This will hurt me...

Something about surfing. Clifton Beach, October 2012. As you know, the Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds (and RSS feeds.) The following are some things that I've had a look at in the last week. I call this: a Compendium of Click-throughs for Monday Morning... Why the rich look down on the poor. Australia’s unlucky parliaments... E tsy, Folksy and the mania for making crafts. Australian inventions I hope that Ezra does not get into this extreme mountain-biking ...

Hoe he'e nalu down south. Calverts Beach, January 2012. I thought that this Watery Wednesday I'd share an image that demonstrates just how much Hoe he'e nalu has taken Tasmania by storm. If you're not familiar with Hoe he'e nalu - or stand up paddle surfing for those of you who don't speak Hawaiian - it is an ancient form of surfing, and for a time was the preserve of surfing instructors to keep an eye on large groups of students. Now it seems that every bugger and his dog are in on it! Some claim that the Hoe he'e nalu craze can be explained by the ease with which beginners can master the art, and the excellent inner core workout that you get from all of that stand up paddling. However, I remain unconvinced by these explanations. My own theory is that in standing up, one’s legs and arms are not dingling and dangling in the water, tasty little treats for any passing Great White. Moreover, if you do happen to spot a roaming monster of the deep – which ...

Surfin' safari Antarctic expedition. Clifton Beach. June 2011. They're a brave mob, these Tasmanian surfers. I'l be honest with you and suggest that they're also possibly (probably) very silly. I mean, really; there were barely any waves when I took this, the air temperature was around seven degrees Celsius and there was a very brisk southerly blowing up from Antarctica. I shudder to think how cold the water was.

Learning to surf. Clifton Beach, December 2010. We’ve had a bit of a slow reading period over Christmas and the New Year (if you don’t count kids’ books). Actually, I enjoyed the kids’ books somewhat more than one of the novels I just finished. For the record, the new Charlie and Lola book Henry and Ezra got for Christmas – Slightly Invisible – is a tour de force . It is an absolutely new and completely original book from the mind of Lauren Child. Without wanting to give too much away, Charlie and his gravelly-voiced East Ender chum Marv are in search of strange and tricky creatures. Of course, they would prefer to do this without little sister Lola bothering and interrupting. Luckily, Lola knows exactly how to catch strange and tricky creatures and enlists a little bit of help from her (slightly) invisible friend, Soren Lorensen, and the pulsating narrative goes from here…. Equal parts Dostoyevsky and Evelyn Waugh, the forever delightful Charlie and Lola explore the blurred bounda...

Everybody goin' surfin', surfin' C.L.I.F.T.O.N. B.E.A.C.H. Clifton Beach, September 2010. If it stops raining in the next week, we might make our way to the beach again.