I am wearing a smile as wide as the new moon. I went surfing yesterday, in the most unlikely of places! The feeling, well you know the feeling.
It had been over a year since my last wave, an epic six hour session with my good mate Magic Matt at one of Northland’s famed breaks, pic below. I love surfing. It is without a doubt, my number one recreational pursuit. I am still buzzing from yesterday.
Northland, New Zealand.
A year is a long time, but having since moved from New Zealand and now settled in Abu Dhabi, and the Arabian Gulf not being renowned for its surf, it was time; I was getting the itch. I started assessing options and after checking Magic Seaweed, it looked like it was going to be two foot (big for the Gulf), at a spot I had only just heard of. Teaming up with my old spearfishing partner, Stradbroke Island’s finest, Trent Webb, off we went, regaling tales of previous surf trips. This one, we decided, was going to be a burster.
We got to the spot after a couple of hours drive. We named it “The Breakwater,” because you catch the wave right next to the Breakwater. Pretty original. There were lefts and rights (half lefts and half rights in fact); and smiles and hoots galore.
The Breakwater, Abu Dhabi.
Winston Cowie surfing The Breakwater "Right." Abu Dhabi.
The Breakwater "Right." Abu Dhabi.
Winston Cowie surfing The Breakwater "Right." Abu Dhabi.
The Breakwater. "Left." Take off. Abu Dhabi.
Trent Webb surfing "The Breakwater." Abu Dhabi.
Trent Webb surfing "The Breakwater." Abu Dhabi.
A successful and pretty unique surf trip!
On the book front, the second ebook in Winston Cowie’s New Zealand historical fiction series, Flames Flicker, will be released later this year. It’s looking really good, has a cracking cover, and I can’t wait to share it with you…..And next year, the book that may change how Australians and New Zealanders view their history will be released. It is based on Portuguese and Spanish voyages to those shores, and over 82 years before Willem Janszoon, 118 years before Abel Tasman, and 245 years before James Cook.
More surfing adventures to come. It won’t be a year until the next one. The Breakwater is beckoning!
Te hei mauri ora,
Winston Cowie
Winston Cowie 