Mad May!

God I wish I was doing this again! Here's me about to have my first sail at Kanaha last year! Fuck that was a good holiday!

What a crazy month May has been! First Kym was away for half of it, with work in Whyalla, then she was a complete zombie for the two weeks after she got back (I guess 16 hours days working in a pellet plant surrounded by Engineers / tradies and armpits will do that to you!) Work for me has been busy, I keep telling myself I need a holiday, but I'm not listening.....although cheap holidays to Maui advertised in todays paper.

I have started football training again, thats soccer to all Americans and uncultured Australians, gotta get back to fitness. I have seen a few photos of myself recently and I'm not impressed. So back out with the boys, great to be out with a team again. Not too keen on the running, but the shooting and passing is good. I still feel I have good touch and stamina, but then realise I have trained for only 10 minutes and there is an hour to go. Stay tuned, a match report will follow...or check out www.uniwhites.com.au I am Divaldo or 'big daddy' - Dont ask!

Also, please do not mention the European Champions League or the FA Cup Final, I am still licking my wounds form Uniteds defeats! At least we won the league.

Sailing has been a bit ho hum lately, two frustrating weeks for me personally, but Kym had a great sail at a break last weekend, place called Snapper Rocks. This shot was taken last weekend, 20-25 knots. Her sailing has really come on, going from strength to strength. She is now starting to nail gybes a lot more regularly and is bloody fit at the moment, helps when you swim 12 kms a week I guess?

Time to upgrade a bit of equipment as my board is getting very tired (1996) I think I have held out long enough, so will be looking around the shops soon. We purchased Kym a second hand wave board last year, a Starboard EVO, only cost $400 second hand, had been thrashed a bit, but she loves it. We were really happy buying a board second hand, especially for wave sailing which we dont do that much of and couldn't justify a huge expense for something that might get used only once a month. I have been reading with interest GP's blog talking about cheap equipment and reusing peoples older gear instead of new kit. Which brings me to my dilemma.....I have been searching worldwide for a good second hand 115-120 ltr Starboard or JP for a good six months now, as I didn't really want to spend $2000 buying a board, but do you think I could find any? No! I even shot an email off to Kevin Pritchard, via his Blog, to his credit I got an email back. He had a quiver of boards up for sale which included a few used S-Type Freeride boards, 115 ltrs too! But mentioned with freight I was probably better off buying from my local shop :(

So if anyones got something, two years old or newer, JP Freeride (xcite ride 120ltr?) or Starboard Carve 115 ltr hanging around and wants to offer it for sale to me, please contact me.

'Hey! Dont you dare blow out my candle!' - this is my niece, isnt she cute?

Till next time.

Whyalla Steel City!

Spent a bit of time in Whyalla recently, as Kym has been up there with work. For those of you that dont know Whyalla, its a steel producing town, formally a BHP stronghold, not sure if they are still there, but Onesteel are definately there producing metal for railway tracks and other uses.

I used to live in this town 30 years ago, 1978 to be exact, and I can tell you not a lot has changed in this town since. Everything is still dirty, there is still salt bush in the main street, the tide still goes out about two kilometres every day (definate potential for windsurfing!), the runway at the airport is still dirt (or maybe its just stained from the pellet plant)

Whyalla is about 4 hours drive north of Adelaide on the top of the Eyre peninsular. There are approx 30,000 people there (I think) and its South Australias fastest growing city, again. Its been through its fair share of booms, the late seventies was definately one. There are about 4 football clubs, 5 soccer clubs, one ten pin bowling venue, no decent cafes, some true aussie pubs (about 8 of those), one shopping mall, thank god!

Overall its a top place. You have to go looking for things to do. But if you like the outdoors, sports etc you will be well catered for.

Here are a few pics of the first week we went up, yes we flew up twice for one day each time. The things you do for love!

This is the Pellet Plant at Onesteel, looks clean eh? Not!

Took a wrong turn! Sack the captain! HMAS Whyalla tourist attraction

REX Airlines, does it get any more Aussie? Hows the baggage truck?

Some interesting rock formations at Point Lowly. It looked like paving in a backyard.

Family goodness at Point Lowly

Phoebe and I caught the local youth concert weekend! Whyalla's 'Little Day Out' These guys were called forgiveness or deliverance or something scarey. Think Blink182 as 14 years olds and you get the drift. Their first gig! There was also an excellent aboriginal hip hop group on before hand, no pics but they rocked out! I love live music! Cute eh?

First ever show, I wasnt even sure this young lads voice had broken!

Our great brown land!

I love the way the desert meets the sea up on the Eyre peninsula,

Luck we were sitting by the exits! Arggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Until next time,

:)