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Rusty<br />
WHAT A PLACE<br />
Faced with where to test the latest wetsuits<br />
this year we choose New Zealand. We thought<br />
it would be cold, dark and provide us with an<br />
opportunity to write a travel story to boot. What<br />
we experienced, however was far beyond our<br />
expectations.<br />
New Zealand wasn’t just a bit of fun - it was<br />
absolutely bloody awesome. We haven’t<br />
stopped talking about the ‘Land of the Long<br />
White Cloud’ since we returned. What we’re<br />
yet to figure out though, is why so many Kiwis<br />
move over here?<br />
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a very, very<br />
proud Australian, born and bred in Queensland.<br />
I love my country to bits. I tell you what though,<br />
we could take a leaf out of the Kiwis book in<br />
many respects.<br />
Two weeks surfing the joint and I never heard<br />
one ‘Oi, my wave’. No wave rage. Nothing. I<br />
guess the possible presence of Great Whites<br />
due to the abundance of seals could cause<br />
everyone to be more welcoming of increased<br />
numbers in the water. Lessen the odds...<br />
There are an endless number of top class<br />
breaks for every level of surfer. Everywhere<br />
you look, there are fun waves with little or no<br />
crowds. Many go unridden.<br />
Yes, the water may be a little cooler than some<br />
parts of Australia, but with the way modern<br />
wetsuits go, you don’t even feel the cold.<br />
And as for the country itself, the scenery is<br />
awe-inspiring. One minute you feel you are on<br />
the set of Jurassic Park and the next you are<br />
in alpine scenery reminiscent of the European<br />
Alps or the Nordic fjords.<br />
Basically, New Zealand just blows my mind.<br />
It blew all of our minds. So with this in mind,<br />
we wanted to take a different approach to this<br />
edition of smorgasboarder. We thought we’d<br />
take you along on a journey of the North and<br />
South Island of New Zealand as we experience<br />
some of what the country has to offer - taking<br />
in the scenery, meeting local shapers, surfing,<br />
testing their boards, testing the new season’s<br />
wetsuits, sampling local food, produce, wine<br />
and beer and of course having one hell of a<br />
good time doing it.<br />
Welcome to our All Black edition.<br />
The NZ<br />
travelling<br />
crew<br />
AND INTRODUCING...<br />
We’re far from the most serious crew here at smorgasboarder, so when<br />
we met Barry over here, we were very excited to share his stories with<br />
you! But note - he’s a pretty excessive individual, so we’re not sure<br />
how long his ticker will take it all... Enjoy it while you can! Ridiculously<br />
talented artist Darren ‘Curl’ Marks presents the politically incorrect<br />
misadventures of Aloha Barry and Pimples the dog on page 163.<br />
Finally, a big welcome to our long-time friend, half-decent photographer<br />
and passable surfer, Ben Vos, who joined us in NZ to capture some<br />
amazing images, test out great gear and be part of the great big adventure<br />
that is this magazine. Enjoy, open your mind and get some waves!<br />
Big Cat -‐ 7’0”, 7’6” & 8’0”<br />
Piranha -‐ 5’8”, 6’0”, 6’2”,<br />
6’4”, 6’6” & 6’10”<br />
Dwart -‐ 5’8”, 5’10” & 6’0”<br />
SURFTECH AUSTRALIA<br />
www.surftechaustralia.com.au<br />
may/jun <strong>2012</strong><br />
9<br />
02 4226 1322
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