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TRAVEL<br />
SURF TRIP<br />
PHOTO: BEN VOS<br />
Did you know?<br />
New Zealand has<br />
won more Olympic gold<br />
medals, per capita,<br />
than any other country.<br />
PHOTO: MARK CHAPMAN<br />
Could it be my Scottish ancestry<br />
that had me pining to see<br />
Dunedin - like a homecoming of<br />
sorts? Incidentally, Dunedin is<br />
the Celtic name for Edinburgh.<br />
<strong>May</strong>be it’s just my obsession<br />
with cold water and the desire to<br />
explore the outermost limits of<br />
rational surf destinations.<br />
From the outset, this was the<br />
place I wanted to see most in the<br />
whole of New Zealand. A unique,<br />
majestic city steeped in history,<br />
vibrant, eclectic, a party town,<br />
and a region that is home to such<br />
a rich array of wildlife, flora and<br />
fauna including New Zealand sea<br />
lions. This place has it all.<br />
Then of course, there is the surf.<br />
There is an extensive number of<br />
breaks- beachies, reefs, points<br />
and islands. You could surf<br />
the region for weeks and not<br />
scratch the surface. There are<br />
the famous breaks of St Clair and<br />
Murdering Bay, a name you won’t<br />
forget quickly for more reasons<br />
than one, and if that weren’t<br />
enough the south coast is also<br />
the home of big wave surfing in<br />
New Zealand.<br />
The swell down here packs a<br />
punch and the water temp takes<br />
your breath away. Waves can<br />
vary from death-defyingly scary<br />
to mouth-watering perfection.<br />
Dunedin and its surrounds are<br />
a true testing ground that both<br />
excited and absolutely scared the<br />
crap out of me.<br />
This is what we came for. It was<br />
time to get wet.<br />
may/jun <strong>2012</strong><br />
103
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