Rockin' Eurocks

A few shots of the camp ground, bands, crowd and crazy sweets.

London: The grand old girl

A few touristy shots, some F1 memorabilia and a couple of the locals.

New York in glorious High Definition

Pictures of NYC: Lydia and Jack, the Mets, Beastie Boy hangouts, Mc Gyver, big buildings and late night peperoni pizza (sorry that photo is kinda scary)

A fine welcome home indeed

Victor Harbor Daily Surf Report
Updated: Wed Jul 26, 07:18
Surf: clean 1ft
Wind: light N
Weather: mild
Dawn Patrol: Nothing to see down here, it's just too small. Maybe 1ft at Middleton but not enough push for a surfboard. Likely to be bigger at Waits and Goolwa but you will need to be keen. At least it's clean and glassy!


Yeah...great....thanks.....

The end is neigh

It is with a little bit of sadness that I now find myself sitting in Singapore airport waiting for the final flight of the World Tour 2006. I have a few hours to kill before jumping on the overnight flight to get me to Adelaide in tip top shape tomorrow morning. I guess this could be a time to reflect.....to pause and ponder the sights and sounds of the cities I visited....the people that I met and the family members that I was reunited with (not to mention the new family members that I have gained)....oh and the chocolate crepes!!!!!

But at the moment my mind wonders to a image of a famers union ice coffee, a steak onion and tomato pie from port elliot bakery and endless custard tarts.

It will be good to get home but sad that it has come to an end. I will put up the photos that I have been promising when I get back to a computer that is patient enough with me and try and pen a post trip highlights review.

I guess I will see most of you guys over the next few days in sleepy old adelaide town and the rest I you I promise that I won't be waiting 10 years before going overseas again!!!

(oh and good to see that swellnet is still in fine form predicting 2 to 3 foot for the mid over the next couple of days, I won't get my hopes up)

Horray for cheapdrinks

Now that's what I'm talking about,$1.50 for a 600ml singha and about the same price for pud thai. I am definatelty enjoying the contrast between the east and west but the ocean is so warm its kinda creepy.

Sorry to report that there are absolutley no waves here and I am depending on you lads at home scraficing a goat or something so that the swell picks up when I get back, yorkes trip anyone...... or is it still to cold??

Well nothing much to report other than I haven't got the squirts and haven't been bitten by a monkey...maybe tomorrow. I really just came into this internet place to get a bit of aircon action.

I need to go hydrate and I think I know just the thing, Damian

Hot hot heat

Man, just rocked up in Bangkok. Waiting at the airport to get a little shitty plane to koh samui and then a boat over to koh pagnan. Just went outside and to say that it was f ing hot and humid is falling well short of the mark. I thought that getting out of the UK before the so called hottest day ever (only 39) was a good thing. Not because I can't stand the heat but because I can't stand poms with their shirts off.

Well folks I can hear the coconuts calling and smell the english tourists burning so my plane must be here.

Catch you all in a week, Damdaw

Barmy Old London town

Gee whizz geezers it's actually quite warm over here in the mother country. I thought that my complection was supposed to be suited to this climate but the last few days in London have been sunny and pretty much tickity boom.

Have been chillin out with my brother Andrew and Shamilla, and the rest of the Croydon massive. Have managed to get myself to a few drinking establishments, with the help of Andrew, Tim from the wedding and a couple of locals and expats. Headed into the west end on friday and Saturday night for a bit of a look and managed to experience the joy of falling asleep and having a minor panic on the night bus from Trafalga square last night after a couple in Camden, with a few dodgy types from Essex. Met up with an old Adelaide mate Trigger, who is working over here at the moment, on Friday night which maked a nice difference from the BDO each year.

Did the Tate Modern and various riverside attractions on Saturday with Andrew and Shamilla, which was spot on for a lazy sunny english afternoon.

Well not much to report, have had a good time taking it easy. Not going crazy in the shops, although there is some good stuff about (curse the exchange rate!!!) as I'm waiting for Thailand and Bangkok (praise the exchange rate!!!), which I hit on Wednesday. Planning on laying about Koh Pagnan (near Koh Samui) for a few days before doing a hectic 24hrs in Bangkok before the flight home early next week.

Yeah dodgy DVD's for all.

Damn

I say damn for France getting beat in the world cup, damn for how much the coffee I bought cost me( try like 8 bucks oz), damn for thinking that Paris didn't really have as much dog shit as people always say moments before kicking a nugget down the street whilst staring up at some buildings, damn for how good looking some of the french femmes are and an extra big damn for not being able to talk to them (its always so much easier to come up with a whacky line once you get home, but I think wackiness might be lost on the french).

Last day in Paris and it is a weird mood here today. Watched the match in a bar and then walked down the chomp with a few thousand people gently sobbing ( the frenchies not me). People still let off flares and fireworks, with a few shooting across the road and into people every now and then. I guess if you have caught the train into paris with a big bag of fireworks you're not really going to take them home again and wait another 4 years. It was still a good experience being there, better if they had won.

Back to London next so will post some pics when the instructions aren't in french.

Paris

I have now made it to Paris. I have had an awesome couple of days in Provence with Nathanèl and his girlfriend Marina. Had a few big family do's with Marina's family. One to celebrate their exam results and one to watch france qualify for the world cup final. Both were complete with good wine and food and a very welcoming atmosphere even with my bad french and Nathanèl having to translate. The highlight was Marina's father Pierre opening bottles of Champange with a sword. He ran the blade up the neck a few times and then with one swift blow knock the neck of the bottle off. Apparently that is how it is supposed to be done and has now become my number one favourite party trick (once I have had a chance to practice) so look for it at a BBQ near you in summer 06/07!!

Had a look at a few amazing french villages, a roman acquaduct a couple of castles, mountain springs and some amazing country side. Think Willunga but with bigger mountains, more french people, plenty of renualts and less metros. All with my own personal tour guides.

Caught up with the other guy from the festival, Florent, last night and watched the video that he shot, mostly of daft punk. Had a few beers and some Chinese (but with a french accent) before getting ready to leave this morning. I have until tuesday lunch time to take in all of Paris so will have an early one tonight (plus it is expensive to go out here anyway) before hiring a pushie tomorrow to have a look around. Of course france is in the world cup final on Sunday which will be pretty cool but they get a bit agro when they win so I'm not sure what might happen if they lose. Either way i think i will plan to be on the Champs Elysèes (or the chomps as I like to call it) to take it all in, and don't worry Sally I won't call anyone a cheese eating surrender monkey (unless I'm 100% sure they can't speak english).

Well dudes hope everything is fine and/or dandy at home and see you all in a couple of weeks, Damdaw

ps Pt Willy and Onka Dev Admin crews, did you get the post cards I sent??
Andrew, I have an earlier flight back than first planned. I get into Luton (on easyjet) on Tuesday lunch/arvo. Will probably take me a few hours to get into London and out to Croydon anyway. Will give you a buzz laters.

Viva la Provence

Just a quick update,I have to admit that unfortunately I bailed out on the last day of the festival. Now before you all start with the Damian is a soft prick talk the reason I bailed was because I had an offer to head down to the south of France in Provence to stay in a typical french farmhouse with one of the guys I met (no Matt it is not like that). It was a pity to miss Muse but the hardest was Sigur Ros but i figure that I will probably be able to see them again but it might be hard to get another offer to stay and be taken around Provence. Plus i got my 90 euros worth with the two crazy daft punk robot men in their electric neon tardis.

In exciting news France is thru to the world cup final on Sunday and I will be in gay parie (there i said it) for the big match. They are my team now seeing as Italy knocked us out and even tho some frenchie flogged my aussie flag off my tent.

Well more later, Damo

I rock, Eurock.....we all ROCK!!

I am sitting at the camp for the Eurock festival, it is 5am and the frenchies that surround my tent are still yelling weird shit at the top of their lungs due to their will tonight against Brasil, I can't believe it but everyone here was sure that they were going to win.

So I have come to the free internet to drop some lines on the first two and a bit days of the festival.

I got to the camp on Thursday arfternoon after having to spend sometime wondering around Belfort. When I got here the pressure was on to pick a good spot. Somewhere with the potential for some fun but really wanted to stay away from the death metal and wacky fire twirling crowds that were circling around. Managed a decent spot next to a few different groups of young guys (don't know how I missed all the ladies). Ended up drinking on with my new frenchie mates, with various levels of english and french. Got to bed around 3 or 4am to be rudely awaken by the cranking hot sun around 10am. The good thing about the festival is that the action doesn't actually start until after 5pm each day but cranks until after 3am.

Walked to the festival site from the camping area about 2 km along a railway line with a huge mass of chanting french folk. I not sure why but they like to yell. At the camp they do a weird version of the mexican wave but they shout instead of standing up. the site is pretty awsome and the crowd I am afraid to say is definately keener for a good time than the crowd at the BDO. First day higlights were the Artic Monkeys (I must say those boys could turn a man), The Strokes and a crazy japanese rock trio Polysics, but the creme ala creme was DAFT PUNK. These guys have not played live for 8 years and picked their home town to break the drought. It was well wicked and has taken the place as the best electro gig/set i have ever seen.

Spent the most part of today lying around trying to find some shade and then managed to get to the concert site by 8pm to see Morrissey. I must say he is starting to show his age a little but was still on the ball. Depche Mode was good as too was Coldcut. The pick was Spank Rock but the crowd had definately thinned by 3am so it lacked a bit of crowd hype.

Well later today sees the show wound up by Blackalicious, Muse, Sigur Ros and Mogwai. I haven't had much of a chance to see much of the side stage action and only a little of the frenchie stuff but when it comes on they go fucking wild. The lead singer from one of the big french bands actually crowd surfed to the mixing desk...further than at the BDO and then back to the stage. Their smash hit' When I was young I was a Jedi' was playing at the time!

Well thats about it. It is now offically light and time to go to bed before it gets to hot to sleep.

Keep on rocking in the free world, La Damion