Skip to main content

Laxaþjóð | A Salmon Nation

Our relationship with nature not only defines our history, it shapes our future, too. Yet beneath the surface of Iceland’s fjords, an industrial fish farming method threatens to destroy one of Europe’s last remaining wildernesses. Laxaþjóð | A Salmon Nation tells the story of a country united by its lands and waters, and the power of a community to protect the wild places and animals that helped forge its identity.

Learn more

Shipping Information

We do our best to process and ship orders within 1-2 business days (Monday-Friday, excluding holidays). We kindly ask that you choose standard shipping where possible to reduce our environmental impact. If you have any questions about your order, you can reach out to our Customer Service team and we will be happy to help.

More Details

Returns

Unsure of the right size? Can’t decide between jackets? Our Customer Service team is here to help—the less unnecessary shipping, the better. We have no time limit on returns and accept both current and past-season products.

How returns work Start your return Customer Service

Subscribe

Sign up for product highlights, original stories, activism awareness, event updates and more.

Wwoofing and Waves in New South Wales

Patch Wilson  /  August 23, 2012  /  5 Min Read  /  Surfing

Above: Cylindrical left. All photos: Patch Wilson

IMG_1862

Spending a few months in Oz this year, I was looking for a way to not blow my budget. I didn’t want to spend every waking moment living out the back of my van, constantly scrimping and saving. I wanted to surf as much as possible on one of the best coastlines for waves in the world.

Wwoofing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) seemed like a good way to get around this problem, the idea being that you work a few hours a day in return for your food and accommodation. It just so happens there are some great spots for doing this all over Australia, especially in New South Wales. You can pretty much pick an area with good waves on the coast and then get in touch with your Wwoofing host, line it up and off you go.

I was interested in learning more about permaculture principals, growing your own veggies and a greener way of building houses such as straw-bale and mud-brick
construction. Some of the places I got to visit on my way up the coast were completely self-sufficient and off the grid. Most had their own veggie gardens and would generally trade with neighbours when they grew too much of one veggie and vice versa. So along with getting a place to stay and a hot shower, I got to eat really good organic food which, a lot of the time, had just come straight out of the garden.

IMG_2927
One of my wwoofing spots had these bee hives which they looked after.

IMG_3092
Fruits of the garden.

IMG_3102
There are so many different types of vegetables in hear I am not even going to attempt to start naming them.

When you only have to work a few hours a day it leaves loads of time to go surf. New South Wales has so many fun waves that no matter where you are on the coast there is always a point or a back beach or slab that has something happening. My timing was pretty good as I was there during the Australian winter (May – October) meaning more consistent swells and generally offshore winds in the mornings, swinging around a bit later in the day.

I got insane waves all along the coast from south to north and got to hang out at some amazing  places with all sorts of different people who had lots to say about growing veggies, greener ways of building houses, permaculture and just living a more self-sufficient way of life, and of course waves. It was a pleasure to meet these
people and I would like to thank everyone who hooked me up along the way. I would especially like to thank the Donny family in Byron Bay, Kate, Ian and Sage at Pacific Palms and Mark Macca Mcloud at Bendalong.

IMG_1946
Looks perfect but what you can’t see is the huge boulder just out of frame of this shot. Good for a mind surf though.

IMG_2057
Pumping.

IMG_2062
Fired this picture off hanging out of my car window. I was in there seconds later.

IMG_2085
Super heavy and perfect.

IMG_2109
This place claims bodyboarders at will and holds a lot bigger and rounder than this shot.

IMG_2187This back beach sandbar was doing this for three days straight.

IMG_2209
The back beach left. Sunrise. Pumping again.

IMG_2352
This photo does not really do this wave justice. Still looks pretty fun though.

IMG_3126
Bananas, citrus and apple trees in the chicken pen. The chickens help to fertilize the fruit trees. I ate some pretty tasty eggs from this garden.

IMG_3195
Banana trees with citrus growing inbetween them and strawberries underneath them.

IMG_3222
This is Myall lake near Pacific Palms, my favourite wwoofing spot. Loads of cool places, people and really fun beachbreaks.

IMG_3321
Good friend Jarrod Dixon. He lives in the hills at the back of Byron Bay and makes his own wine. His approach to wine making is all about minimal intervention. This is his set up and it tastes really good.

IMG_3339
Angourie point looking pretty moody but super fun and nobody out.

IMG_3408
Another hollow point. Better get out there.

IMG_3498
Dusk fishing session at a stunning rivermouth.

Maccamanyana2
South coast kneelo Mark Mcloud just a little too deep. Photo courtesy of Mark Mcloud

Popular searches