It's snowing outside the Box of Light Gallery while I write this. A freezing cold day here in Dunedin. To make matters worse, I missed one of the best Catlins surf sessions of the winter on Sunday – too busy working to get into the brine – a bit of a theme for me right now.
Luckily, I have a backlog of editing to do from my Indo trip earlier this year. I love diving back into the memories of these trips ... reliving the early starts, incredible locations, time on the reef, adventuring with mates and enjoying chef Juli's incredible meals aboard our floating palace: the Mahogany.
The Mentawais have a special place in my heart. And most of my regular travel mates feel the same. We don't usually spend too much time at crowded spots ... and even at the location in these photos, the crowd was significant, but we had plenty of windows with only a handful out.
Our jam is more about adventuring to remote places and finding waves that few others surf. I could quite easily spend the rest of my life exploring the tropics. Thankfully, I have a regular slot on my annual calendar for just such soul-nourishing goodness. The perfect tonic for surviving these bitterly cold winter days here in the deep south.
See you at the beach, Derek
PS Want to join me on a trip to the Mentawais in 2027? We still have a few spots left on our 10th of July departure out of Padang for a 14-day surf exploration of the Mentawai or Telo Islands (we decide once we see the forecast). Check out our surf trips right here on our Insider Travel Co website. Drop me a line if you'd like to know more.
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