Images

Hammocking and hanging out

It doesn’t take long to get used to the traveling life again, we’re spending a lot of time doing not to much which takes up a lot of time for some reason. Since we spent a lot of time here there’s a lot of familiar faces and Bali is just one of those places that people come back to and tend to stay for a long time so we’ve been pretty busy doing some catch ups with friends we haven’t seen in a while.

Surfboard parking outside room number 9 – sembilan. the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-3434

Stopping by Maruf and his lovley wife Dewi who has a cute little warung up the street for a coffee and some food. the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-surf-2440

Maruf does surf trips to G-land (Pax has been last time) and Red Island – much recommended. This time we don’t have enough time for it. the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-surf-2441

Picking up our washing – now we smell good again. the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-surf-2443

Longest left hander in Bali? Anyways so much fun!the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-surf-2452

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Another coffee – tastes so good after surf 🙂 the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-2433

Bintang and sunset timethe-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-surf-2448

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Bogans lost in Bali

3 days in Bali so far and we’ve been busy little bees. How crazy is the new air port? A lot of things changed here but a lot of things are still the same. We stayed the first few nights in Kuta just sorting bikes out and Pax had the very important Grand Final to watch. This morning we got up super early and made our way up to Medewi after having a quick look at the waves in Balian, and got here about eight or nine and not to many people out in the surf. Super fun 3-4 feet waves bit windy but not to bad. So much fun easy the best surf I’ve had all year 🙂 So stoked. My skin feels like it’s shrunk a bit. My sholders are sooo sore. And I’m so happy to be back 🙂

First night in Kuta, all that was left was a fan room with two singel beds, so romantic 🙂
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We found long lost traveling friend Niki to come watch the game with us. the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-2377

Saying hello to the best ding repair in Kuta, Narukis surf shop.the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-2369

Bali style driving on the foot path 🙂 Thank you for the photo Niki.the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-2392

Petrol stop on our way to Medewi, not kidding we finally found petrol at the forth petrol station we tried, the first three was all out. the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-2393

We’re staying at Medewi Beach Inn, new since we where here the last time and they even have wi-fi! 200 000 RP per night – done deal.the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-2395

Post surf eating Pax is snaking all my Beng-bengs.the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-2402

This just in – Medewi beach now has a shower (where I manage to drop and ding my board)the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-bali-indonesia-medewi-kuta-2404

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Sampai jumpa nanti Sydney

the-sidewalk-secrets-photography-cronulla-sydney-airport-3Here we go finally on our way, see you later Sydney can’t wait to wake up in Bali tomorrow 🙂 We’re already at the airport in Sydney, early enough to have a few drinks. Both of us “randomly” screened for bombs and drugs as usual. And I’ve got some dollars back (the VAT) for leaving with my new surf board.  Puss Puss

Pax taking the fins off, it’s really quick and easy if you have FCS 2 fins… If you don’t you shouldn’t pull them out, you have to screw… just saying. It’s not like anyone tried that this morning, no. image

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Sydney is HOT HOT HOT!

Someone said there’s a new September weather record with two days over 30 degrees in a row or something like that. Doesn’t matter it’s like summertime again – the last days has been so freaking hot here in Sydney! I’m loving on walking in thongs again and finally it’s still a bit of daylight left after work.  Some photos from last night, we had take-away dinner by the beach down in South Cronulla after checking the waves on our way home. Wish I had time to surf after work because it looked so clean and fun, maybe after next week when we change the clocks. And it’s 2 days left until Bali…sidewalk-secrets-travel-blog-surf-australia-pax-sara-cronulla-2334

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A 6″2 super pink monster + me

Friday after work we went to pick up this little thing from our friends at PCC surfboards in Cronulla.  the-sidewalk-secrets-travel-blog-surf-australia-2318

I’m soooo stoked, finally I have a surfboard again and she’s custom made just for me. So Saturday morning we packed the van up and headed for the coast – me pretty keen to find some waves to say the least. Brought some friends along and decided to paddle out at the beach break in Bendalong, it was a bit windy and bumpy but fun. Spent the rest of the weekend around Green Island, surfing, eating, chilling and that – such a hard life 🙂

DCIM100GOPRO

DCIM100GOPRO

DCIM100GOPRO

the-sidewalk-secrets-travel-blog-surf-australia-2317“I’ve seen it/them/that somewhere around here” – Pax is making coffee for the weekend crew.

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ME HAPPY – BALI – NEXT WEEK – ADUH!

Yesterday – talking about the labor day-Pax birthday week that we’ve both have off in October. Figured we’d do a roadie maybe up north somewhere. But then I’m not sure well I ended up booking tickets to Bali instead. It’s just for a week but still bikini surf and 5 dollar massages – here I come. It’s the most expensive tickets to Bali I’ve ever booked from here and also the shortest stay with only 8 nights but we’re off next Friday and I’m so happy!! I can’t wait for that heat to hit me when I step out of the plane, waking up somewhere in noisy Kuta complaining about how much things have changed since last time. Getting a bike and driving off to find some waves somewhere. Eat Sleep Surf on repeat.

SYDNEY – GERRINGONG – BENDALONG – MILTON – MOLLYMOOK. RETURN.

We’re back on the road, or at least we where for the weekend. Drove down to Gerringong on Friday night, Pax watched the game (uhmmm the AFN, NRL or whatever it’s called)  at the bowling club while I lost my money at the pookies. Saturday morning we headed for Bendalong and Green Island hoping the waves where gonna be alright. Uhhh not quite was just a 30 minute non stop paddle, every time I stopped paddling it was like the island was moving forward.

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The ASP world tour – how good is it?!

Been trying to watch the Swatch Pro event online but I’m in the wrong time zone but this morning I watch the final on my phone while getting in to work.  Stephanie Gilmore against my favorite Sally Fitzgibbons in the womens final. Steph just surfed so well and won with a 19.50 total and her 10 scoring wave was just so freaking good so well done Steph 🙂 Anyways Sallys good result put her ranking up so she’s currently number one in the world! I hope I’ll be able to watch the rest of the tour as it heads to Europe, 3 events left this year. Go Sally!

Welcome to Sydney’s only private beach – Boat Harbour

How a beach can be owned by a private company itself… well anyways if you follow the beach as far north as you can from the south of cronulla you’ll get to Boat Harbour. That’s what we did on sunday after – deciding the surf was too small and full, going back home to pick up something someone forgot. Boat Harbour is a tiny community with a few small beach shacks that reminds me a bit of Christiania in Copenhagen but a bit more low key or maybe a lot. There’s no electricity and the people who live there’s pretty much off the grid I guess and I always find that so fascinating. Let me see where I can sign up for my own shipping container. Before they bulldoze it all away and build a business park.

Photos below I snaked from the internet. boat-harbour-image

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Summer is in Crescent Head!

Was a long weekend for us since I had the Monday off and Pax usually doesn’t work Mondays so – Hello to you again Crescent Head! Crescent Head is a sleepy beach town five hours drive north from us (depending on traffic ;)), somewhere in the middle of us and the Gold Coast maybe. I’ve been there a few times before but this is the first time I actually surfed the main point. It’s been so overcrowded when we’ve been there before and there’s so many good options for uncrowded waves in the area but Saturday morning I had some super duper fun waves again (hello right hand point break I missed you). Then the swell and some stormy weather rolled in and made a big mess of the ocean so we resorted to the pub for pool, drinks and a few games of shit head.

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Our on the road home.

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Stopping in Forster on our way back to Sydney.

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Cold pressed juice stop – so nice when you find some good food on the road.

the-sidewalk-secrets-pax-and-sara-in crescent-hed-nsw-australia-2155 Boomerang Beach outside Forster, we need to do some exploring around this area to.

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To the Snow

We went to the snow over the weekend, expression of the week – we’re going to the snow, you can simply say that because there’s just one place with snow! Being from Sweden and that people always think you’ve been skiing to school since before you could walk. Not the case with me, I’ve had sort of an attempt to snowboard a few years back, not that successful. But you know one forget so thought I’d give it a go again. Went alright I made it down that hill a couple of times without killing myself or anyone else (this is after spending most of the morning with my face in the snow). Day after every single bone in my body hurts!
/110% Beach Person

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Lighthouse walk in Kurnell

Weekend weather has been so nice, cold but sunny and sometimes you don’t have to travel very far to enjoy what’s around. We did a walk up to the lighthouse in Kurnell earlier today. Except for the dumb as people dumping their rubbish on the road there it’s an amazing walk and just around the corner. It’s also whale watching season and we spotted some big things very far away out at sea.

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Winter Magic from the Mountains

While many of my Swedish friends and family celebrate midsummer we’re doing the opposite over here. Back home it’s the longest day of the year and the sun doesn’t set until long after 10PM in most parts of the country. Here on the other hand it’s the shortest day of the year so we headed up to the Blue Mountains to join in on the annual Winter Festival that’s held in Katoomba. It’s a community driven event with street performances, live music and  one kick as parade and other happenings all through the day. The participants are encourage to dress in costumes to so we brought fellow vikings Sofia and Dan with us to! Magic day in the mountains I tell you, more parades and costumes for the people.

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

blue mountains winter magic festival 2014

From where I’d rather be

Winter over here’s just started, it’s not winter like back in Sweden with minus 22 degrees and snow but still I’m freezing, they’ve forgotten about isolation and things like that over here… In our unit it’s colder than outside I’m pretty sure.

I’ve brought out my winter booties from the closet for yesterdays surf, the water is not that bad just the bloody wind makes it so chilly. I miss tropical waters, bikini surfs, nasi goreng, pocari sweat. Some photos from Bali below, it’s been way to long now. It used to be like my second home and now I haven’t been over for more than a year…

Lakey Peak sunset

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