Paul Gravelle must be in his late 20's here. A young South African Surfer travelling around Australia chasing waves who ends up never leaving. He bought an old town building and turned it into a successful shaping business making boards for all the guys surfing that coast for the next 40 years. A genuine nice guy too
To own a good Gravelle single fin was like in later days owning a Jim Banks. Top boards if you got a good un". I remember trying a friends 6, 4inch single around the time of triple fin introduction- it surfed just as well as the tri, rail to rail and plenty speed. A bit like Gunther Rohn boards, again if you got a good one.
I got a job there in Ceduna, 1978 , a year later. That was my backyard surf spot for the next 3 years. The people of Ceduna and Penong were wonderful to me. Some of the best years of my life.
Thanks for posting this. Brings back some great memories of living and surfing at cactus in the mid 70's. Bede and I came to OZ, from kiwi land, in January 1976 to surf cactus. Our inspiration was a surfer from Adelaide, known as chook, who told us about cactus while he was touring and surfing NZ. Bede and I arrived in cactus around mid-march 1976, with 3 other guys from from our home town. We stayed there for 4 months and had the best of caves, castles and crushers, another right 6 km west of cactus. Great memories and great waves. Thanks.
Looks like you got nice waves and a good trip . Good edit .... 1978 ld just finished making a new board , 1 morning l decided to go up the top of my street near cronulla and hitch hike to Cactus. 2 days later l got there.. in my pup tent with a stream of scorpions walking through during the day , l had fun waves only a coupla other guys, l had a few dawnies at l think was called castles or caves on my own most probably the same break these guys were surfing ..( a bit crazy now l think about it,,) then after aweek l hitched back via along the whole coast , 2 weeks later l got back home fun trip met heaps of neat surfers and other folk ..
Was there in 76 . What a fantastic spot. Camped under a tarp next to the Holden. Made the super 8 movie. Got chased by a big shark at c#nts one day. Kiwis on surfari. Thems were the days🥰
buggar me...I think I'm the guy with the strapped on board.I was there and knew bede and chook pretty well, and ,yeah it was a great time to be young and feckless. thanks for this (years ago)....Hi anyone still alive .Gwyn
When I tell all the young people I work with who all have an ankle bracelet in their hand that they refuse to put down that they don't know what it means to live a life of freedom... well, this film is what I'm talking about. Awesome!
Sincere thanks for the doco and reminder. I was 14 when I first went to Catus (1968). I still remember my first tube ever at 4-5ft cactus. Years later 10ft at Castles surfing on my own. No leg ropes and still remember the sheer terror of swimming back in with Noahs lurking. Met a fella who walked from cactus to the head of the bight and back with his dog, a stick and a handline. And meeting the aboriginal community from Maralinga who had been abandoned in Penong. The only known example where a country (Australia) has allowed a foreign power (Britain) to detonate a nuclear bomb on its own people. Regards to all who experienced and love the Nullabor.
And nobody gave a shit about 'social media', they were too busy being.. social. Not twenty brands of everything thinkable. A time when it was kept simple when you didn't have so much 'noise' to distract you from the most important things in life, including doing nothing and not feeling guilty or agitated about it. Nice music, suits the era, like Bakery, Tully, Fraternity ( Hi Bon) or Taman Shud
A bit freaky I was there the same year as a seventeen yr old surfed Castles 6 to 8' on our way to WA had a great week there with the flies, scorpions and sharks it was very memorable thanks for this great little movie brings back lots of memories.
Hi David ,I was there in late March 1977 , met a couple of blokes from Nth Stradie , they were driving an EK holden like the one in this vid , I remember one dude was call Junior because he was the junior of the bunch , we gave the Gromit plenty of stick ,eh and there had just been a shark attack?? maybe , yeah I was 17 too at the time anyways we got on famously with these 3 guys , there EK was a bit sick , so we escorted them across the nullabour , talk about a mobile party ! , great memories , just wondering if that was you guys , was traveling with Kev Ried we had a Mazda 1550 wagon and also another 2 guys Mick Reid and Pete Balckney
Love this. Takes me back to 80's and 90's surf trips to Eyre Peninsula and Cactus. Cactus always felt super sharky! Good memories and good times. p.s. the music really suits !
Mahalo for sharing this! And thank you for no commercial kitschy Beach Boys commercial music! As teen in the 60's am so grateful I had so many surf trips ... CA, HI, OZ ... no leashes, only longboards ... an outsider to society and secret surf spots of amazing memories.
In early 90 s while staying at yalling up had a chance to go to cactus for a surf trip: once I realized how sharky that place was I declined! Best decision ever
thanks for posting that takes me back 3 of us kiwis headed over there about that time we left the day the boy got eaten by the shark at port Sinclair great place to be ... good on ya
1979 PB Ratz made a trip from San Diego to Tip of Baja and back surfed many great spots those were the days we had a box of Hustler magazine we traded for Lobster fun times
Hey Terry....were you and your mates at Cactus in Feb. '77. by any chance. I seem to remember the brown Holden wagon. If so I have some photos you might possibly be in. My mate Marty and I were down there in a light blue VW wagon.
Back to a time when all was loose and unregulated ...petrol 5c a gallon... ...went there in '95, prob still better than now ...moved back to NZ a few years ago and even here is like Aus - any break with pedigree has an insta-crowd as soon as there's a sniff of swell...
![[SURF] ONE-DAY South Australia](/img/n.gif)
Viewers loved this one - Thanks Terry well done - Grunt ;) @Bring Back Captain Goodvibes
Captn Goodvibes thanks for sharing Captain, that's a huge thrill coming from the Pig of Steel. Gruuunt!
Paul Gravelle must be in his late 20's here. A young South African Surfer travelling around Australia chasing waves who ends up never leaving. He bought an old town building and turned it into a successful shaping business making boards for all the guys surfing that coast for the next 40 years. A genuine nice guy too
To own a good Gravelle single fin was like in later days owning a Jim Banks. Top boards if you got a good un". I remember trying a friends 6, 4inch single around the time of triple fin introduction- it surfed just as well as the tri, rail to rail and plenty speed. A bit like Gunther Rohn boards, again if you got a good one.
PS- "Shark bait Phill" was reportedly a fixture in these times- is this correct?
if I could go back in time... that was my favorite.
This film should go into the National Archives, brilliant!!!
I'd give anything to be able to go back to the mid 70's and surf places like this again
I got a job there in Ceduna, 1978 , a year later. That was my backyard surf spot for the next 3 years. The people of Ceduna and Penong were wonderful to me. Some of the best years of my life.
Shut it
When we were free
Thanks for posting this. Brings back some great memories of living and surfing at cactus in the mid 70's. Bede and I came to OZ, from kiwi land, in January 1976 to surf cactus. Our inspiration was a surfer from Adelaide, known as chook, who told us about cactus while he was touring and surfing NZ. Bede and I arrived in cactus around mid-march 1976, with 3 other guys from from our home town. We stayed there for 4 months and had the best of caves, castles and crushers, another right 6 km west of cactus. Great memories and great waves. Thanks.
Great memories of surfing there and the 70s. Cheers brothers
Looks like you got nice waves and a good trip . Good edit ....
1978 ld just finished making a new board , 1 morning l decided to go up the top of my street near cronulla and hitch hike to Cactus. 2 days later l got there.. in my pup tent with a stream of scorpions walking through during the day , l had fun waves only a coupla other guys, l had a few dawnies at l think was called castles or caves on my own most probably the same break these guys were surfing ..( a bit crazy now l think about it,,) then after aweek l hitched back via along the whole coast , 2 weeks later l got back home fun trip met heaps of neat surfers and other folk ..
Was there in 76 . What a fantastic spot. Camped under a tarp next to the Holden. Made the super 8 movie. Got chased by a big shark at c#nts one day. Kiwis on surfari. Thems were the days🥰
Was there 73 and again in 74. This brings back memories, thanks.
buggar me...I think I'm the guy with the strapped on board.I was there and knew bede and chook pretty well, and ,yeah it was a great time to be young and feckless. thanks for this (years ago)....Hi anyone still alive .Gwyn
When I tell all the young people I work with who all have an ankle bracelet in their hand that they refuse to put down that they don't know what it means to live a life of freedom... well, this film is what I'm talking about. Awesome!
Sincere thanks for the doco and reminder. I was 14 when I first went to Catus (1968). I still remember my first tube ever at 4-5ft cactus. Years later 10ft at Castles surfing on my own. No leg ropes and still remember the sheer terror of swimming back in with Noahs lurking. Met a fella who walked from cactus to the head of the bight and back with his dog, a stick and a handline. And meeting the aboriginal community from Maralinga who had been abandoned in Penong. The only known example where a country (Australia) has allowed a foreign power (Britain) to detonate a nuclear bomb on its own people. Regards to all who experienced and love the Nullabor.
And nobody gave a shit about 'social media', they were too busy being.. social. Not twenty brands of everything thinkable. A time when it was kept simple when you didn't have so much 'noise' to distract you from the most important things in life, including doing nothing and not feeling guilty or agitated about it. Nice music, suits the era, like Bakery, Tully, Fraternity ( Hi Bon) or Taman Shud
This is rad classic cactus footage ! Cheers heaps for sharing
Ahh, times gone by, when things were a lot more mellow.
Wish Australia was still free like back then. Glad I was around in those days.
Have you seen what you left for us ? Thanks for taking your share plus extra
cool video, old school surf trip. the music was perfect. very relaxing and beautiful sounds/playing
This is amazing. Really transports to the time.
Growing up as a teenager in the 70s I can only imagine how wonderful this life would have been. We are all lucky for so many reasons.
A bit freaky I was there the same year as a seventeen yr old surfed Castles 6 to 8' on our way to WA had a great week there with the flies, scorpions and sharks it was very memorable thanks for this great little movie brings back lots of memories.
Hi David ,I was there in late March 1977 , met a couple of blokes from Nth Stradie , they were driving an EK holden like the one in this vid , I remember one dude was call Junior because he was the junior of the bunch , we gave the Gromit plenty of stick ,eh and there had just been a shark attack?? maybe , yeah I was 17 too at the time anyways we got on famously with these 3 guys , there EK was a bit sick , so we escorted them across the nullabour , talk about a mobile party ! , great memories , just wondering if that was you guys , was traveling with Kev Ried we had a Mazda 1550 wagon and also another 2 guys Mick Reid and Pete Balckney
Wow, this is fantastic! I love seeing the way it was.
Love this. Takes me back to 80's and 90's surf trips to Eyre Peninsula and Cactus. Cactus always felt super sharky! Good memories and good times. p.s. the music really suits !
Mahalo for sharing this! And thank you for no commercial kitschy Beach Boys commercial music! As teen in the 60's am so grateful I had so many surf trips ... CA, HI, OZ ... no leashes, only longboards ... an outsider to society and secret surf spots of amazing memories.
Thanks so much. I was there in 1981 and never knew sharks could be so friendly!!!!
good spot top music thanks for the treat
Nice peaceful days
Fantastic. Well done. I've enjoying every minute of this. Thank you!
Lived and worked up there many years , played footy for westies, thanks 4 the memories mate, cheers Phil :))
Committed, to go back,for your memories and spirit, Charger.👊🏼
In early 90 s while staying at yalling up had a chance to go to cactus for a surf trip: once I realized how sharky that place was I declined!
Best decision ever
Wow the golden era
Good work..great tune,,,,,,
Good times,was flat when I have there -should have been here last week🤦🏻♂️
But shared it a million mice🤣🤣
Nice one Terry, it rightly belongs in the National Archive.
Beautiful little film
A few mates and I spent a week surfing at cactus in 1977 and guess what we were travelling in an EK holden.
Awesome, thanks for the share : )
A mate & I got stuck there for 2 months in 1996. I only have the one pic of me barrelled at backdoors.
I wasn’t born for this future shit lol😂 I would love to take a Time Machine with my surfing abilities 😅
was there xmas 74 got after cyclone tracy winds an some big surf :)
thanks for posting that takes me back 3 of us kiwis headed over there about that time we left the day the boy got eaten by the shark at port Sinclair great place to be ... good on ya
1979 PB Ratz made a trip from San Diego to Tip of Baja and back surfed many great spots those were the days we had a box of Hustler magazine we traded for Lobster fun times
There for a few weeks in 78,great surf,good camp and people but really, really,really sharky!
Hey Terry....were you and your mates at Cactus in Feb. '77. by any chance. I seem to remember the brown Holden wagon. If so I have some photos you might possibly be in.
My mate Marty and I were down there in a light blue VW wagon.
Locals were always so friendly and welcoming
alucinante
whats the song? its great!
Epic
Great!!! Please what is the music? thanks.
Is Kiwie White in this video? One of my old mates (RIP 💔)
Back to a time when all was loose and unregulated ...petrol 5c a gallon... ...went there in '95, prob still better than now ...moved back to NZ a few years ago and even here is like Aus - any break with pedigree has an insta-crowd as soon as there's a sniff of swell...
Now when you go there , your told to fk right off. 😂most unfriendly surf place in Australia I'd say and many others agree.
Better times,when surfing was for the soul,and so very special to be a surfer. Its a shitshow these days,and pedestrian at best.
Gutsy cameraman swimming out there between castles and caves!!
Yea, he must have felt like bait in the water.
What is the music?
puddingebola thanks for asking, computer generated on pinnacle editing software just picked the theme and there youhave it.
Who was playing on the soundtrack ?
The right is called caves the left is cactus if you filmed this there now the locals would shoot you they are crazy protective of the place.
Someone had tiger shoes from asics,,,, sweet
not shit asics ,,,,, onitsuka
Nah yeah
too sharky
Bellissimo video e bellissima musica , il brano come si chiama?