With a solid east swell wrapping into the Coolangatta points, Tracks photographer Simon Williams spent yesterday roaming between Kirra and D’bah capturing the drama and the action.
According to Swilly, the view from the hill at Kirra provided one of the most bizarre colour-palettes he’d ever witnessed in the ocean. ”You’ve never seen anything like the colour of the water,” he enthused. It was blue out the back, dark brown in sections cappuccino brown in others and then there was this crazy blue circle at little Mali near Snapper.
When Swilly raced around to D’Bah he came across the ill-fated cow that was on the beach. At that point it was still alive, but obviously agitated. News reports suggest that it had likely lost a calf in the flood and was clearly distressed.
Later the renegade bovine was shot by police, a move which prompted outrage amongst some. “It was a beautiful cow and I’m not really into my cows… I’m pissed off, ” commented Swilly.
Meanwhile a crew of well-known Gold Coast surfers turned their backs on Coolangatta chocolate tubes and swung into action to assist flood victims.
According to reports on the nine news website, Callum Robson’s home on the NSW North Coast was gate-crashed in the flood by a shipping container.
The container somehow came to rest on the second floor of the Woodburn residence. The news story could offer no explanation for its arrival.
Robson, the youngest rookie on the championship tour, is currently in Portugal preparing to compete in the MEO Pro Portugal Presented By Rip Curl. After solid performances in the first two events he sits at equal 16th on the rankings. Tracks earlier interviewed Robson about his expectations going into his maiden year on tour.
The reports of supersized flood debris colliding with homes were coupled with further stories about livestock and various other animals washing up on beaches along the east coast. In Ballina a Bull was reportedly dumped on the beach – still alive and kicking after a traumatic journey out through a river-mouth and into a roaring sea.
Up and down the east coast there have been reports of shark sightings and encounters as the marine predators are drawn to the murky, coastal waters in search of easy prey. Meanwhile in Sydney, several swimmers and surfers have been struck down by gastro and stomach illnesses as millions of litres of cross-contaminated stormwater pours into the ocean.
Never has a trip to Indo looked so appealing, with quarantine down to three days in a sunny hotel many Australian surfers are no doubt ready to hit the exit button.
