Trevor took me surfing today – see pic. We had to go down the coast a couple of bays to Broulee Beach to find a decent swell.

You have to lie on the board, then, at the crucial moment, spring into an athletic pose standing crouched on the board, then go. My days of springing athletically, even in optimal conditions, never mind on a moving board on top of a big wave, are behind me, I fear, so I opted for the beginner’s lying down pose. That worked quite well, for a few goes, so I gained confidence and adopted a rather stylish squatting/kneeling combo. That went well, too, until one ride when I had the nose a bit low and was pitched into the sea. So I have now not only surfed in the Pacific, I’ve drunk a good deal of it as well.

Later, Trevor showed me how it should be done – he’s been doing it for more than 50 years and can do the athletic springing thing with no trouble. We had to get back because we were going somewhere for lunch, but we will probably go again. I hope so - it really is a fantastic buzz.

Changing the subject completely, here’s one other thing I’ve discovered. The Australian States assert their individuality wherever possible: for example, all the eastern states – Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania - are in the same time zone (GMT+10) but they don’t all have daylight saving. So here in NSW we’re currently GMT +11, and between October and March you have to adjust your watch crossing to and from Queensland. Given that people must commute that journey daily, it really makes no sense at all.