Encounter Coast Surfing Reserve approved
Earlier this month, the Encounter Coast Surfing Reserve was approved by the National Surfing Reserve (NSR) body. The reserve, located on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, is now the largest surfing reserve in Australia.
The Encounter Coast Surfing Reserve, which stretches from Parsons Beach in the west to Goolwa Beach in the east, encompasses 22 identified waves.
The reserve's steering committee made the "most impressive and comprehensive submission for a surfing reserve" seen in some time, according to NSR patron Brad Farmer.
"I remember surfing these breaks in 1985 researching the first 'Surf Guide to Australia' and the enthusiastic connection to the coast the locals displayed. It continues," he told the steering committee.
Somewhere inside the Encounter Coast Surfing Reserve (Andy Smyth)
Work began on the reserve in 2017. Committee member Nisa Schebella said the ratification process had been challenging but they were "stoked" it was now a reality.
"It adds another layer of protection for the area, and it gives a voice for our community. It adds to the perceived importance (of the area)," she said.
Encounter Coast Surfing Reserve is now the fourth NSR in South Australia and the 21st in Australia.
The committee will now be fundraising to make a dedication plaque and booklets telling the story of the reserve.
Comments
22 named breaks - at your own risk...
Congratulations to all the crew involved in getting this done.
But Wannasurf only has directions to 15?
Surf actually gets in that nook?
I grew up surfing along this stretch most weekends, and then most weekdays once I got my license.
There are no world class waves on offer, but there's rarely a day where you can't surf.
Correction Ben, there is one.....Gooluwatu
And Pdang PCliffs
Agree wholeheartedly. You may not find world-class waves, however, you will, more often than not, find someone with a smile on their dial willing to chat. At least on the far coast and, without a crowd, on the midcoast.
As for the West Coast. Well, they are a different species entirely.
Encounter the hoax coast.
It's all about expectation management and having the right equipment for the waves on offer. Expect world class waves and you'll be disappointed every time. Paddle out with a light heart and the right board for the conditions and you'll have a blast more often than not.
Living on a coast without a world class wave might actually be a blessing in disguise
Just ask Old Baldy and the rest of the crew that came from Miami.
for a second there you had me trying to remember which bald blokes ripped from Mandurah that I remember...
Speaking of similar coasts
But yeah I get it - isn't Sebastian Inlet in FLA supposed to be pretty good?
Expectation management ! I admire the positivity.
The Pig’s Ear Coast ?
Well said. And the sharks keep the crowds down ;
Firstly Good News to Encounter Coast...thanx Stu
Stu (favour) could you direct the crew to any active NSR link.
National Surf Reserves have long dropped off the OZ Radar.
I see local reverence but no committed National preservation or celebration (Sorry!)
2016 NSR still lists Mike Baird as NSW Premier + P Garrett in Parliament.
https://www.surfingreserves.org/how-to.php
2018 Oz beaches is a little better (no updates)
https://www.ozbeaches.com.au/pages/national-surfing-reserves-of-austral…
Australian Coastal Society had a crack at it!
https://www.australiancoastalsociety.org/blog/2017/december/20/national…
Alas no NSR postcard collection or status list, maps or description of NSR culture.
No News > Cabarita dedication @ Australian Surfing Festival or when!
No News > Noosa WSR dedication @ JW hovers Ben's shindig to cut the WSR tape?
4 years since the tide ran out on NSR ...ring the shark alarm or dob them into Dutto?
Maybe now the Fleurieu Council will recognise the cash dollars surfing brings to the coast and spend a bit on some facilities like showers in the car parks or at least a tap or maybe make the paths down to the beach so that they aren't covered in sharp rocks which piece your feet. (I'm sure the council has hidden cameras recording surfers doing the ouch ouch hop which they play for laughs before meetings) Well done anyway to Nisa and the crew for getting it done. Some of the most slagged off waves in SA that everyone will surf at some stage.. it's inevitable
I’ve always been led to believe that SA surfers were a hardy bunch by necessity, but sharp rocks ?
That’s some hardcore shit.
Old school soft core mate.
Word , brother.
“Why am I so soft in the middle when the rest of my life is so hard “
Paul Simon.
Amen to taps and showers. The council gets lots of money from council rates but they took the taps away years ago,
A mate tells me that once or twice a year Bullys can get as good as Sunset Beach. What the best response to that statement?
Sounds like bullyshit
Sorry, I'll see myself out.
Bullies? Never heard of it...
East to west.
Knights, boomers, bullies.
...irony dude, irony...
Better than Sunset, more like Pipe/HT's/Chicama rolled into one
Haha.
Bullies gets bigger and better than Jaws. So I've been told.
Can anyone tell me why it’s named the encounter coast ?
Named by Matthew Flinders after his "encounter" with French explorer Nicolas Baudin on 8 April 1802.
Apparently they did the Victor shuffle, looking for waves between Jervis and the Mouth, but ended back at the Port Elliot bakery.
Followed by the Middleton bottlo. My favourite place on the hoax coast.
Ha ha I can tell you've done it, me and a mate yesterday but insert Yank bakery
Still some uncrowded gems to be found for the time heavy crew to find on the right day ...
This last 6 months or so that world classless stretch of coast would shit on the Goldie and North NSW
Ooo, mysterious and alluring warddy... you tease!
You really missed it...should have been here yesterday around 6 months back!
Huey booted tbb from goldie line-up exactly 6 months ago to the day.
Sorry warddy...soon as tbb is tuff'n'uff to give it a bash Huey promised he'd fire it up.
Sorta countin' on later than never...if ya got a spare pair of sea legs make it tomorrow!
Tip! Always looks better from the carpark so Chix can watch from the back of the ute.
Chix can film you easier as waves get better + saves her flicking sand from yer towel.
Better day out for the beach babes and you get better waves for shit hot YouTube vid!
cgrover giggles at Snapper's cry babies when WSL fairy castle blocks the hwy. Ouch!
Qldurrz are tuff enough ...d.d.d.don't you wwworry bout that!
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2019/12/10/watch-gold-c…
If there was a WSL duck diving comp most south coast surfers would be potential world champs. Yep not world class or any class but as previously said you can surf with a peak to yourself and on occasion get a few wave that yell - hey not bad at all, I do feel blessed.
Congratulation to all those who put the hard work in - very much appreciated.
haha. Yes indeed! Did my apprenticeship in duckdiving here and have never looked back!
Haha. True that.
Timely WOTD today
What a way to make a mockery of NSR. But as tbb points out, the movement is pretty much weightless and meaningless, past the local board riders anyway. All good to have an incorporated body and a place at the table in stakeholder meetings re: coastal development, but let's be real, only as significant as say the local sailing club or surf life saving club. Making a zone of this size and quality a NSR sort of goes against the tenets of the 'save the waves' WSR campaign, though I'm not arguing there aren't waves or a significant population of dedicated surfers.
It's a slow clap from me.
Zeph I'm not sure why you see the inclusion as a mockery of the NSR and why you discredit the NSR body.
If it was the World Class National Surfing Reserve, the area certainly wouldn't be included, but it's a national surfing reserve accreditation and the area fits that title perfectly.
This place has been surfed daily since the '50's without a beat missed, thousands of us have learnt to surf here and continue to do so, it's now generational and I see yesteryears groms now teaching their groms and so on. The place is booming with old and new surfers on every swell and even more so with the internet swell forecasts. It gets packed especially on the school holidays with Christmas time extending into Easter with hardly a drop in numbers.
You're wrong about just the local boardriders being the sole beneficiary of the reserve status, they make up a fraction of all the clubs that use the place to hold comps, not to mention the magnitude of number's of tourists that come to surf.
This area does need the recognition of a surfing reserve as it's surfing that is a really big driver of it's tourist, holiday and residential growth. The recognition is needed in every accredited area to influence those who have other ideas on development for personal gain and that wish to capitalize on the surf based boom.
My opinion is that it's been a while coming and I'm happy to see it happen, so congrats to those that have done the work to achieve it.
Hi Ash
Yeah was probably a bit trigger happy and cynical to post, but did anyway. With the mid being declared a reserve the mockery was already done I guess (shit, here we go again!).
Yeah nah, the historical* nature of the waves and the utility is what gets it over the line, not uncommon to see numerous surf schools in action at Middleton over the holidays. Though I'd content the "surfed daily" claim. (For me) the mockery comes less from the quality of waves and more from the far-reaching zoning of Waits to Goolwa. That bathes whole swathes of un-surfable coast as a surfing reserve which to me, doesn't make much sense.
My cynicism was way too overt and overreaching in regards to NSR too. Yet, I've seen many an incorporated body be washed over by development proponents for it to be otherwise, tbh. In this regard, I meant boardriders as local surfers, rather than the established clubs that already hold stakeholder status re:coastal development. The NSR means the committee can theoretically speak for all surfers when it comes to proponent meetings, rather than just club members. I regard this as still somewhat trivial, when it comes to weight in stagnating ill-conceived development ideas (think tuna-pen/drilling in the Bight).
Anyway, kudos to those that did the work to get it through... Like I said, slow clap.
*The playful/novelty right that runs on the inside of Kings Head, created by the fish-trap there, might suggest that local surfing goes back before colonisation...?
Cheers
Cheers Zeph
We want no Quid Pro Quo! ~~[vote] zephatalien for Pres' of The N.S.R.~~/(C..[Lets Surf)
The don't take it too seriously coast would be a great description unlike some areas where it seems so serious that why would you even contemplate surfing in the first place.
22 spots...!!??
here goes... from west to east
Parsons Point
Parsons Beachies
Waits Point
Waits Beachies
Kings Head
Petrels
That sketchy left off West Island
Shark Alley
Various Peaks in Encounter Bay (might have to use this to get up to 22)
The Pines
The Dump
Chiton
Bullies
Boomer
Knights
Chicken Run
That sketchy left off Frenchmans Rock
Bashams
Middleton Bay
Middleton Point
Day St
Cliffs
Goolwa
Rivermouth (Goolawatu)
Wow thats 24 (and a very sad lot)
I can think of at least four or five waves you haven't mentioned (and even more if you start listing named "breaks" between Cliffs and the Mouth), but I doubt they'd have made the grade.
Yes, Sam Norwood and I's secret spot Access Five or similar haha!
What about Deps ?
Wheres Deps? I was going to add Ruperts Reef, Buckys, Railways and Ladys but they are closely guarded secret spots as you would know Zambezi.
Next Doors, The Gap..not that they ever break these days.
Buckys! I only know a few people who call it by that name. Had some great sessions over the years.
Also had one memorable surf at Olivers way back when, just me and one other bloke.
King Street was part of the daily surf check routine when it was sizeable.
Once saw a couple of commentators out at Dry Reef on a big swell.. never got the chance to surf it though. Dunno if it's any good.
Spoke to a guy years ago who surfed the left at Seal Rock (otherwise known as The Indicator), accessed via a boat. Reckons it's a pretty heavy wave and there's all kinds of rocks sticking out of the water. Not to mention the marine life below the surface.
And how about Horseshoe Bay? Both the shorebreak at the northern end, and the fat right that tries to break around the breakwall. And also the weird looking left off Pullen Island.
Gosh, all these memories. Take me back there.
Actually nah, I'm all good.
Ben - I know the person who named it. Simon Bucchorn. Does not surf any more but chose to name it after himself. Classic that it got some traction.
Well, it's better than Day Street (which doesn't technically exist.. it's Day Avenue).
Truth be told, most named surf breaks around the world are pretty unimaginative.
Went and checked out Indicators with some mates in a boat one day. Big shifty. lurchy double ups Looked terrifying. And always, we'd imagine what Horseshoe Bay would be like without the breakwall. Probably still a big fat right.
That made me laugh fun peeler.
Railways and Suicides are the obvious omissions here... spent my formative years dry docking at both before devouring a shepherds pie (with spoon), jam berlina and a cold can of coke from Pt Elliot's finest.
Oh and, can anyone confirm if the latest pic in jesse_ehlers insta is 'That sketchy left off Frenchmans Rock'? ...never seen it like that, looks all time!
Ive surfed everyone of those plus a few more unnamed in the area over the last 35 odd years, some good ones still further west of Parsons which will go unnamed :-)
...in no particular order
- Picnics
- Suicides (suey's)
- Gordon's
The Dump sounds nice .
One of the best spots on a good swell
Just the name invokes all kinds of spectacular images.
Actually much better than it sounds on the bigger days. Shame the name does nothing to keep the crowds down though...
My favourite wave when I used to live down there!
The carpark used to be the Victor Harbor rubbish dump, hence the name.
Good to see you back on here Zambezi! Know where’s that West Island left thread ;p
Interesting you mentioned that thread Craig. I still haven't
seen anyone tackle it, let alone a photo.
The Dump. Immortalised in the Break song.
I surfed the Dump on the big bells weekend when Simon Anderson won with his new Thruster!! was it '81?
Was going off!!
Yes me too!! What a great Easter swell that was. Never seen it like that again. A mate went over the falls on a set an knocked his knees together on impact and could barely walk all weekend.
Reckon I've surfed nearly all of those waves on your list when i was in my twenties living in SA.
Moved to east coast in 91 and haven't been back down that way in a long time.
Must've changed a fair bit with population growth, still have an old mate living down at Goolwa
Most consistent stretch in Australia.
Openminded quiver needed tho.
Maximum of three days a year you can't actually surf. Sure its below par a lot of the time but at least there is waves, try a three week flat spell on the goldy. No wonder so many east coast guys are good at Golf!
Yes. I caved in last year and got a board specially made for Dribs. Goes great at 4ft plus.
That's the ticket! Mid-length (7'-8'), low rocker, plenty of width but not necessarily all that thick, big single fin perhaps with a couple of side-bites. Turn pig shit into pudding nearly every time.
Yep. Whatever floats your boat Surfstarved.
Nice, like that formula, turns marginal into fun
without having to go the full 9'6
I moved back from overseas in 95 n me mates told me dribbs had bin voted by readers of sufin life worst beach brake in ozz!
the only true election result i've ever seen??
waves aint so gr8 but Sadelaide breeds many a good surfer.
I remember reading letter in Tracks in the 80's where the writer claimed the two worst surfspots in SA were Middleton and Middleton Bay!
swellnet got some great NSR guides, great stuff crew...love the local angle.
Companion Encounter Bikeway Map (Generic but Great Zoom + many coastal tags)
https://i2.wp.com/www.sawhalecentre.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/F…
https://rideonmagazine.com.au/encounter-bikeway/
https://encountervictorharbor.com.au/uploads/2017/05/bikeway_brochure09…
https://www.walkingsa.org.au/walk/find-a-place-to-walk/encounter-bikewa…
whats a world class wave? there are some obvious ones, but the term gets thrown about with gay abandon. I mean access, consistency, crowds?
Are the Gold Coast Points world class waves in a cyclone swell with only Pros on skis catching anything 'world class'?
Say what you like but you still get uncrowded (and I mean surf alone) waves during the week, even on really good days.
Weekends are bit different, but that applies everywhere.
That's a good point Vince. I know I've seen &had some terrible surfs at "World class Waves" yet had some "World Class" surfs at some really non- descript locations
None of which were on the Encounter Coast,however.
[ 22 Dec 2010... The Advertiser ]
South Australia Surf Culture ...has a nod to 'swellnet'.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/south-australian-surf-culture/news-…
This is a must read for SA crew...Lists all the retard place names & weirdo crews
(Great detail & local laughs) Names as they appear in seriously good article...
Gerry Weld / Barry Fritsch / Steve Reddy CEO SSA / Jock Gordon / Dion Atkinson /
Teale Vanner / Khai Adams / Alice Gilbert / Chappy Jennings / Josiah Schmucker
Awesome! Thanks TBB. Brought back alot of grommethood memories from growing up there many years ago. And some of the guys i looked up to as a grommet and still do that are from there and are the biggest chargers, still to this day. Cheers!
swellnet presents Mid Coast Surf Reserve
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2015/02/26/support-surf…
https://www.midcoastsurfreserve.com/
Great SA history / Landscapes / thanks ~~~ /(C`swellnet #1
Mid Coast Surf Reserve {Map}
re: 27th Dec 2019 [f] Vid > Start > [PAUSE] > Full Screen
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1374402709487736/
Anyone have any info on the '75 Australian titles that were held at Middleton? I remember some significant surfers competed there . . . MR, Rabbit, Terry Fitz etc. plus some Hawaiians (Dane Kealoha) surfed the point. I think Surfing World had an article on it post event (with pics!).
Ben do you still have the copy I sent you a few years back re 75 titles in SWorld?.