fake tans. beer. recession.

nothings been happening around here.
been pretty lazy.
been drinking.
been looking for work. recession has hit hard so i've got no luck there!
med trial coming up. hope im healthy enough to do it.
med screening tom morning. trip to london.
laptop this evening.
emails being sent.
blog being left alone and very dormant and boring.
no news.
nothing exciting.
black hair.
beanies.
vomit.
pounds.

so much shit, but nothing of pure substance, unfortunately!

SA is home!

Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Australian Government

Form 111

Under section 116 of the Migration Act 1958

(For use on immigration clearance)

Part A - Notice of intention to consider cancelling a visa

Part B - Record of whether to cancel visa

Part C - Notification of decision to cancel visa under s116 of the Migration Act 1958

So am most of you know, I was denied re-entry into Australia after my 2 week holiday in Bali. I was not only denied entry into the country, but I was swiftly deported out of their hands and back to my home country. Which kinda sucks in a way, seeing as though I use a British passport, to them, my home country is England. So there i was, sitting in an interrogation room, with a flight booked to London, via Singapore.

Lets take it back a bit..way back...to about the 1st of September 2009, at about 15:30. I was on the phone to the Australian embassy, speaking to some guy who, after much discussion, said the I would be able to walk straight back into the country, NO PROBLEM. (I should have taken down his name and used it as a reference, rookie error!) So 3 days later, I, along with my saffa mate Jerry, were boarding a plane to Denpesar, Bali. Frothing for 2 weeks of sun and waves!

Bali was pretty crazy! Nothing like I had expected. We ended up getting sucked right into the Kuta night life, the second day we were there! (Effing Arac!) None the less, the rest of the boys arrived a few days later and we started making plans to get outta Kuta, ASAP! Swell was looking promising for the weekend so we missioned off to Ulluwatu. Spent the weekend there in anticipation for, "The best swell in 9 years!", but it never came through like that. Any way, long story short, we had a few sessions there, got probably one good wave out of the three days it was good and then we headed back to Kuta for the last few nights. Straight back into it, like a flipping moth to the flame! The last day was spent cruising Poppies 1, bargain shopping, followed by our last Bintangs before heading to the airport. By now, we were all ready to get back to Oz. Me and Jerry especially, and we were ready to get back and start working!

Low and behold, after our 3 hour flight to Darwin, I was stopped at customs at 3:30 in the morning. Then it all started, all the questions, all the suspicions. I knew from there it wasnt good! Four hours later, (after being in one room, getting all my luggage searched inside and out, being told that if I had given misleading information or told nothing but the truth, I could be imprisoned for 10 years) I was denied entry and my visa was cancelled on the spot. An hour later I found out that I was booked on a flight to London, via Singapore, at 19:00. I was kept in the interrogation room until about 15:30, with cops outside the door at all times. Then they escorted me through to the waiting lounge where I had only my back pack, my passport and everything was with the custom control police. At 18:50 I was able to board the flight, and get my passport etc back. I had a form with me the whole time from boarding that first flight to Singapore, that stated I was a PIC, (Person In Custody), haha, was pretty nerve wracking! I landed at Singapore International Airport at 22:15 local time, and was immediately met by 2 police officers who escorted me around the airport, and then took me to the waiting room for my next flight. The one officer stayed with me until the very last minute, literally 5 mins before the plane started to move, then I was allowed to board the plane. I reckon that everyone on that plane was scared of me, seeing me escorted around by police! I could see them skinnering to each other!

Now I am in England, The Isle of Uck, Dead Mans Land. I'm not getting down on this situation, as cheap flights to various islands can be found here and medical trials pay ridiculous amounts of money! yew! I'll try keep updating my blog, but I doubt there will be much exciting stuff happening, maybe just a few posts to keep everyone in the loop of whats happening!

Until next time, here is a shot of me at Padang, shot by the local guys who hassle you for money!

Return ticket home: was - 4th September '09. now - 4th April '10.

Today I should be packing to go home, back to South Africa. Instead I am packing to go on a 2 week trip to Bali.

In a couple hours, we'll be departing from Sydney international airport to Denpasar, Bali.

As the header states, our return ticket that was first made for us to return home today, has been extended untill April 2010. We chose to extend our stay here because the Oz life is too sick. Hard work for good pay, cheap flights all over the world, good waves and sick people. What more could we want??

If we were to go home to SA today, we would feel that our Oz experience is incomplete, we have to stay longer!

A text message received from Jerry once we had decided to stay in Oz, "Bru. We are absolute fiends! Come for 3 months, stay for 10. I love it! Yew!" I reckon that says it all. We are loving life, good times, good work, good mates.

This blog will most likely be very untouched for the next two weeks while we loose ourselves in the Bali atmosphere.(not that it gets updated that often anyway!)

Finally.

After quite the wait, i got a pic for my blog. Nothing spectacular but gives you something. Something is better than nothing! Yew!

Any way. Here is the deal. Jerry and I have decided to extend our stay in Australia untill April 2010. We came for 3 months, stay for 10. Long, i know, but oh so worth it. We have a few plans up our sleves, and all will be revealed in due time.

Right now I am sitting in the emerald shop, after working the whole day, every day since Thursday, and I shall be working every day untill this coming Thursday. Maybe hit Mona Pub on Thursday night, then on friday at 5 in the arvo, we are off to Bali for 2 weeks! Frothing! Accompanying us there in Bali are the local Nulla boys including Sully, Rosco and Big Rich! Big Rich will be filming our Indo experience, so hopefully we'll get some sick ass footage.

Cronulla

Cronulla is the place to be!

We have been lucky enough to been welcomed into Dessie's humble abode, about 300m from the Island. For those of you who dont know Des is the owner of Emerald Surf City, a bodyboard shop in Cronulla who sponsors the Island contest each year. Des and his girlfriend Lauren, have been feeding us well, showing us a good time and taking us surfing. We have also been cruising with the Emerald crew, Sully, Ros, Mitch, Big Rich, Beaver and plenty of the frothing Nulla groms, its been really sick and we've had some really sweet sessions.

For those of you who don't know or don't follow Frothspot(Jared Houston's blog), i suggest you go and check it out here. For those of you who do follow Jerry's blog you would have noticed a few shots of him at pumping Island. I unfortunately missed out that day due to work commitments, but the next day was on. We got up early and went to check out Cape(AKA. Cape Fear, Cape Solander, Ours, Queer lefts and many more). We rocked up and decided to surf this left and paddled out. We scored some sick barrels for about and hour or 2 untill we heard a few whistles and a voice shout, "Oi, get outta the water ya maggots!". We paddled out pretty darn fast and got straight into the car and drove off. Close Call! We headed straight back to the island which was about 4-6ft but still pretty low. We ate a bit and when the tide was high enough, we were out there. Jerry was up to his usual antics and flying high all over the place! I was trying to pick off the good ones from the peak, but I somehow kept choosing closeouts? got some mad props for it though! Day was over, job was done.

A couple days later, a few nights out happened with the boys, and this was followed by and early morning down south, in hope to catch a sneaky swell. Sully, Mitch, Jerry and myself rocked up at Nuggen car park, after trying to drive the track down which failed miserably with us pushing Sully's car out and his car now sounding like a tractor. Walked to Nugs to see no one out! Perfect. We were out there and Mitch sat on the rocks shooting untill the tide was too high. Hopefully some shots will follow soon!

The next few days looks pathetic in terms of waves, but I'll be taking full advantage of this and working my ass off! Manual labour pays so well here!

PS. Well done to Jerry on his second cover. Check it out on his blog and support our sport, go out and buy the issue, or better yet, subscribe.

Man oh man

So the past few weeks or so I have been suuuuuuuuper slack in making post. I do apologize. I have a good excuse, sorta! I dont have a camera anymore, so posts with out photos look plain and stuff off boring. None the less, i shall give you a brief run down on the past few weeks.

+ Slept on Narrabeen beach - bloody freezing

+ Worked like a peck - bloody tiring

+ Worked more and more, and also have more work lining up, which means money, which means living large and coming home with cash money. Boom!

+ Surfed a few times - namely, the island, (all the Nulla groms froth on travelling boogers, so we got pretty much any wave we wanted - perfect), suck rock, seconds left and also Cronulla main beach.

+ We surfed a contest, got knocked first round - lesson to be learned, stay sober the night before any contest

+ waves are here today, pumping waves, I've been hearing stories all day about how good they were. the reason for me only hearing the stories is because i was working, like a peck, again!

+ tomorrow looks good - no work, good waves! Too amped!

Hopefully I can have some photos next post, and more time to write more information down, yew!

just another week down under

Much like our first week in Margs, we are stuff off bored. We have been in search of work, but got chased away. We have made many phone calls, but the recession is getting ou's hard here. We have had 2 surfs in this last week, two of which were last night and this morning. Neither are worthy of any praise! damm!

We have been basically just been cruising the Avalon streets, hanging out at Krugers' house, waiting around for swell and/or work. 

The SIC was on hold for friday, but the swell didn't build as well as the contest directors wanted, so they have put it on hold, yet again. There might just be a swell coming for the boys to surf, fingers crossed! 

Also, a few changes have gone down with my appearance. The best comment that I've received so far is, "Ah, what the hell happened to you?" I explained. Then, "F**k! You're an idiot!" (laughs) Shot maxy! haha