Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
This past Friday was a good day. The day before it, I made my final selection of images for my upcoming book on Muzzle Station. I had to marry the images to each chapter and that meant reliving more than 40 years of life on this remarkable high-country station that is cradled between the Inland and Seaward Kaikoura Ranges. Written by O, who was born, raised and now runs Muzzle Station, the stories are so full of life and energy that I have no doubt this will become an iconic piece of high-country publishing. It has been such an incredible journey that has spanned more than a year of musters, visits and adventures for me. And last week on Thursday I met my deadline ... okay I was a week or two late, but we had wriggle room.
So when Friday dawned a perfect day with barely a breath of wind and a new south swell joining forces with the remnants of an east swell to promise peaky, rampy waves, how could I resist? It seems I was not the only one to shrug off the demands of the day in favour of a day of ocean rejuvenation – nearly all of Dunedin's self-employed surfers had prioritised the surf above all else. Good luck getting an award-winning house designed last Friday, or developing your investment portfolio, building your dream house, or getting that commissioned piece of art completed. No, Friday morning, with a looming southeast wind in the charts, was all about the velvety perfect peaks at one of our city's finest breaks.
And it was a good day. An 8 out of 10 by Dunedin standards, a 12 out of 10 by North Island standards. Not bad.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS More swell today ... as in right now. As you are reading this. If all my stars have aligned then I will be recording some images of it for you. Forget this wet, wintry blast for it brings a fruity bounty to our northern shores.
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: