Wellington surfers – it can be better than this

Note

This post is aimed to be progressive, while raising some issues that may seem negative, ultimately it’s hoped it’ll be a post that prompts positive outcomes.

It naturally takes a ‘for surfing’ angle.

Context

Wellington’s most convenient surf spot Lyall Bay has numerous uses. One of which is surfing. This being the case, there is a desire by the author to advance the pursuit of surfing at Lyall Bay (and in the Wellington region as a whole). While some of you may not understand the sport of surfing, i’m sure you can appreciate there is a legion of those who find general satisfaction and health benefits from the sport. These outcomes are gained with a minimal impact on the environment and resources.

Some Wellington surfers may take a lethargic approach, not being concerned about the services they are provided with and the resources required to improve their sporting environment. Maybe this will change for the better?

A symbol of commitment – “sound of the sea”

This Lyall Bay ‘eye-sore’ is a failed never used changing shed, which has seemingly morphed into a wierd 70′s art tribute. The ‘thing’ in the photo above represents the commitment the Wellington City Council have to the sport of surfing in Wellington. Do you accept this level of commitment? A sport in which hundreds if not thousands participate each year in the Wellington region.

Questions arising:

1. Who was responsible for this ‘thing’?
2. What kind of consultation process took place before the decision was made to build it?
3. How much did it cost?
4. How many pohutukawa’s could’ve been planted instead?
5. Was it erected because of complaints from those who are tired of driving past surfer’s getting changed by their cars?

Build it and they won’t necessarily come. This thing was never used. Surfer’s the world over will not depart from their car to get changed. It’s a standard surfer behaviour: Wetsuit/gear is in the car, surfer stays by car to get changed.

I am truly fascinated as to why and how the green “Sound of the Sea” monstrosity came about. Does anyone know?

Sand, carparks and waves

The issue of the changing shed come art canvas leads me to another issue surrounding our council’s consultation processes:

The carpark retaining wall near the ‘corner’ or east end of Lyall Bay.

Numerous surfers have commented that the wave at ‘the corner’ has been severely compromised since the development of the impractical carpark adjacent. The comment’s in the main focus on the now lack of hollowness of the wave. In other words the ‘quality’.

Surf-bank or bar building 101: Let sand blow back out to sea with the same freedom that it blows onto the beach and waves of quality are produced. Waves that peel and are hollow. In case you wondered (and have a long memory) why the middle of Lyall Bay no longer has peeling waves, the reason is sand. Ten or so years ago a concrete wall was built to ‘save the dunes’.

As an aside, dunes like whales, seem to be the ‘thing to protect’ in recent times. For reasons that can be argued.

You may also have noticed the stony nature of the beach in the middle of Lyall Bay. The reason? The concrete wall prevents the offshore wind from blowing sand back across the beach and out to sea in an offshore, north quarter wind. Again, no quality peeling waves, and again, who is responsible for this and why did it happen?

Here’s what a lack of sand did to Mundaka’s fragile economy, and what it could do at Whangamata if the proposed marina is built.

Wellington Surfonomics

A couple of Saturdays ago I was at Lyall Bay and counted 160 surfers in the water. That’s surfers and bodyboarders. This figure does not include swimmers, bodysurfers or kayakers. That means, on a sunny, surfable day at Lyall Bay, the equivelant of 10 rugby teams make their way to the city beach and have a blast riding waves. Triple that to include those at the playground, Maranui cafe, walkers, swimmers etc.

Obviously official sports teams pay their clubs subscriptions, possibly some of which go to the council, but in the main the council take care of the upkeep of parks. What spending the council do provide to sports and recreation teams could undoubtedly be justified by the benefit gained through the exercise/recreation etc. Surfing has benefits also. The economic spin off of such activity should not be sneezed at. Beaches are not even mentioned in this seemingly definitive list of council services. However ‘beaches and coastal areas’ are mentioned later in a single paragraph within the recreation support page.

As it reads on this page;

“Wellington City Council aims to make it easier for all Wellingtonians to enjoy healthy, active lifestyles.”

It goes on;

“Sports and recreational facilities maintained and operated by the Council include sportsgrounds, swimming pools, recreation and sports centres, community centres and halls, botanic gardens and parks, beaches and coastal areas, walkways and cycling tracks, and children’s play areas.”

Surfing aside for a moment, is Wellington not one of the most coast-rich cities in the world. Having travelled extensively, the amount of beautiful coastline in Wellington, with such varied uses, in such close proximity to our CBD must surely be a rarity, and would place us among only a handful of cities (towns and small cities aside) in the world?

Sure, we’re in Wellington. It’s not a surf town. Wellington is a major city and the financial, government and IT centre of New Zealand. The fact that we get consistent waves in town, on the west coast and in the wairarapa means we are actually in a unique situation. The amount of infrastructure in close proximity to Lyall Bay makes it unique indeed. Last time I looked Auckland, Hamilton or Christchurch didn’t have a good wave between 12 and 20 minutes drive from the CBD. Given the fact that Wellington is a town with comparatively good surf, there is an economic benefit for the council, government and country as a whole in surfing as a sport. A sport to be encouraged, fostered and developed. In saying this, Lyall Bay would have to be one of the most bleak beaches you could hope to find. The surrounding roads and pedestrian entrances are an ugly mix of poorly planned, concrete shrubs which add to an unwelcome feel about the place. I for one wouldn’t plan a walk along the parade on a nice calm day anytime. While it’s as bleak as it currently is, i’ll only go there to surf.

Some of the stakeholders in Wellington’s surfing arena:

• surfshop owners
• dairy owners
• cafe owners
• supermarket owners
• petrol station owners
• magazine outlet owners
• bus company owners
• property investors
• staff of all the above businesses
• government & council

The Artificial Surf Reef

The Surf reef is not happening any time soon. Resource consent expired on the 20th of January 2009. For detailed reasons why, email me (my email address top left).

Much gratitude must be given to Tony Lines (and unnamed others) for his 8+ years of commitment fighting for the cause in his personal time. As mentioned by Rod Drury, the reef would be of immeasurable value to the city.

Frustration exists. ASR Limited, having [apparently] not completed the mount or opunake reefs (Wellington city council won’t even look at the Lyall Bay reef project again until these reefs have been completed) have credibility issues. ASR Limited are supposedly overseas ‘consulting’ on other reefs. If this is true, it is disappointing that they didn’t finish the reef’s in NZ first. This council stonewall, as well as the resource consent expiry and also skyrocketing costs of building the reef since it was first proposed have led to a hefty mountain to climb.

Whether you are for or against the reef, as a Wellington surfer it’s in your best interests to be informed.

Recommendations

I now list a number of recommendations for the Lyall Bay surfing experience to be enhanced and made better use of:

(Please feel free to comment or add to the list):

1. Permanent floodlights along the airport wall for reqular all-night surfing
2. Fresh water showers along entire parade
3. Proper entrance to a sealed parking area by army hangar
4. Pedestrian crossing from parking by army hangar to beach
5. Indented parking spaces created along the airport wall
6. Viewing platform erected along the airport wall.
7. And, to make sure it all happens: [possibly] a surfer’s collective!

Final thought

Around 10 years ago I was living in Raglan and was an active member of the point boardriders club. A few years prior, the club actively lobbied against the building of a hotel at Indicators that would have exploited a great surfspot enjoyed by many. The point isn’t whether the hotel should or shouldn’t have gone ahead. The point is, the boardriders club had a say, they had a voice, they had influence. Who better to look after Lyall Bay than the surfers of Lyall Bay. To do it we’ll need to be alot less passive and alot more united as a surfing community in Wellington.

What do you think? Feel free to comment below. It’d be great to get some feedback.