The North West of Aus. In these remote, arid stretches of red dirt and raw rugged plains, it’s easy to immerse yourself in the land and disconnect from society and the habitual use of social media. In fact, in most places you don’t have a choice; and it's seriously rejuvenating.
#35mm disposable // Enjoying the last rays. Captivated by this vast crumbling coastline and the abundance of marine life. When it effortlessly takes you 3 hours to explore every nook and cranny in a 200 metre stretch of beach, you know you’ve got it pretty good
Getting a lil creative. View atop the dune at dawn
Ahh the carpark. Arguably the best spot to admire the surf. Mind surfing all the way
One such spot is that well known for its harrowing left hander and coral reef breaks that have caused many painful drives over bumpy dirt roads into the main town - over two hours away. A face full of coral after a gnarly wipe out or a tiny, inconspicuous reef cut on your toe can often lead you down the same bumpy road- no kidding. We’ve seen guys whose feet have swollen until it’s too painful to walk, needing to be put on a drip whilst hoping for the best before the toxins slowly spread throughout their body- all from neglecting that slight cut with the betadine. Damn.
Grom @georgesimpson04. I’ve found that surf photography opens a lot of opportunities/chances to connect with different people that share the same love for the ocean. I think surfers and surf photographers see each other as the same entity; both are respected equally in their own rights.
Dawn patrol surf checks on the hill.
#35mm disposable // Waking up every morning to witness the pink glow over the ocean and whales breaching from the comfort of your swag. Phenomenal
The start of July is the busiest time in the North- Gnaraloo 3 Mile Camp flowing with Margs and Yallingyup locals who make up about three quarters of this seasonal community. The rest are Perth hopefuls and as always a few wandering gypsies. Gnaraloo when the swell is big- like 10 to 12 foot big- is absolutely incredible to witness. There’ll be about four or five guys in the water and the rest of the camp just watch in complete awe from the carpark. On those days you really are glad that your shitting yourself from the comfort of your camp chair, with refreshments in hand, and not from that oncoming metre-thick lip that’s about to hit you on the head. When these swells reach the coast, WA surfers such as the Brown brothers and Luke Wyllie fly in specifically as not to miss an opportunity!
Paul ‘Antman’ Patterson down the line on a fun one at Tombstones. Antman is one of the early pioneers of big wave action off the West Coast, and has made the pilgrimage back to Gnaraloo 20 years in a row, this time shared with his fam
Desert sands
This July however, was a bit on the lighter side- and thank god really; it keeps everyone sane when they can get out for a surf. You can never truly rely on the swell/wind forecast- if you expect the expected you will be sourly disappointed. Even still, the weather word and weekly conditions always spread like wild fire around the camp. “Yep it will be light winds all day, no rush” An hour later at 10.47 am; breeze is in. Cheers Andy. It’s quite funny actually, you really just have to go with the flow and make the most of the good conditions whilst nature’s providing.
This time of year Humpback and Southern Right Whales migrate to breed in the warmer waters up North in places such as Camden Sound. Their presence was constant; every few minutes you’d catch a glimpse of this big splash of white water out the back, then see a little whales tail pop up a few seconds later
#35mm disposable // Travelling in the Toyota personnel carrier in this kind of arid terrain had seriously strong resemblances to an African safari- the only difference was we were chasing wild goats instead of lions and cheetahs. @livmickle @kalaniscott_
Where the desert meets the sea. @georgesimpson04
The smaller days are sometimes the ones where you have the best fun. The lineup changes from a friendly hustle to a tight little community where guys such as Antman are pushing their kids onto waves and you're chatting to that friend you met the other day who’s on the campsite just down the track; being able to meet new people and listen to their stories whilst sharing the sea stoke. That’s what it’s all about.
About a hundred goats would meet and gather every night at dusk atop this little ridge overlooking the sea. Hhmmm family gatho anyone?
Western Australia’s coral coast is absolutely teeming with life, stretching all the way from Perth to the warmer climates of Exmouth // Exploring caves and taking underwater selfies, of course
The good ol’ dunny drop in the distance. With barely any rainfall throughout the year, native flora is adapted to survive with minimal water (xerophytes). The morning dew doesn’t do too bad a job.
@ethan_.jackson charging on his potato. Ethan will be in the water for 6 hours plus some days- paddling from break to break in search of the next wave. One time we spotted him through the binos surfing ‘the bommy’ by himself- and on a softop. Fearless
Apart from the surf, this part of the West Coast is renowned for its thriving marine ecosystem and desert terrain, amuck with now wild goats which were shipped onto the pastoral station in 1988. If you're not jumping off sand dunes and watching the moon set over the ocean, yes the moon, over the ocean (gawk); you're swimming with turtles in the coral lagoon and sipping sunset drinks around the campfire. Whatever bush tucker you prefer- the North West has it all.
Collage @jemmascott__ // Just me, the moon, and those great undulating dunes
Collage @jemmascott__ // Just me, the moon, and those great undulating dunes