:: VID :: SI Longboard Heats

Longboard Heats South Island Champs 09 from Nic Reeves on Vimeo.

Day two of the three day 'South Island Champs', these are the longboard heats held at blackhead beach in Autumn on a cold grey Dunedin day, Easter weekend 2009.
Music: Slapper, by Dunedin Musicians: The Dark Beaks

Still having problems with the computers capturing HD video from my new DV cam, so had to upload this footage at 720x576. Was a quick edit, but great to get back into it again.
I still have about 6 one hour tapes worth of footage from the last ten months to capture and edit up. Vids hopefully upcoming soon:
Cold Water Classic 2008
Roxy Canty Champs $20 challenge
Greymouth Go4 Gold 2009

St Clair Beach Resort Progress

Photos taken Easter weekend 2009


Above The Esplanade

Ashburton Beach

Trip up to Ashburton for a stay with daughter Amber for a few days. She took me for a drive over to Ashburton beach, there was a North Swell hitting a straight drop-off from the beach.

Christchurch pier

I am sure everyone and their dog has photographed the changing lights at night on the Christchurch Pier, but this is how I captured them.

Upgrade of sewage plant approved

From ODT Website
By Chris Morris on Wed, 22 Apr 2009

"If approved, construction was expected to begin early next year."

Dunedin city councillors have backed plans for the $74.3 million stage two upgrade of Dunedin's secondary sewage treatment facilities despite fresh questions about community consultation.

Councillors at yesterday's infrastructure services committee meeting voted in favour of the preferred "option A", the installation of new secondary treatment systems at the city's Tahuna wastewater plant.

The systems, including ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection, digestion systems and drying techniques, were needed to replace the plant's chlorination disinfection method, which had to cease by September 1, 2011, existing consents stipulate.

read the rest of the article here

My Sabatical

I've had a real nice few days so far away from Dunedin, travelling alone. Had some great new music to listen to on the way up which got me all inspired for my new surf project, thanks Ian!!
Arrived friday in christchurch to supa clean peeling 1-2foot peaks at new brighton. Longboarders dream.. I surfed till dark, was so knackered couldn't lift my arms to eat my dinner, thanks HSJ for again awesome hospitality.
I picked up my new board from groovns.. to find it wasn't an 8'4 .. but a 9'4
also not being good conditon, but with real battered rails and underside.. new dings over old repairs, cracked to the foam .. needs a bit of work. But still after I got over the initial disappointment, it s a real nice shape, much lighter than my epoxy 9'1, and def prettier to look at. so I might just keep it.

Saturday Christchurch conditions changed drastically as a new surge hit new brighton with onshore grey stormy lines of whitewash thundering through. I only managed to stay till just after lunch, and got some murky footage of the womens heats. I was blown away by some of the christchurch womens crew, a real battle paddle out the back and dropping into some real bombs, newfound respect! Meanwhile some of the men coldn't even get out of the back. I wish I could have stayed longer, but had to meet Amber for an op-shopping spree in the city.
I don't have any photos of the christchurch comp, as the files are in raw, and ambers computer isn't set up to process them

In ashburton todaywith daughter #2 Amber, spending a few days with her, then back to Dunners Tuesday morn. Got my big day on Wednesday!
Meanwhile east swell hits the home turf, and I'm miles away from waves, but still great to be spending time with Amber, as my visits with her are always quick pop-ins while travelling to comps the last few years

We spent the afternoon driving around, and came upon a classic car show, at the Ashburton Airport. A few pics below:

South Islands Slideshow @ Kiwisurf

3 days - 3 breaks

DAY 1 Aramoana

The South Island Surf Champs has just finished today.. it was a truly mobile event with Dunedin switching on the waves and the weather.
loads of pics to sort through, will post up over the next few days, along with a short video of the longboard heats at Blackhead on the second day.
Above: an empty on day one, Below: tucked under the heaving cliffs the comp base.

Above, an empty down the beach. Below, Aaron tucking in to some green walls


more to come

South Islands - day 3

St Clair on day three. Still no results from the whole comp to post up.

Above: Daisy Thomas, Right: Elliot Paerata-Reid, Below: Brad Melville



Above: Shanyne Baxter, Top: Hayden Brain and Sam Dunfoy, comp rashies

South Islands - day 2

Above, the morning of day 2, the comp was moved to Blackhead, it was freezing cold and overcast for most of the day, although it did warm up by lunchtime. Below, peak at Blackhead mid morning.

Below, Leilani and Hayley in the womens' semi finals



Above Kristi Zarifeh and Lyndon Hutton

More South Islands - Day 1

Top: The comp area at Aramoana. Above: Tom Bracegirdle Below: Anthony Hema

Above: Jess Below: Dan Warren


Above: Empty at Aras Below: Groms at aras

Above: Andy Sutherland
I'm away for four days, picking up my new board and spending time with Amber in Ashburton. have a great weekend!
Happy Birthday Caitlin, and Jimi

More Garden Veges

Lifted up another 30 kilos of potatoes in the weekend, and gathered some veges for a 100% homegrown pumpkin leek and basil soup.

More Go 4 Gold On kiwisurf website

There is a slideshow of 13 photos of mine on the Kiwisurf Website from the Go 4 Gold comp held last month

Recent Birds

Above, Kawau, the Black Shag on the Kaikorai Estuary and Below at Brighton Beach.


Above: Toreapango, the variable oystercatcher, admiring its reflection.
Below: Duck


Above: Kotuku-ngutupapa, the royal spoonbill

Wall Street Mall

For the EX Pat Dunedinites, the Newly opened Wall Street Mall on George Street. I took the time to get some shots of it in town last week.

Pics taken during lunch hour , mall was pretty empty, not much through traffic, shop staff looked pretty bored.
As for the design, I loved the glass ceiling, lots of natural light, but the changing coloured lights behind the curving panel at the entrance was a bit overboard. The sunken lunch area was quite exposed, I wouldn't want to sit and chomp my biscuits there. I think the fake glass panels on the outside of the building cheapen the project a little, with fuzzy etched arched windows in the glass trying to blend in with the old street scape.