At the Desert's Edge

Marty C · Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 1055 Location: Mandurah, WA

This is a world class wave known as Red Bluff in Western Australia's North West. I first surfed it in 1982, and back then it was somewhat of a secret spot. It's two hours north of the town of Carnarvon, on a sheep station, and it's desert country, rugged, dry, with rough roads, no water at all and no facilities of any kind when I first visited. You had to bring in literally everything. Now it has luxurious tent accommodations, even a stone hut.

It's a Mecca for surfers, who come from all over Australia and the world to surf this break, and some others which are further north. It holds all sizes, and breaks over a razor sharp limestone and coral reef, which is also covered in sea urchins, to make things even more interesting. So, an encounter with the bottom is not pleasant. This place breaks boards and bodies. I have seen spurting head wounds, broken legs, severe cuts and lacerations, and lots of broken boards. But despite all that, the wave is spectacular and irresistible.
Every winter there is a migration of surfers from our south up to this break, and the others up the coast.

The water is warm, and off shore it's very deep, so the sea life in incredible, everything from whale sharks to whales, dolphins, big pelagic fish, sea snakes, you name it. The fishing is amazing.

And there is an interesting historical link here to the Second World War. In Nov 1941 there was a naval battle between the German Raider The Kormoran, and the Australian ship HMAS Sydney. Sydney was lost with all 645 crew, and the wreck was only found in 2008. The Kormoran also sank from her damage, and the survivors beached here on this beach, the only sandy beach for over a hundred kms in either direction. They took shelter in the cave which can just be seen in the dark shadow on the left of the beach. The cave was searched with radar in 2007 in an effort to locate the log of the Kormoran, which was thought to be buried here, in the hope of further refining the search area for the Sydney.

Oil on canvas, 80cm x 150cm or 34" x 60".

_________________
"Hey, your painting looks like what it looks like" Homer Simpson
www.martinclarke-art.com

ocker1 · Joined: 27 Sep 2008 Posts: 775 Location: NZ

busy boy , Im rapt in you handling of the sea

Devilbiss · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 3214

More great work.
I have seen a lot of photos of this break.
People seem to be more interested in mad slabs like Shipsterns etc.
This seems deceptively tranquil.

Marty C · Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 1055 Location: Mandurah, WA

Thanks very much, Mike.

Hi, Daniel, thanks. Shipsterns is a crazy wave, but it's only for a select, mad few. And it's freezing.
The Bluff is much more accessible, and you don't need to be a pro to ride it. It does look deceptively tranquil from this distance. It's when you you closer, and realise the size of the waves, and the speed of the barrel as it freight trains down the line, that the adrenalin starts to kick in.
_________________
"Hey, your painting looks like what it looks like" Homer Simpson
www.martinclarke-art.com

billyy2288 · Guest

very nice
thanks !

Marty C · Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 1055 Location: Mandurah, WA

Thanks very much, Billy.
_________________
"Hey, your painting looks like what it looks like" Homer Simpson
www.martinclarke-art.com