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Qantas how did you manage this?!

Got off the plane on Sunday night in Sydney and went to pick up our boards. Pax thought the board bag looked a bit dusty and it did have a few holes in it so we opened it up to have a peek. Just to find out both surf boards were snapped in half! How is it even possible? We’ve seen from the plane window when they offloaded our luggage placing the board bag sideways in the carriage with one part sticking out so they must have driven into something to small, smashing the part sticking out to break I reckon. Anyways we headed over to the Qantas service desk just to be met by a grumpy lady that just said that since it’s fragile baggage Qantas takes no responsibility and we’ve signed the waiver and so on.

I’ve traveled so much with surf boards on different airlines for the last few years and a ding or a dent yeah that’s fair enough – it happens, but both our boards snapped in half?! That’s just not cool especially coming from an Australian airline that you would assume would be used to handling surf boards. We’ve sent a complaint through to the Qantas baggage claims so let’s see what they say.  On the bright side I’m glad it happened on the way back and I guess we need to shop for new boards now.

the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-qantas-5845

the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-qantas-5850

 

East coast New Zealand, Mount Maunganui

The west coast side , Taranaki was windy, rainy, choppy and just to messy to surf so we cruised over to the east coast trying to find some waves. One really good thing with being on an island, two sides of coast.  How much fun can you have driving the kombi?! Ha ha I’ve lost the gears so many times, but everyone want’s to be your friend. I say let’s get one in Australia.

Nice sunny weather on the other side, perfect little offshore wind, waves where so clean and yeah pretty much no swell, we had a quick paddle but just to small. Wish we had a longboard with us. I want to come back and explore this side of the coast some more next time.

Walked up the mount instead, look at the lines of swell coming in… but not happening.

East coast New Zealand, Mount Maunganui

East coast New Zealand, Mount Maunganui

 

 

New Zealand, Part 1

We ended up bringing the left overs of the cyclone Isa with us from Australia to (weather was saying rain and wind for the week) so after picking up the rental Kombi in Wellington we decided to skip inland to see Pax’s family in Whangamomo… yep you try to spell or pronounce it. Muddy mission which included driving a golf car over the saddle (kiwi for big hill) and having way to many drinks with the locals… I also found a horse outside my window one night.

Our new home – a 1979 VW Kombi with pop top and all
Our home for the next 9 days in NZ, a Volkswagen Kombi from 1979

In the Republic
Whangamomona the republic

New truck anyone?
Nz (5 of 32)

Muddy chucks!
Nz (8 of 32)

Local hangout
Nz (14 of 32)

Mert, Pax and me on a mission, not sure who is driving.
Nz (12 of 32)

M&M is Pax’s Mum ans step Dad
Nz (16 of 32)

Nz (15 of 32)

 

Surf report from the weekend

Not really sure what is happening with time but it’s going quick, and it’s getting so dark now. To dark to surf in the morning and you have to be super quick to sneak in an after work surf in the week. We’re changing the clocks here in Sydney on Sunday so it will be better in the mornings for a bit. But we can really tell we’re going into winter over here. We had a few waves on Sunday, yours truly thought it looked to windy and crappy but had some fun once I got in. Anyways almost weekend again, we’re going north for a change, to Forster to cheer on Snoop in a triathlon and hopefully some waves and maybe some pies to, who knows!

The BB's going for a surf