I still vividly remember the first time I ever travelled down south… That feeling as a kid when you compete with your siblings over who can see the water first on the horizon has not changed one bit. Even as time goes on and I travel to the same place time and time again, I will never tire of that rush of excitement that pulses through your body as you first hit the Yallingup hill on Caves road. The seemingly never ending, winding road undoubtedly promises a weekend of surfing on the main break, scaling the rocky cliffs and shrubs for secret spots to camp, getting smashed by waves and running amok with friends who quickly become family. I know for certain that I am not alone when I instantaneously drop everything for a spontaneous weekend down south. Getting the Friday arvo call up from my mates is one of my favourite feelings. The excitement pounds through me as I flog it down the freeway, trying to get home in time from work, before everyone departs. Without second thought, I always grab my board, bikinis, wetty, huge jumper sleeping bag, a few snacks and my toothbrush and I am ready to roll. The Turtle (my mates big blue bus) is loaded up and ready to go, we all pile in and crank music the whole way down, with the likes of Sticky Fingers, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bob Marley, Fleetwood Mac, Bliss n Eso, Steve Miller Band and countless other amazing artists. We all zoom into the car park at Injidup Beach, fling the car doors open, rip off our clothes and clumsily pull our wetties on in a hurry. We scale the steep rocks and shrubbery barefoot carrying only a towel. Five young grommets eager to get down to the beach, race and shove each other playfully down the cliffs into the unknown… The six-foot waves come smashing down on us as we turn ourselves into limp beings and body surf those waves with such enthusiasm and force. We throw our whole bodies into every wave and get absolutely smashed. The feeling after a body bash is absolutely exhausting, but one of my favourite sensations. The feeling when I dive into the crystal clear, deep sea and open my eyes underwater to see the sun beaming down and glistening into the aqua water is quite possibly my favourite feeling in the world. Tears well up in the scruffy, salty haired grommets eyes as he drags his shattered thruster up the rickety wooden steps of Yallingup main beach. I watch on in despair, and can see the heartbreak in his expression as he throws one half of the board onto the steps and gazes out as the rest of his mates shred the choppy, dangerous swell.
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