Flat. Very flat even. That NE swell produced the only waves over 2 foot for the month and it seemed like everyone was on it! Even spotted a few guys rolling boardies on a few of the warmer days , virtually unheard of this far south ! As much as i love wearing shorts and Jandles everyday , im ready for some decent swell and more often than not down here , that is accompanied by a 20 degree temperature drop and screaming southerly's! Looking forward to Farm Jam next month down Southland , and will have all the images in the next blog . So cross ya fingers , fuck cross ya toes if you think it will help and prey to Huey for some chunky swell and ill see you out there! Later Gold peak Gnarliest Sea lion I have ever seen ! Natty Parsons slaying it Can not get enough of this place, Waipapa lighthouse Rare Waipapa zoom Hunting Righthanders Just cruising Boost Runners Images available as prints or canvas! Later
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As the utter chaos of Christmas subsides and the sobering reality of life comes hurtling back I hope you all had a killer break and found the few waves that were on offer! Had a new grom recently so kept pretty local over the holidays managed a few shots a lot of water time and few bears , good times! Epic to see John John take a well deserved title at a controversial pipe masters , all ways good to see it come down to pipe! Looking forward to some decent swell in the next couple of days and looks like there will be plenty of options to pick from , thou the north island is looking like the place to be! So here is the last of 2017 I hope it was a good one for you and 2018 is even better! Later Relaxing at the Batch Chrissy lights Rare gold South Lines sand water Place to be Lines Cover Before the chaos
Later You do not need me to tell you how good the weather has been lately , but im going to. Fuck yes summer , fuck yes! But as my pasty skin turns red and the masses flock to the beach , the surf has gone all but dormant . A couple of nice swells at the start of the month has been reduced to a mare dribble . But not to worry there looks to be some swell early next week , so get the chores done over this flat as fuck weekend and lock in a few after work sessions next week! The jolly fat man shall arrive soon and with him will come the all out panic and chaos that is Christmas. Women work meticulously hard to ensure Chrissy dinner lives up to expectations ,whilst men drink beer and tell tales of uncrowded barrels from long ago to children who just do not give a shit. What ever you're Christmas plans are , i hope you manage to find some good waves and weather where ever they take you. It has been a rad year here for me and id like to thank everyone who has supported me in one way or another , it really means a lot ! I am really excited for the year a head and looking forward to developing new techniques to build on this plat form. So have a safe and happy Chrissy break and ill see you out there! Later Inside outing Blurred lines Two French men and a Lighthouse Leroy Altitude Fins free Falls light Below Energy
Later Some solid swell this month coupled with some favourable winds produced some of the best conditions we have seen for some time! The swell kicked around for a few days and produced more barrels than a Jack Daniels factory Managed a few landscape sessions , some family shoots and have got a 2018 calendar out ,all of which you can check out below ! And that was October ...not bad eh. Latter Natty attack Fleeting 2018 Calendar just spin me a message to order yours! Power Rainbow warrior Sweep Locals Davy Jimmy Over the hill not far away Box seat Last light Shape
Later. Spring! Yes one step closer to summer! The bleeting of lambs the blossoming of trees and of course the wind, the kind of wind that changes 5 times a day and makes picking a place to surf near impossible. A few swells through the month, thou nothing outstanding but certainly enough to keep us wet. A bit of commercial shooting and a mission to Bluff and Queenstown rounded out my month nicely. So heres september. Canvas and Print available just message me or go to the "canvas and Print" section to order! Cheers hayden.blacklabel66@gmail.com Evening glow Moke lake is a rad spot! Screamer! North Coast views Reward Loose lips Free Hollow be thy name Kingston Read By night Lead
Catch yas out there! Cheers The last month of what felt like a long cool winter came and went in quite unremarkable fashion. Unfavourable winds plagued this part of the coast and only offered the odd glimpse of what its truly capable of. The air temp seems to be improving but dont hang up the booties and winter steamer just yet! Did the mission into the epic Te Anau and Milford sound ,lady luck was not on my side with below average weather and a night in hospital ,you need a decent chunk of time to really captrure what this place has to offer , mountains ,waterfalls and vast lakes should put it near the top of your hit list! So here is my August in images Prnts and canvas available just email me to order! Cheers hayden.blacklabel66@gmail.com Lake Te Anau Milford sound has so much to offer including an army of aggressive sandflys. The road into Milford offers so many opportunities , this composition is about 1 meter of the road! Low cloud Flight , making onshore slop look fun Peter checking her morning curves Disposition Semi going Fan Kaka Point Making the most Wild NZ Backwash Later
Some poorly timed trips this month meant I missed the best of the swell and managed an injury that kept me dry for a few weeks ,Spewing! Stayed a night at St Bathans haunted hotel The Vulcan for a some what uneasy sleep , then on to Tekapo for a few days of snow and finally some clear skies on the last night. Landscape was my main focus this month and after many kms here is the pick of them! Cheers Images available as canvas or print just message me for details! The Blue lake St Bathans, the Vulcan hotel is about 1 min walk from here and is said to be haunted by a "lady of the night" named The Rose who was strangled and robbed of her bag of gold.. The Rose rented room 1 to ply her trade but meet her untimley death in the1880s. Guests and staff report mysterious shadows at the end of the bed , lights going on and off , drops in tempature and the odd sighting of the spirit sitting in a chair in the dinning room. Whilst i experianced none of the above you couldnt help but feel a little uneasy being the only one staying in the motel that night ! The east swell at the start of the month seemed to last forever ! Drop wallet A few chilly starts Lit 1st of January 1884 The Waipapa point Lighthouse was built in response to the wreck of a passenger ship Tararua on the reefs surrounding Waipapa point on the 29th of April 1881 . It claimed 131 lives . It was automated in 1975 and has been solar powered since 1988. Around Tuapeka Mouth Morning fog at The Nuggets Lake Tekapos the Church of the Good Shepherd, which, in 1935, was the first church built in the Mackenzie Basin. Being the most photographed church in Nz i arrived pre dawn after a good dump of snow to get this shot before the snow was disturbed by th 100s of tourists that flock here daily! I preferred to shoot the church at night Snow day Lake Tekapo Lone tree Tuapeka Mouth
All images available for purchase just flick me a message to order! Cheers Later Some amazing surf conditions this month ! How good was the endless north east swell , im sure you will have all exceeded you're monthly wave count . Time has been the enemy this month , with its measly 8 odd hours of daylight before a plague off darkness falls over the ocean , instantly killing any chance of a post work surf. Arriving home just in time for the last ounce of light to set on perfect a frame peak! F A R R R KKKKK I cant tell you how many times this has haoppened ,leaving me more frustrated than a dragon trying to blow out his birthday candles! Looks like another dose of swell this week and in the weekend so i will catch yas out there! Later Winter light Winter grunt One footer
The winter swells have begun to storm our shores , and with it the cold currents of the south. Water tempatures cold enough to freeze you're brain and turn you're hands into useless pieces of meat are not to far away , and im stoked about it! Indo is amazing , bikini chicks , warm water barrells and a semmingly endless supply of bintang. But there is something as surreal and equally amazing about hearing the snow and ice crunch under you're 5mm booties as you run down a snow covered beach. Trying to put you're clothes on in horizontal rain with barley functioning fingers just laughing because if you dont laugh youll probably cry. These experiances make surfing what it is down here and make us more resiliant in other aspects of our life , its a bit of a "just get on with it attitude" which is absolutly necessary for surfing through winter in the south. So if you are not spending the next 6 weeks on a remote island near the equator get you're winter rubber in order and ill catch yas out there! Later Lip line Vision Cover The aurora on the 28th of May was a deadset cracker! Haami hitting hard Steady Halves Walk Light Bird dance life Haami positioned
Canvas and prints available just send me a message ! Cheers Sharks sharks sharks ..well just one and it seems to have taken a liking to a french tourist. Stoked to hear she's going to be ok and onya to the guys that helped with first aid , good shit! Few good swells this month plus the Colac bay classic was on again and as per usual was a fun and really well run comp to be in. A few landscapes a wedding and the usual surf stuff round out the month nicely. Later East swell for days Colac bay classic I spend alot of time here looking for different compisitions , stoked with this one! Glow Sunstar pleasure Rad day up the valley and at the beach with this crew! Images are available in canvas or print just flick me a message to order!
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