Passengers: Neil Croft, Rodney Faulkner, James Maguire, Leslie Croft, Andrew Croft, Andrew Pappos, Nick Corrie, Lachlan Marks.

John,

Obviously I am back on home turf now and I understand that you are on Barrenjoey for a few weeks.

I would like to express my thanks for your efforts on my behalf in arranging accommodation in Padang on the night before the departure of the charter. It was simple but very adequate. Also for the efforts of Hilsy to make me feel welcome in Padang before we left port.

I would also like to mention the appreciation of all concerned related to the arrangements with Latitude Zero while the Barrenjoey was delayed in Padang. We ended up spending three nights at the resort and Matt and his wife and Wal could not have been more helpful. Thank you once again for making the effort to ensure the alternative arrangements worked.

You may be aware that I am a body boarder these days (having down graded from a stand-up board due to age and lack of fitness). Although Neil has often prompted me to go on a charter over the years, I have always resisted due to feeling that I would not cope well with the size, speed and power of the waves and potentially hinder board riders in the line-up. I am pleased to say that I had a fine time and managed to catch some fantastic waves. I have attached one photo as evidence. By the way, I made the section. I was especially impressed with the clear water. Just superb.

I would like to add a vote of thanks to Hilsy and the crew (Elvis, Eric, Choma and Salamat) for their care and service. All are first class people. You are fortunate to have them as part of your team.

Just to rub salt into the wound, I spent last week looking out over the foreshore at Port Hedland in WA. It hardly compares.

Thank you once again for your efforts.

Regards,

Les Croft

Passengers: John McGroder, Belinda McGroder, Fynn McGroder, Duke McGroder.

Passengers: Bradley Johnson, Leon Ridgeway, Robert Allen, David Cooper, Rohan Iddles, Matthew Treloar, Dallas Rawlings, Shane Johnson, Matt Bryant, Kurt Nyholm.

G'day John and Belinda

Finally got a minute to send a big thank you to you guys. What a trip...unbelievable. It was all that we hoped for and thought it would be. The nuts and bolts of the Barrenjoey setup are phenomenal and are a tribute to you guys. Hillsy got us to 20 different breaks and rarely a crowd. Managed to get Maccas as the only boat twice and I even managed Maccas on my own two mornings for a 10 minute period...The Bynda is the difference too, Hillsy had a streaking ahead of the Joey on a number of occasions to surf offshore waves while she caught up. The boys Elvis, Choma, Selamat and Udi were fantastic and looked after us like kings. Gotta say we made the right decision going with the reputation of the Barrenjoey. You've obviously worked hard to build it and be rest assured we will all be maintaining that rep and recommending you to anyone who asks.

Thanks again guys, look forward to the next trip!!

Leon

John and Belinda,

Just thought I'd drop you guys a line to say thanks for the great trip provided.

The crew led by Hillsy are a credit to you and how you run your business. Every need was catered for and a great time was had by all on board. They were definitely the best waves I have surfed and seen in my life, and definitely the best thing I've done in surfing. Elvis and Choma in the kitchen kept us well fed and watered, Yudi and Selamat looked after us in the water and on deck.

I think you have already spoken with Leon but these men are a credit to your business.

Yours in surfing, cheers

Matt Treloar

Geelong, Victoria.

Passengers: Tony "Hazza" Head, Jeff "Fonzie" Fondacaro, Glen Garner, Tracy Boxall, John East, James O'Toole, Col Williamson and Michael "Pluck" Perry.

It was a mix of young, in between and the old crew for the BJ Tour, 27th April – 8th May. The Bondi/Perth crew notched up 30 surfs at 18 breaks in 10 days which is a great testament to Hillise and the boys. Too shouts of "what are you waiting for get out there" from the smiling fisherman Salamat as he threw us off the Bynda Laut the fun and waves never stopped.

The vibe on the boat was always cool and the goal of the crew to get us into quality waves, provide quality food and provide a safe anchorage each night to enjoy a few beers was achieved every day. Ex-Bondi now Perth based Hazza tackled HTs on his "KO Plonka" to the hoots of the crew and ended up snagging the biggest fish of the trip, a 25-30 kgs Mahi Mahi.

Young fella Glen from Margs was fearless at Green Bush on his backhand and challenged "father-in-law" Hazza in the fishing stakes (but not quite). Fonzie won wipeout of the trip award with several lip launches and reef tombstones, not to mention his "funky trunks". The WA goofies John and James fell in love with Bang Bangs and ex pro surfer Tracy had more stamina than the boys, surfin four times a day. Bondi's Col rode with style no matter what size, swooping down the line at Bat Caves and Thunders. Pluck charged anything and everything and surely had the wave count for the trip covered with one lip smack at Bongholes a stand out. It was good to see him get dusted and dragged down the reef a couple of times – problem was it did not happen enough!

BJ cooks Elvis and Eric cooked up storm day after day and we were fed like kings. Skipper Hillise was a froth'in grom urging the crew on at every break. The Bynda Laut was a classic surf chariot getting us in early and late and Salamat and Udi got us in and out of the waves and back to BJ for beers and 'second breakfast'. The "Drunk Monkey Bar" topped off a classic surf trip that was made all the better by the vibe and a great crew who kept us surfing day in and day out.

Anyone who reads this could do a lot worse than join the Barrenjoey for a trip that will provide all you need and where all you need is board shorts, a surfboard or two and some sun screen. Have a dig!

Many thanks for a BAGUS adventure.

Haz and Pluck

Passengers: John McGroder, Belinda McGroder, Fynn McGroder, Duke McGroder, Peter Horton, Sue Horton, Rory Horton, Mike McHale, Wyatt McHale, Megan McHale, Monique Mironesco, Maddy Eltherington.

This was the best trip I have ever had on a boat. There was great surf and I have a lot of fun. Everyone was nice. I kept a journal and it was all good. I am sad to leave the Barrenjoey. The crew was lots of help and the McGroder family took us on the trip of a life time. I was stoked. Fun/great/spectacular. Like I said, the best trip ever!

Megan McHale (age 10)

Passengers: Anthony Patterson, Gary Elkerton, Peter Ellis, Laurent Caloz, Mark Mayfield, Andrew Fidler, Bradley Trivett, Mark Spaans, John Bull, Stephen Cox.

Passengers: Scott Brown, Chris Armati, Owen Lansbury, Dean Dampney, Graham Jones, Shaun Dickson, Scott Janney, Steven Lynch, Ean Beard, Peter Taplin.

Passengers: Ben Day, Darcy Day, Scott Langman, William Cox, Johnathan Day, Timothy Day, Andrew Bazell, Peter James, Daniel Armstrong, Matthew Armstrong.

Dear John and Belinda,

I thought I'd drop you a note to let you know we had a wonderful time on the BJ once again. The boat remains in terrific condition and while there may be the odd charter vessel out there that boasts more sumptuous facilities, I think I speak for all the guests when I say that ours was extremely comfortable and capable and had an authenticity to it that made us feel that we were on a 'real' surf charter, not a floating hotel. It captures, in my humble opinion, the true spirit of a surf adventure.

This is obviously a credit to you both as it has stood the test of time. Judging by the feedback in the guest log book, we're not alone in our appreciation of the virtues of the Barrenjoey.

Of course, this time, we had the benefit of a high-speed tender and a jetski. The jetski was fun, but the Bynda Laut added a new dimension to the charter that significantly increased our 'reach' in terms of surf access and optimising our time. It truly enhanced the value of our investment and I can't imagine how we ever did without it. I'm sure you feel the same.

When explaining our Charter 4 map in the galley with some of the guys that weren't there the first time, it made me feel a bit sad that we didn't get to see you both. Was looking forward to a nice big hug (not from you John, from your beautiful wife). I hope your friend in Bali is OK. Anyway, there's always next time (my 50th birthday is looming in 2012!)

Initially, I was a little worried how we'd get on with the other captain. Would we be able to needle him as much as you, John? Would he respond favourably to niggle? How would he cope with sly comments on the new map we'd brought with us? Would he rise to the challenge of Table Tennis on board? Well I'm happy to report that from the first moment we met Ben Hillier, my fears were allayed. His infectious enthusiasm and genuine nature shone through from the start. Within the first few minutes, I'd outlined a mad plan to build a table tennis table. I anticipated a half-hearted response (so many guys must get on board with mad plans). But no. Hillsy was totally into it and wanted to know the thickness of the timber required, how big it needed to be, what paint I needed etc etc. Then he made the fatal mistake of telling me that he had a great double-handed backhand. And so the banter began!

Over the course of the next ten days, Hillsy made it his mission to get us to more surf spots than any charter in BJ history. In the end, he ticked off 21 spots – a BJ record. One of the guys in our trip – Baz from Apollo Bay (you would like him John – you're two peas in a pod) – managed to surf all 21. I might send you a small, framed shot of Baz to put up in the galley with a little plaque noting his achievement!

But it wasn't just Hillsy's ability to gauge shifting wind, tide and swell to deliver the best surf outcome that made our trip. As you well know, it's a difficult job to be the boss, the friend, the safety officer, the surf guide, the first aid department, the host, the engineer… the Jack-of-all-trades on such a trip. The fact that you have to do this 24/7 with a smile makes it, in my view, one extremely difficult job. Sure, from the outside, it appears to us guests like a simple occupation and a dream one at that! But there were many, many moments when Hillsy displayed considerable depth in all the required capacities, and in this regard, he was seriously impressive.

I should also mention the Indo crew on board. Rico, Yudi, Chiraul? and Henrik cared for us like brothers, and apart from being there to cater for our every whim, were great company. Pim was also a breath of fresh air to have around and made sure all our food moments were sublime. It's really nice to have a female on board to 'ground' the guys (I'm sure Belinda would agree eh?). Pim's pretty handy on the table tennis too!

In terms of the chemistry of the guests on board? The best trip I've done and I think I'm not alone in saying this.

We had four members of the Day clan. Ben and his 13 year old son, Darcy (a cracking surfer), and Tim and his twenty five year old son, Johnny. It was memorable alone for this connection between cousins, nephews, uncles, fathers and sons.

Here's perhaps the shot that captures it all – taken at Roxies by yours truly on sunset. Darcy in the barrel and Uncle Tim high-fiving on the shoulder, the BJ in the distance. Wow.

Matt and his 16 year old son Dan (an extremely talented young surfer himself) also enjoyed the father/son time together and I managed to forge new friendships with Baz, Scott and 'Coxy' that will last a long time, I'm sure.

No fewer than four of us had 'our best wave ever'. You'll be pleased to know one of them was the lone kneeboarder! In the half-light of dawn I got a tube ride at Macaronis that went forever and came out clean. No photos, but witnessed by Tim Day! Best barrel in 35 years of kneeboarding. I also managed to rip a heap of skin off my back, pop my knee and bust two kneeboards… but you gotta have a crack, don't you?

Quite apart from the trip defining shot of Darcy and Tim above, I have some tremendous photographs from the trip. We intend to put together a bound book with notes from the trip. If you're interested, I'll let you know how to order it online when it's finished (it's through a fantastic photo book company called Blurb in America).

This shot, taken by Yudi with my fisheye off the top of the mast at the island behind Scarecrows is likely to be the cover:

Anyway, I hope you both are well and your young family thriving. I look forward to getting back up there in the near future for more Sumatran magic. I hope the table tennis table survives (we donated net, bats and balls so you better start practising) and look forward to the opportunity of sharing a Bintang with you at some point.

Cheers,

Pete James.

Passengers: Artur Urbanski, Matthew Johnson, Malcolm Francis, Ryan Atkinson, Benjamin Ansell, Jonas Grocock, Paul Moir, Stephen Scarvelis.

G'day John and Belinda,

Artur hear, we did the July 6 to 17 charter. Sorry it's taken a bit to write this, I have been catching up on jobs, back to reality.

Just wanted to say from all the boys it was the best trip of our lives, although we didn't get the perfection we hoped, for the waves were on tap any how!! The thing that really made the trip was the boat set up, captain and crew all of who were exceptional. The food was unreal and for the first time ever even I was not hungry. Hillsy worked hard to get us the uncrowded waves we asked for, I had hoped to have a few sessions by ourselves let alone to be on our own 80% of the time STOKED! As for the crew wow, none of us have had service like that before and for a whole 11 days! These boys are champions you really have a good crew doing the BJ, the ultimate justice. UNREALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will be back and thank you ARTUR!

Passengers: Clifford Wishart, Gary Waghorn, Allan Farrell, Rodney Windsor, Glen Vaux, Neil Campbell Michael Dignam, Stuart Thomson, Roderick Wishart, Bruce Rowley.

Hi John & Belinda,

Sorry I hadn't replied earlier – had a great trip – waves fine and Hillsy had us in the right spot every time as we found talking to guys on other boats – that knowledge and having the fast tender made the difference, especially when swell is small as its all about being in the right place at the right time. Crew were excellent – friendly and always helpful and food was excellent too.

Can u send me your booking schedule for 2011 – thinking about going again next year.

Cheers.

Neil.

Passengers: Dean Hoeck, Brett Hardy, Chad Slater, Joseph Bryant, Michael Syth, Brett Cruickshank, Ben Kearney, Lee Sillince, Jye Byrnes, Ben Hainsworth.

John,

Thanks for a great trip. Despite going through a few pairs of undies, it was great to surf HT's with you. It's hard not to have a great time, surfing, fishing and drinking beers with ya best mates, but Hilsey, Pim, Salamat, Choma, Eric and Udi all did a great job and made our experience even better. I think they were all on their best behavior when you were on board so we scored ;) We hope that they enjoyed their trip as well.

We took a 1000 photos of you so once we get them all together we will email them through. Finally, we had such a good time that we want to do it all again in 2012. So if you can pencil us in for August 2012, for the same dates (or thereabouts) then that would be great.

From all the boys, thanks again and we look forward to catching up again soon.

Cheers

Ben Hainsworth

Hey John,

Yeah, I reckon we all echo Ben's comments mate. Sickest, funnest trip, that ya always day dream about at work... Thanks a million!

It was unreal to score HT's at that size & uncrowded... and getting pushed (or towed!) into a coupla waves that we might have otherwise hesitated on (those few surfs at HT's were definitely the highlight of my trip!)

Hillsy (& Salamat) were non-stop in their efforts to ensure that we scored fun, uncrowded waves and even as the swell dropped we were still all able to find uncrowded, rippable waves each day... unexpected, fun little random barrells down at the Indies Trader Right one lunchtime springs to mind, as does fun tow-ins at Louis... & a couple shallow runners at Hideaways... & so on!!!

The food was grrat & plentiful, & the rest of the crew more than ensured that we lived like kings for those couple of minutes a day when we weren't surfing, fishing, drinking or sleeping!

Also just wanted to mention that we were also really stoked with the positive / easy going approach with use of everything from the maximum use of the Binda Laut for fishing & maximising surfing options & time in the water, to the jetski, to fishing gear, diving gear etc... as previous charters (& even other boats we encountered) have not been anywhere near as accommodating for total use of all equipment... stoked as!

Thanks again John, sure ya will squeeze a few more barrels outta the season & we all look forward to doing it all again in 2 years (with at least 50 cartons taken on board!)...

Cheers Chad

Passengers: Chris Anscombe, Brad Farrell, Matt Farrell, Jeff Humphreys, Brian Pascall, John Robertson, Mark Robertson.

Passengers: Damian Bibic, Peter Cameron, Glen Coleman, Dale Loader, Dean Loane, Michael Ray, Roger Sceney, Darren Watson.

Passengers: Mick Leslie, Peter Leslie, Marcus Hamill, Joshua Hamill, Jacob Manderson, Adam Jelf, Chris Hamill, Timothy Hamill, Lachlan Daddo, Jamie Morris, John Delahunty.

John and Belinda,

From all the guys on our charter, thanks so much!

It was a great trip, something for everyone. Everyone got great waves and had a great time.

Loved the boat, the crew, the captain.

We are already planning a 2012 trip.

Thanks again,

Mick Leslie

Passengers: John Bonello, Glenn Titmuss, Grant Somers, Dean Walker, Andrew Babister, Jaemes Powditch, Brett Swanson, James Harrington, Carlos Nobrega, Glenn Lambert.

Passengers: Che Oleszkiewicz, James Crum, Solomon Towson, Gerard Kearny, Patrick Doherty, David Chamings, Vincent Smith, Benjamin Collis, John Stevens, Timothy Starling.

Passengers: Michael Mouritz, Bruce Taper, Philip Grant, Paul Duncan, Peter Cornford, Andrew Myors, Paul Myors, Stephen Vallance, Ian Blake, Philip Malone.

27th October, 2010

I have just spent the morning on the Bosua coast, Southern Sipura. (near Bintangs).All 3 villages have been severely damaged, with Gobi (Bintangs) reduced to rubble. The locals reckon two surges up to 6m washed through at about 0930pm on the 24th.

There are 10 dead, 3 missing, over 70 houses destroyed, 3 pregnant women under stress, over 30 people with heavy lacerations and over 50 with lighter cuts.

Most of the villages appeared shaken and had begun the cleanup process which seemed to be sifting through the rubble for belongings.

Barrenjoey dropped off about a hundred packs consisting of gerrycans, blankets, straw mattresses, rope and tarpaulins from Surfaid. We also pitched in with 250kg of beras (rice) and 2 gallons of Aqua, and an assortment of medical supplies.

In this area alone, they are in need of food, shelter, Aqua, clothes, medicine. Rumour has it the villages further south were hit harder.

I also went into Lances Left where Ben, Yuli, Drew, and Will had their fledgling camp all but totalled. Ben was washed through the jungle in his tent and reckons he nearly drowned. We are helping them with Aqua, food, and tools to begin their cleanup. They reckon the surge was nearly 3m, happened very quickly and was the noisiest scariest thing in their lives. They are also very shaken.

Hard to tell if there is any lifting of the reefs as yet. The weather is light Easterlies, but looks set to change in the next couple of days to strong NWesterlies.

For all you boaties. Kaimana was anchored at Dua Mata in 15m of water with 75m of chain out. they twisted around and around on their anchor but were unaffected by the tsunami.

John McGroder

28th October, 2010

Barrenjoey anchored at Lances left. I went into Goibik (Bintang village) to take photos.Hopefully the Aid will see that this place has been flattened. There is nothing left. People were sitting on crumpled concrete slabs with their heads in their hands. People from Katiet (Lances Rights) were coming and there were tears, hugs, and wailing. They had lost kids, wives, fathers. The destruction was complete. Barrenjoey has already donated rice and supplies from Surfaid. Can we do more?

Felt guilty surfing. Rounded up the passengers and asked if they would like to help. They were all for it. So we went into the beach at Bintang and helped them lift huge timber bearers out of the jungle that used to be the bridge. We manhandled the beams into place. Then laid the timbers and Mr Long went at it with the chainsaw. They had their bridge. Anything else? One more bridge, no problem.

This one, we had to carry the bearers a lot further.

Anyway, the locals were stoked. We helped them replace 2 bridges in 2 hours.

All villages need tools. Everything has been washed away and is beneath rubble. The 2 tsunamis washed about 200-300m inland and took everything in their path.

Any boats heading out need to take basic tools (hammers, large nails, saws). Tarpaulins, rope, blankets, drinking water, food. Medical supplies.From what I can see, the Bintang coast looks like it has plenty of food. although the stockpile i saw has to be distributed around 4 villages. They need to begin re-building. There are police and navy guys from Tua Pejat helping. Everyone is scared of another tsunami.

Barrenjoey is now in the Thunders/Sikakp area. We are in communication with Tom Plummer (Surfaid) who is on Huey. Our passengers are helping where they can with basic manpower. We have the speedboat at anyone in need's disposal.

Tom mentioned the Australian Government was donating money for some large cargo boats to take aid out to the Sikakap area. We will be using the Bynda to help distribute to the areas in need.

John McGroder

29th October, 2010

Today dawned bleak and rainy with the predicted NNW winds upon us. Not a very nice day for volunteers. Spare a thought for all the displaced Mentawai people. Most are on higher ground, too scared to come back to what is left of their villages. Most are awaiting food and shelter.

Barrenjoey decided to head South into the worst affected areas. The sight of Thunders Island in the morning drizzle can only be described as catastrophic. The sheer might of the tsunami wiping clean both sides of the island. What was once thick jungle and undergrowth now a sparse scene of rubble and what looks like giant piles of mulch. All but the hardiest of trees left standing. We hear there are already photos circling. We took our own in the rain.

A few of us went ashore to see if there were any survivors. We found a track leading to higher ground with prints in it. We presume anybody who felt the earthquake ran there. Sifting through the rubble here would take weeks and more than a handful of surfers. There are no signs of life on this island. We can only hope that people have already left for the mainland.

The left at thunders is littered with great trees stuck in the reef. Even if there was surf, it just looks and feels too scary a place to ride waves. The rights were cleaner albeit small, but again the points are decimated.

We made contact with Tom Plummer on Huey. Tom is co-ordinating Surfaid's initial assessment teams. Barrenjoey's guests want to help. A few of us went forward on the Bynda Laut to assess 2 bays on the West Coast of Pagai Selatan. This would allow Huey to concentrate on the bays further south. We assessed the town of Asahan where we were told that the village to the North (Purorogat)was wiped out. 52 dead. Half the people had come here for shelter, the other half had gone North.

Surfaid's team was concentrating on the villages that were in dire need of shelter. Deliver in tarpaulins, basic toolkits, and sanitation packs. Budyhadari was ahead with Red Cross. Medical teams were following on the Addiction and Mangalui. A lot of the people had already relocated to Sikakap where the hospital is full. By all reports navy was on the way as well as cargo boats with more supplies.

We moved to Tapak where there was extensive damage, but all people safe and living in the hills. We met with Huey and loaded survival packs aboard and delivered them in the wind and the rain to this village.

By now there are a few boats in the area all helping out.

Thanks to all the Barrenjoey passengers for doing their bit to help. It seems most of the places are covered now. We rest easier knowing that the locals at Bintang are not wading through the river in this rain and at Tapak, they will be able to gain a bit more shelter.

Tom is doing a great job of co-ordinating everybody out here.

We continue on our way, keeping an open eye and heart for any in need.

John McGroder

3rd November, 2010

Barrenjoey headed into Sikakap to get out of the weather. It has been relentless this trip.Northwest winds generating an uncomfortable 3-4m sea. We radioed Huey and spoke to Tom. Told him we were heading north and would be happy to drop any stuff off to villages on the way. The forecast was calling for an ease in the wind. Ha ha.

Sikakap was bustling. Many vessels including navy and a large cruise ship. Coma took the boat papers into clear in. And reported it was very busy in the town. A lot of aid piled up waiting to go out. Apparently there are many of aid agencies stationed in Sikakap. The inclement weather has prevented many vessels heading out. The surf charter boats have been having a go. All part of the adventure for our guys. Nothing like bashing into 30 knots to get where you want to go. (note tongue in cheek).

Tom told us to drop some stuff (hygiene buckets, blankets, tools, tarpaulins) off to Betamonga. No-one had been able to get in due to the strong onshore conditions, causing the outside bombies to break, as well as the mouth to the river being closed. We put our hand up. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Tom Plummer has really been the man of the hour out here. He has co-ordinated several of the surf charter boats ( Huey, Indies Trader 3 and 4, Budyhadari, Mangalui, BJ) as well as liaised with local villages, government officials and I guess other aid agencies. He has been the bloke calling the shots for us all under Surfaid's banner. As he explained to me, the first instance is to get them shelter, a basic hygiene kit, and some tools to help them set a house back up.... a lot of the villages that have been wiped out, have relocated to other villages where they are now sharing food etc..

So, we thought we would have a leisurely cruise into Maccas. Betamonga is at the southern end of the bay. The villages from Sabeugunggung (Greenbush) had relocated there. Well blow me down if the wind decided it did not want to ease today. . probably some of the strongest wind all week. We made it to Maccas and anchored in front of where the jetty used to be. The points are all clear and the bay looks like another place. A bunch of charcoaled palm trees mark Midas' final resting place. The remains of the engines lying on the beach to be swallowed up by the sands of time.. I decided to launch the jetski and suss out the river mouth first. We loaded up the Bynda and headed towards Betamonga. A huge following sea made it very tricky and, according to our passengers, very bloody scarey.. the mouth of the river was open and everything up to about 200m inland was flattened.. not sure how far up the village was as I sped around another bend. Eerie seeing all the flattened vegetation.

I guess the locals were surprised to see some bloke on a red jetski turn up. They all jumped in their long boats to meet the Bynda at the mouth. Two of the guys asked if they could ride on the jetski. I think they had fun, but decided to jump off when we returned to the mouth of the river and they saw the sea state. Brendan was driving the Bynda and did a bloody fine job negotiating the waves and the bombies. The locals were stoked to receive all the stuff. I was happy to see Bapak Betamonga smiling his one tooth grin at me.. he is the little old man in the canoe that hovers around the boats at Maccas and claims that Betamonga owns the point.

The locals are now calling for food, which I told them was on the way as soon as the weather calmed down.

Our job done we headed back to the bay at Maccas. Went in and had a look at the camp. After inspecting the remains, I think there were a lot of surfers very lucky to survive. The beach where Belinda, Fynn and Duke used to play is gone and now resembles a lagoon. I shudder to think if they were here and the tsunami had hit in the day. The whole of Maccas bay has the feeling that nature has wiped it clean. The mangroves in which the camp used as it's opening, now resembles a wide river.. gone is the small break wall. Gone is the jetty. Gone are the guests rooms. The tower remains and I say again, they were very lucky.

As Tom said in one of our radio conversations, it is like this was a warning to all of what can and what many believe, will happen in this area.

The geological activity was not so apparent when I first arrived here in 1996. It has only begun in the last few years. Geological time saunters a lot slower than us, but when she moves, the world moves with her.

That is it from us. Our surf charter is just about up. My guests have been phenomenal in helping out whilst on their holiday. Thanks to all the well wishers. Anyone wanting to donate something, I suggest Surfaid. They are doing a real job out here. my guests will back me on that.

Good on all the boats and people out here pitching in. I know some have done it harder than others.

And, hey Huey, can ya send up some barrels to The Office for our last day please!

John McGroder

5th November, 2010

We thought we were done. Time to relax and try and enjoy the remnants of our surf charter.The gods shone on us and gave us a few small waves. The weather cleared for half a day. Bosua, the Bintang Coast, was still busy with cargo boats and long boats ferrying people back and forth. That night we saw the stars for the first time in 2 weeks. I am sure the locals living in the hills were happier for a time. Our last morning dawned and we were at Lances Left when the helicopters began buzzing. They dropped aid into Bosua. One larger copter buzzed us and dropped aid on the beach in front of Ben's now destroyed camp. We scooped up the packets of Indomie as they floated out the channel. The Chopper must have mistaken the camp for a village. The boys did not need that much, and the locals asked if we could help cart it to the Bintang Village (Goibek). We loaded a heap of Aqua, noodle, biscuits and ferried it to Bintang. Most of our guys helped and got to see first hand the devastation of the village. The local helping us told Elvis how he had lost his wife and 3 children. His wife had tried to break through the window as the tsunami hit. The glass slit her stomach and she died the next morning. His 1 and 2 year old have not been found. We were all saddened with this story. Knowing that there are many similar horror tales in this area.

We picked Will up from Lances. He had been doing the electrical work on the camp. He told us how he stared into the night and the noise of the Tsunami was deafening. He knew it was a wave, but did not know how big. He thought this was it. But the noise. Lucky that he had climbed high enough on his dwelling and it only reached his knees. But he had to wade in chest deep water to reach the base of the hill and scramble up it before the next wave hit.

We sailed around to Katiet(Lances Rights) in the hope that we could get a final wave. The local boys came out in their canoes. I have got to know these guys well over the last 14 years. They needed tarpaulins. Most of the village had moved to the hills in fear of another tsunami. The incessant rain was not helping. I said I would let other boats know. The kids are now getting diahorrea and flu like symptons. We gave them our left over veggies, some petrol for their generators and headed to Padang. I radioed the Indies Trader 4 and spoke with Doris. He got on the job and made sure the IT4 would drop some tarpaulins off tomorrow. Good to see our surfer/radio/network being put to good use.

Barrenjoey headed in.

One last story as our passengers head back to Australia. I spoke to Julian, one of the crew of Midas. What was it like? In a nutshell.

Rick woke everybody up yelling tsunami coming. The first wave hit. Midas caught on fire. Julian moved to the front of the boat and grabbed a lifejacket between him and 3 others. They jumped in the water and had some-one throw them a surfboard. They all held on as the second wave hit. He was washed underwater and tumbled and took water in and ended up in the jungle. With the others.

How big was the wave? Bigger than Freedom (5m?). and white water breaking from KFC to Maccas point, basically across the whole bay. For the surfers that have been there before. Enough said!

John McGroder