of Guinness to offer up to the great green one in the sky.....

"Hail Glorious St. Patrick, dear saint of our isle.... On us thy poor children bestow a sweet smile...." etc, etc!

I think St Paddy was indeed smiling down on this poor child today! Cheers!

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