Sunday is always a good day for an adventure. This weeks’ began by packing a 5’2″ Mini Simmons surfboard—shaped by Thomas Bexton—and heading south of Sydney to Thirroul. First stop was breakfast with the charming gents at John Smith Specialty Coffee in Waterloo. A delicious smoked trout eggs Benedict and Ethiopian cold drip coffee provided some much need fuel before riding south to the entrance of the Royal National Park.
The smooth, winding roads there are always a treat, as is the view from Stanwell Tops (pictured). It is often nice to leave the city, surf an unfamiliar break and speak with locals who have chosen a different pace of life. Sunday lunch comprised an expertly cooked ‘pie of the day’ and salad at Honest Don’s (2a MacCauley Street) in Thirroul.
While out in the surf, I was told about a Treehouse, a local landscape design and surfboard shaping business. Owner Dave Porter offered a guided tour of his (relatively) sustainable approach to surfboard manufacturing utilising an EPS foam core (recyclable and less toxic) and epoxy resin (more durable and low VOC). Treehouse holds shaping courses for boardriders interested in shaping their own boards. Over a two day course, Dave will assist in shaping your new board before finishing it with your choice of Australian plantation timber, cork or flax laminates.
On the ride back, I stopped by the river at the bucolic Audley Village in the Royal National Park; the river there is so peaceful with its’ reeds and Birdlife. All this and back to Sydney by 5pm.
