Discover Stradbroke Island

LOUISA Jones is only 18 but the volunteer lifesaver at Point Lookout Surf Life Saving Club already has her sights set on helping the community.

Ms Jones hopes to raise $5000 in 7 months

As the club’s Conrad Jupiters Miss Summer Surf Girl, Ms Jones hopes to raise $50,000 during the next seven months for life saving and training equipment on North Stradbroke Island.

“Point Lookout lifesavers are fairly isolated because of our location on Stradbroke,’’ Ms Jones said. “We don’t have the life saving support services or quick response times from the emergency services like they have on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

“We need to be fairly independent and we rely heavily on our gear if it’s not up to standard it can mean the difference between someone living or dying on our beaches.’’

Ms Jones is planning several fundraising events, including Up the Tower at the Chandler Markets on November 29 and Prawns at the Point on January 9 at the Point Lookout club.

The Summer Surf Girl program is run by Surf Life Saving Queensland to give women in the movement a chance to act as ambassadors for the organisation and their club.

Email Louisa at surfgirl@pt lookoutslsc.com or for club details phone Natasha Dennis on 0409895086.

via Point Lookout lifesaver raising funds – Local News – News | Wynnum Herald.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

North Stradbroke Island Camping

Posted By : Rhonda Budden

So you’ve just taken delivery of a new off road trailer tent and you’re itching to give it a whirl. Where are you going to take it to test out its off road handling capabilities?

Look no further than Queensland’s beautiful Moreton Bay Islands. For those that enjoy the peace and quiet of natural surroundings, both Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island offer the chance to get back to nature. As the second and third largest sand islands in the world respectively, they offer stunning, white sandy beaches, clear, crystal waters and plenty of opportunities to escape the crowds with an off road camper trailer tent.

North Stradbroke Island ‘affectionately known as ‘Straddie’ – offers amenities and things to do for all the family. The island is only accessible to visitors in the north; the southern part of the island is privately owned. However, there is plenty to do and see. From safe swimming and boating to fishing and whale watching (from June to November), there will never be a shortage of activities.

A couple of off road camping options await you on Straddie: Flinders Beach Foreshore and Main Beach Foreshore – both of which are only accessible from the beach. A 4WD permit is required for camping at both locations and the cost of this is in addition to the cost of camping there. Except for a few composting toilets at Flinders beach, there are no facilities at either location so it’s best to come with a fully kitted out camper trailer tent.

Main Beach offers 35km of unspoilt sandy beach, patrolled at one end and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. From this beach you can fish for your supper and from the nearby North Gorge Headland walk you can get a great view of the annual whale migration. Of course, if you don’t want to be too far from civilization, the restaurants and cafes of Point Lookout are only a few minutes’ drive away. Bookings are essential for camping at Flinders Beach, especially during school holidays and it’s worth remembering that this beach is not patrolled.

via Moreton Bay Camping in SE Queensland Posted By : Rhonda Budden.

Hysteria over shark risk to swimmers unfounded

Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Rory Gibson

November 03, 2009 12:00am

THERE appears to be a VERY BIG shark out there.

We know this because it made a snack out of just a BIG shark, a 3m white pointer, off Stradbroke Island last week.

Photos of what was left of the hapless great white, huge chunks of flesh torn from its once streamlined body, flashed around the world.

The size of the bigger shark was estimated to be at least 5m, causing the sphincters of Straddie’s surfers to get very watertight indeed.

Shark photos and stories always elicit fascination but this particular photo should have caused cheering. It should have sparked a celebration that an animal that big still roams our seas.

via Hysteria over shark risk to swimmers unfounded | The Courier-Mail.

Straddie Fire Fighters help in Rocky

BY DANI VOLKE29/10/2009 4:31:00 PM

Straddie fire fighters assisted in Rocky last week

THREE North Stradbroke Island firefighters returned from a six-day task of helping extinguish raging fires near Rockhampton.The firefighters from Amity Point and Dunwich Fire Stations Cyril Campbell, David Thellander and Keith Borey endured 14-hour shifts, protecting the communities and homes in the path of the fires.The crews left North Straddie on October 13 and returned on October 19, after relief crews from NSW arrived in Rockhampton.Amity Point Fire Station firefighter Keith Borey said the shifts had been exhausting, but a part of the job.”It was the first time any of the crew had been away to help fight fires. It was good work. They were long hours, but that’s our job and we put in the effort for the team and the community,” Keith said.”We were placed all over, from Mount Archer and Rockhampton to Yeppoon.”

via Straddie firies help in Rocky – Local News – News – General – Bayside Bulletin / The Redland Times.

Mick Fanning conquers the 2009 Rip Curl Pro Search Portugal

Written by Editor at SurferToday.com

Wednesday, 28 October 2009 12:02

Mick Fanning

Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, former ASP World Champion (2007) and current ASP World No. 1, has claimed the 2009 Rip Curl Pro Search at Supertubos in Portugal, defeating fellow Finalist Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, and cementing his lead in the now two-horse race for the 2009 ASP World Title.

Event No. 9 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Search ran a gamut of conditions and venues ranging from two-foot righthand wedges at Molhe Leste, four-foot offshore lefthanders at Lagido, punchy four-foot peaks at Belgas and death-defying six-to-eight foot barrels at Supertubos yesterday before culminating a dramatic end to competition.

Fanning, who won the inaugural Rip Curl Pro Search at Reunion Island (2005) and was a standout in yesterday’s massive barrels, readjusted to today’s smaller conditions and was dominant in his Final against Durbidge. With conditions deteriorating, Fanning lacerated the punchy wedges on his forehand to net a solid 6.67 and a 6.00 that would prove unbeatable for his opponent.

“Yesterday was one of the best days of competition I’ve ever seen and we all showed up today and had to adjust our frame of mind to deal with the in size and quality,” Fanning said. “I’ve been surfing conditions like this all summer at home so I knew what I had to do out there. I was able to pick off a couple of good scores at the start and then I basically had to sit on Bede (Durbidge) so he didn’t get any back on me.”

via Mick Fanning conquers the 2009 Rip Curl Pro Search Portugal.