Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
Surf groms have got it way too good in Dunedin these days – especially at school holiday times with a decent swarm of swells running. As a surf parent, it's getting harder not to get caught up in the enthusiasm of chasing waves every day – and the territory has expanded significantly to now include the Catlins lineups.
So when Keo dangled a sizable Catlins swell with a 17-second period and light offshore winds in my face, it was tough to say no. Fomo kicked in, and soon enough, I was rearranging my week to line everything up. I tempered my decision with the fact that I'd been getting every forecast wrong in the mountain for the past six weeks. But if it was true to prediction, then I really wanted to be there in that beautiful part of the world.
We rolled up to this one favourite spot and had the place to ourselves. It wasn't quite 4m, but it was good enough for Keo to surf for more than an hour solo before anyone else paddled out. He managed to weave his way through a few barrels in the great morning light.
A few days later, he scored the place properly pumping, and got two of the best barrels of his life. I wasn't able to get there for that one, but I wished I had. Spring forecasting, with northerly and northwest systems in play, seems to wreak havoc on the models. The weather didn't exactly play ball for the Port Chalmers Seafood Festival either, but what a great event. You forget how good our seafood is here in Otago, but to see all the community stalls whipping up dream dishes for everyone was super cool. Great vibes, some great music (even in the rain), and Nadia Lim putting on a cool show for everyone. Can't wait for the next one.
See you at the beach, Derek
PS A good friend of mine, Murray Eskdale, is one of Otago's leading fine-art photographers and has just launched his new exhibition called Structure at the RDS Gallery, which is right next to our Box of Light gallery – directly across from the Dunedin Railway Station. Murray is the genius who prints all my work and most other photographers' and artists' work here in Dunedin. He's well known for his attention to detail when printing, but his fine-art photography is outstanding. Check it out ... RDS Gallery until November 1, 2025.
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: