Top Surfing Blog 2010 !!

Phoam Surf Blog

This award highlights the very best top 40 surfing blogs about surfing on the global internet. Nominated by the internet community, it is designed to thank the authors for their contribution toward the world wide web we all use.

From the award website: "Anonymous nominations are open to the internet community. This allows us to generate a candidate list that is based upon what the internet determines as being good, original content. We stay away from a voting system because the only information that gives us is how well a site's readership can click a button.
After a list of candidates is compiled, we then filter the list to ensure that each site qualifies for the category. We then give the list to be scored by our panel of 5 judges. Each judge rates each blog across 20 different attributes, including content, frequency of updates, amount of advertising, length of posts, and readibility. This then provides the site with a ‘subjective’ score. These ratings are combined into an aggregate total for the 5 judges. The amount of nominations are also converted into a score, and this score combined with the aggregate score gives the blog its final rating.

The ratings are then compared for each site within a category and awards are given out to blogs in the 99% percentile (meaning the top 1% of blogs receive awards)

Music Event - Rock Against Whaling 3

Saturday 31st July 19:30 - Sunday at 02:00am

DUNEDIN MUSICIANS CLUB, 12 MANSE STREET

WE HAVE A TOP LINE UP OF DUNEDIN BEST MUSICIANS, INCLUDING JULIAN TEMPLE BAND TO SHAKES AND SWELL GUYS. 8 BANDS IN TOTAL.

MONEY WILL BE DONATED TO SEA SHEPHERD NZ
TO HELP SAVE OUR WHALES NEXT SEASON
"FREE SEA SHEPHERD STICKER FOR EVERY ENTRY"

Register your attendance at FACEBOOK here

NZ Film Festival - Last Paradise

Dunedin Screening Times at The Rialto
Friday August 6th at 6.15pm
Saturday August 7th at 5.30pm

see you there!
Check out the screening dates and times
at your local cinema
click here

SYNOPSIS

In the remote wilderness of New Zealand, when necessity was the mother of invention, a maverick bunch of kids concocted a dream which they would one day share with the world.

Through 45 years of stunning original footage we relive the journey of extreme sports pioneers on the roads less traveled, to paradises which have long since gone. But for one.


TREATMENT
Saving our planet starts with two things. Education and a creating a universal hunger for change.

This eco-adventure film captures the mindset, challenges and adventures of a maverick bunch who explored a paradise planet that few ever saw, just before it was to disappear forever.

Amidst the politics of the atomic age and cold war, young mavericks in the USA, Australia and NZ dropped out of mainstream society to pursue a dream. Last Paradise is the story of how they crossed paths, invented new lifestyles, adventures and technology and eventually discovered the world's secret paradises.

We see how their maverick journeys into the unknown changed their outlook, shaped their lives, values and vocations and how it paradoxically laid a foundation for our modern sports and eco-tourism.

The exploits of these early pioneers were rarely captured on quality film footage and most was kept under wraps to avoid exposing secret and fragile paradises. Until now.

We share their action-packed journey from post-war children on a sheep farm, to adults who are now trying to save what's left.

The story begins in a beautiful New Zealand, during the innocence of the 1960's, no barriers and few people It is here that our characters discover the world's most extreme wilderness as the perfect environment to experiment with adrenaline.

As teens, they pioneer adventure frontiers in Bali, Mexico, Europe, and the Australian outback. In original archival film, we share their impressions in unspoiled places and cultures. We feel the spirit of freedom, innovation and discovery in an unrepeatable age of perpetual novelty. When you built it yourself and ventured alone on the road less traveled.

These adventurers include scientists and innovators who provide a balanced and shocking insight into how our world has changed in 40 years - culturally, environmentally and technologically - and where we are headed. Over 45 years, we witness the most compelling evidence of global warming ever filmed and discover how the fruits of this journey promises future hope in restoration of the planet.

From over 60 hours of acquired film, approximately 10 hours of the best quality film has been mastered at 2k scanning from a variety of formats for 35mm film-out by Peter Jackson's Park Road Post Production and Weta Digital in Wellington. The film stands up in superb quality when projected in theatrical High Definition.

Three Consecutive Sundays

The first two Sundays I found myself at the same surf spot photographing the Big Rock Crew, conditions were pretty primo surf-wise, but late in the day and overcast low-light conditions. An excellent opportunity to peak out the supposed higher functions of the canon 7D in these conditions. Looking back at all the settings I used, I realised I didn't play with the auto ISO. Next time. Below left: Jimi almost hitting noon time, Right: Nathan all cosy inside.

Above: Andy Below, another un-ridden empty.
Caitlin took a load of photos on the second Sunday, Which she says she is going to edit up and do her own post this week.

The third Sunday in this set, today has been an intensively mad task to get my first weeks' of assignments off for a year long film course I have just started. Something I have always wanted to do, especially since I have had so many technical issues the last year which has stopped me moving forward in making my own films. Hopefully starting from scratch with the right equipment and instruction will allow me to seamlessly and fully express my personal drive -

'Creative Expression in Action'

Blog Post Catchup

Just made a clean out of my 'to be published posts' folder, and did a big catchup publishing images and events over the last year..

St Kilda Dunes Fixed

Dredging Consultation Begins

Braving the Storm and Surf

From an article in the Otago Daily Times By Tracey Roxburgh on Tue, 20 Jul 2010

Most people avoid storms, but one Queenstown man spent about a month recently actively chasing them with two keen Australian surfers to film their adventures for the Discovery Channel.

35MM Ltd location scout and photographer Daz Caulton said he and a crew of nine others, including Australian director Justin McMillan, spent a month intermittently filming "storm surfers" Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones in action around the West Coast and the southern South Island.

Carroll is a two-time world champion big wave surfer and Clarke-Jones had "won heaps of titles" in the sport.

"They chase storms around the world and they worked out the science behind them. "There's only a limited few that are brave enough to do it and get the skill and the know-how to do it.

"They're hitting their 50s. "They've been surfing since they were little grommits." Storm Surfers examines the phenomenon of big waves, the science behind them, the adventure of chasing them and the surfers who ride them in conditions which could kill.

Storm Surfers - Dangerous Banks premiered in 2008 on the Discovery Channel in Australia and across Asia. It was a huge success and has since gone on to sell into Europe and North America

Mr Caulton said in New Zealand the group headed to Port Craig, on Southland's west coast, where the weather front was so bad the local crayfisherman wouldn't head out.

However, Mr Caulton said the storm did not deter Carroll and Clarke-Jones, who headed out on a jet ski and surfed waves up to 40ft (12m) high. The pair also surfed Barn Bay, near Jackson Bay on the West Coast, which Mr Caulton said had never been done before due to the difficulty accessing it.

"At Barn Bay there were 20 footers ... it was absolutely horrendous. When we opened the helicopter door there was hail coming in, it was 5degC and the wind chill was about -2degC." The group also headed into the back-country ski areas, where they were towed by snowmobiles riding snowboards.

On Lake Wakatipu, they were towed by a helicopter and reached a speed of 41 knots, thought to be a world record. Mr Caulton said they also intended to go to Yates Pt on the West Coast of Fiordland, but were forced to turn back after heavy snow closed the road.

"Hannibal [Hayes] took us on a flight at Milford. "There were diggers in there [clearing the snow], so we filmed that. "We went up with Hannibal and he set off some avalanches in the back-country. "It's going to be one wicked show." The only casualty during filming was a jet ski, which almost sunk at sea. Mr Caulton said the camera rig was "ripped out" and the jet ski began to sink. However, a mad dash to the shore saved the jet ski, which was repaired and sent back out again.

• Storm Surfers screens on Wedesdays at 8.30pm on the Discovery Channel (Sky digital channel 70). It's repeated on Thursdays at 3.30am and 10.30am, Saturdays at 2.30am and 9.30pm and Sundays at 4.30pm.

Swell Guys playing Sat @ SC Boardriders

Dunedin Stadium Progress

Well, the sharks wanted it, and they got it. Personally, although a covered stadium for Dunedin is a great thing, the extent to which it has been rate payer funded is ludicrous. Everywhere you look within council services, prices have gone up. Helping a friend pack stuff to shift yesterday morning she gave another guy helping $4 to take a stationwagon load to the green island landfill, to be told it now cost $27.00

I was on my way back from a trip out to Port Chalmers in the afternoon, and took a few shots of the Stadium building progress on my wee matchbox pentax camera (been leaving the 7D at home lately).

Wondering who would like to comment on their local body elections' voting preferemces? Chin back in? or a complete revamp?

I took a photo today

And then I played in photoshop.. And this is what it was of.

Promenade vision for ocean drive

From the Otago Daily Times By David Loughrey on Thu, 8 Jul 2010

Use of John Wilson Ocean Dr, in Dunedin, by pedestrians, cyclists and schools was increasing, Living Streets Dunedin convener Judy Martin said last night, and the road could become "a promenade that everyone enjoys".

The pedestrian advocacy organisation, and cycling organisation Spokes Dunedin, held a public meeting in St Kilda last night, to allow residents to find out more about issues facing the road, express their opinions, and make submissions to the Dunedin City Council.

The council is undertaking a consultation process on the future of the road, which was originally closed while construction of the Tahuna outfall project was under way.

It was re-opened in October last year, but was closed to traffic two weeks later, following a death at Lawyers Head.

Ms Martin said about 25 people and three city councillors attended the meeting.

Organisers adopted the perspective that while people talked about the road as "closed", it was closed only to traffic, and it had a future as a promenade.

It was decided Living Streets would become an umbrella group to push for the road to be "an open, inviting promenade" with a preference it remain closed to traffic.

Submissions on the road's future close on August 6.

View Submission Form on DCC Website here

RELATED BLOG POSTS

August 7th 2006 March 20th 2009 September 2nd 2009 October 7th 2009

Golden Hours

Been a while since i caught the first or last light of the day.
Above: a glowing sunset the other night just down the road from my house.
Saddle Hill with Flax. Below: And Saddle Hill with Cabbage Trees.

A Short Weekend Drive

Went for a bit of a cruise checking out some surf spots on Saturday with a good friend.