In the midst of the tides.

So you wake up to another hard day.

Your alarm rings, beckoning the day's responsibilities ahead.

You slump out of bed...lurching towards the start of a working day.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh sorry, wrong channel! This was the real start to my day:

The rivermouth...

Or to be more precise it was this...

the boys had some choices to make

Yes, yes...the boys had 'IT' in their sights. You know where this is going by now...

looking out to sea

in the midst of the tides

getting ready

With the lines rolling in, in perfect unison, the earth I am sure had aligned in some shape or form with another planet...and surfers started to appear from nowhere, bringing with them the lingering smell of wax and hope.

It was to be a good day!

A magnanimous, barrelling, pumping waves Hokianga kind of day...and hey I can't complain, I was glad to be along for the ride.

It was quick though, like a flash, one minute they were there debating the best spots to hit, the next they are tiny specks in my viewfinder.

race is on...

Growing smaller & smaller

the waves were pumping and awaiting

 Then out of nowhere comes the call of the blue...the spectacle is mesmirising. If you haven't ever experinced it I recommend a flight to this end of the world to experience it first hand ( you know who you are!)

crash

The landscape was forever changing, not a moment to waste, especially when you are wired on coffee, equipped with a camera that is showing the low battery signal...gulp....a few prayers were whipered to make sure all the shots were got...



sunbeam

 

and in between the surfing, there were also other sights to be had. As is often the case there was a group fishing near the rivermouth too. The tide was on its way in, giving way to dramatic crashing of waves against the rocks and a sense that someone was going to get soaked sooner or later.



fishin' near the rocks

 

almost a splash...

wild

So with my battery ever slowly losing its charge, the crew decided to make their move. Their committments had been made and once again 'Zhann's reef' was put to action.

The sets were coming in solid, a very catchable right on offer with extras up for grabs, a very cuddly white boy of a ride...

view to the right, looking towards the smaller river mouth

 

and it begins...

...a big thank you to all the guys out on their boards...



first takers...Hamish in the water

 Slowly more and more waves hit the water...



some carve action



cruising

you can see the strong offshore in play, go Jeremy

Hamish...

Just one of those things...

puff those cheeks Jeremy....

yehaaaa...

neverending cascade...

So by this point it had been hours in the water...the boys know they do not want to waste any energy on paddling to catch any more waves, so what would a clever Hoki boy do?

Water taxi in the form of a jet ski, why of course...

courtesy of izzy

From our lookout

and just when it looked like all the boys had had enough....here comes more catchable waves.

Go Bouty...



....

And in a slow, slow process all energies are exhausted, waves are got and all the boys make their way in to land to persue more down to earth matters...like what you ask?

Like travelling to Auckland to see The Foo Fighters Live in concert!!

It is hard, after all, to face the reality of being a Hoki boy...

Hi five...

Thank you to all parties who were there that day, if anyone is wanting any of the photos please email me (csillajanovszki@yahoo.co.uk) I am happy to forward them on!

oh well, better be off for now and try to figure out what it is you have to do to be a Hoki girl...?!@!