Surfari
Tim Baker is the best-selling author of: "Bustin' Down The Door," (Harper Collins, 1996), "High Surf" (Harper Collins, 2007), "Occy" (Random House, 2008) and "Surf For Your Life," (Random House, 2009).
He is a former editor of Tracks and Surfing Life magazines. He has twice won the Surfing Australia Hall of Fame Culture Award and been nominated for the CUB Australian Sports Writing Awards.
His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Financial Review, the Bulletin, Inside Sport, Playboy, GQ, the Surfers Journal, Qantas - the Australian Way, as well as surfing magazines around the world. He is currently a senior contributor to Surfing World, Surfer's Path (UK), the Surfers Journal and US Surfing and Surfer magazines.
He has appeared at the Sydney and Byron Bay Writers Festivals, and has conducted writing workshops at the Hunter, Sydney and the Northern Rivers Writers Centre. At 45, he has worked in the media and surfing magazines for 25 years and has surfed and travelled throughout Australia, Indonesia, Hawaii, Central and South America, North America, Europe, South Africa, Fiji, Tahiti, and Sri Lanka. He lives in Currumbin, Queensland, with his wife and two children.
Blog updates
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Wave number 22
Cable Beach, Broome, Quobba Coast, WA and N Qld.- Distance travelled:
- 27,227 KM
- Travel dates:
- August 1 to September 15, 2011
- Status:
- Final leg of our journey from north-west WA to the Queensland coast.
- Surf:
- One to two foot beach
- Swell direction:
- Broome: South-west. N Qld: South-east.
- Wind:
- Broome, light easterly.
- Weather:
- Fine, sunny.
- Tides:
- Broome, low tide 6.59 am
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Wave number 1
NSW Mid-North Coast- Distance travelled:
- 687km
- Travel dates:
- February 3
- Status:
- Beginnings of East Coast leg
- Surf:
- Two to three foot beachbreaks, offshore.
- Swell direction:
- Nor-east
- Wind:
- Strong nor-east
- Weather:
- Sunny, mild
- Tides:
- High tide 9:19 am, low tide 3:51 pm.
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Wave number 2
NSW South Coast- Distance travelled:
- 1200km
- Travel dates:
- February 9
- Status:
- Beginnings of NSW South Coast leg
- Surf:
- Three to five foot peaky beachbreaks, offshore.
- Swell direction:
- east
- Wind:
- Light, south-west
- Weather:
- Sunny, mild
- Tides:
- Low tide 6:52 am, high tide 12:59 pm.
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Wave number 3
South-east- Distance travelled:
- 1864km
- Travel dates:
- February 16
- Status:
- Completion of the east coast leg
- Surf:
- Three to five foot right hand point break, clean, offshore.
- Swell direction:
- South-east
- Wind:
- Light, south-west
- Weather:
- Cool, overcast
- Tides:
- Low tide 7:13 am, high tide 2:07 pm
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Wave number 4
Croajingalong National Park- Distance travelled:
- 2105km
- Travel dates:
- February 23
- Status:
- Embarking on the Victorian leg
- Surf:
- Eight to 10 foot side shore beachbreak closeouts.
- Swell direction:
- South
- Wind:
- Strong South-west
- Weather:
- Sunny, mild
- Tides:
- Low tide 7:15 am, high tide 1:14 pm
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Wave number 5
Mallacoota- Distance travelled:
- 2463km
- Travel dates:
- February 24
- Status:
- Embarking on the Victorian leg
- Surf:
- Four to six foot, right-hand point, offshore, slightly bumpy.
- Swell direction:
- South
- Wind:
- South-west
- Weather:
- Sunny, mild
- Tides:
- Low tide 8:24 am, high tide 2:16 pm
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Wave number 6
Phillip Island, Victoria- Distance travelled:
- 2873km
- Travel dates:
- March 2
- Status:
- Completion of the south-east Victorian leg
- Surf:
- Three to four foot, right reef/point, clean, offshore.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Strong south-west
- Weather:
- Cold, windy, overcast
- Tides:
- High tide 9:52 am, low tide 4:01 pm
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Wave number 7
Tasmanian north-west coast- Distance travelled:
- 3430km
- Travel dates:
- March 10
- Status:
- Beginning of our Tasmanian leg
- Surf:
- Three to six foot onshore rivermouth
- Swell direction:
- West
- Wind:
- Strong north-west
- Weather:
- Cold, windy, cloudy.
- Tides:
- High tide 5:23 am, low tide 11.57 am.
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Wave number 8
Tasmanian east coast- Distance travelled:
- 4208km
- Travel dates:
- March 18
- Status:
- Halfway through our Tasmanian leg
- Surf:
- Six to eight foot, long right hand point/sand bar, stormy, offshore.
- Swell direction:
- East
- Wind:
- Light north-west
- Weather:
- Cold, wet, cloudy
- Tides:
- High tide 7:02 am, low tide 1:53 pm.
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Wave number 9
Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania- Distance travelled:
- 4634km
- Travel dates:
- March 30
- Status:
- One week into our Tasmanian leg
- Surf:
- Four to five foot beachbreaks, clean, offshore.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-east
- Weather:
- Cool, overcast
- Tides:
- Low tide 10:11 am, high tide 4:48 pm
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Wave number 10
East coast, Tasmania- Distance travelled:
- 5204km
- Travel dates:
- April 15
- Status:
- Second last stop of our Tasmanian leg
- Surf:
- Two to three foot beach breaks, offshore, glassy.
- Swell direction:
- South
- Wind:
- Light westerly
- Weather:
- Cool, sunny
- Tides:
- High tide 6:27 am, low tide 1:03 pm
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Wave number 11
Bells Beach, Torquay, Victoria- Distance travelled:
- 6109km
- Travel dates:
- April 30
- Status:
- Beginning the Great Ocean Road, Western Victorian, leg
- Surf:
- Four to six foot point/reef breaks, clean, offshore.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-west
- Weather:
- Cool, mostly sunny
- Tides:
- Low tide 11:55 am, high tide 6:24 pm
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Wave number 12
King Island, Tasmania- Distance travelled:
- 6659km
- Travel dates:
- May 16
- Status:
- A final piece in the puzzle of our Tasmanian leg
- Surf:
- Three to four foot beachbreaks, clean, offshore.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-west
- Weather:
- Cool, overcast, intermittent showers
- Tides:
- Low tide 8:33 am, high tide 3:17 pm
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Wave number 13
Victorian West Coast- Distance travelled:
- 7432km
- Travel dates:
- May 30
- Status:
- Second last stop of our Victorian leg
- Surf:
- Three to five foot reefbreak peak.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-east
- Weather:
- Sunny, mild to warm
- Tides:
- Low tide 5:43 am, high tide 1:45 pm
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Wave number 14
Limestone Coast- Distance travelled:
- 8257km
- Travel dates:
- June 6
- Status:
- First stop of our South Australian leg
- Surf:
- Four to six foot beachbreaks.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-east
- Weather:
- Cold, overcast
- Tides:
- High tide 12:29 pm, low tide 7:31 pm
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Wave number 15
The Great Australina Bight, SA- Distance travelled:
- 9648km
- Travel dates:
- May 10
- Status:
- Last stop of our South Australian leg.
- Surf:
- Three to five foot right hand reefbreak.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-east
- Weather:
- Fine sunny mild days, cold nights.
- Tides:
- High tide 12:29 pm, low tide 7:31 pm
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Wave number 16
Esperance, southern WA- Distance travelled:
- 11,562km
- Travel dates:
- May 26
- Status:
- The beginning of our WA leg
- Surf:
- Four to five foot beachbreaks.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north south-easterly.
- Weather:
- Fine, sunny.
- Tides:
- High tide 6.34 am, low tide 12.17 pm.
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Wave number 17
Albany, Far South Coast- Distance travelled:
- 12,318km
- Travel dates:
- June 5
- Status:
- Second stop of our WA leg
- Surf:
- Three to five foot beachbreaks.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-westerly.
- Weather:
- Fine, sunny.
- Tides:
- High tide 10.55 am, low tide 8.50 pm.
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Wave number 18
Margaret River, WA- Distance travelled:
- 14,834 KM
- Travel dates:
- June 12, 2011
- Status:
- Fourth stop of our WA leg
- Surf:
- Six foot reefbreaks.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-easterly.
- Weather:
- Fine, sunny.
- Tides:
- High tide 1.53 pm, low tide 11.51 pm.
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Wave number 19
Margaret River, WA- Distance travelled:
- 14,834 KM
- Travel dates:
- June 12
- Status:
- Fourth stop of our WA leg
- Surf:
- Six foot reefbreaks.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light north-easterly.
- Weather:
- Fine, sunny.
- Tides:
- High tide 7.19 am, low tide 3.50 pm.
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Wave number 20
Kalbarri, WA- Distance travelled:
- 17,327 KM
- Travel dates:
- June 26
- Status:
- Beginning of our north-west leg
- Surf:
- four to five foot reef/point break.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light easterly.
- Weather:
- Fine, sunny.
- Tides:
- High tide 7.18 am, low tide 6.16 pm.
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Wave number 21
Quobba Coast, WA- Distance travelled:
- 18,112 KM
- Travel dates:
- July 1-13, 2011
- Status:
- Second stop of our north-west leg
- Surf:
- Four to six foot reef/point break.
- Swell direction:
- South-west
- Wind:
- Light easterly.
- Weather:
- Fine, sunny.
- Tides:
- High tide 10.17 am, low tide 5.34 pm.
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Wave number 22
Cable Beach, Broome, Quobba Coast, WA and N Qld.- Distance travelled:
- 27,227 KM
- Travel dates:
- August 1 to September 15, 2011
- Status:
- Final leg of our journey from north-west WA to the Queensland coast.
- Surf:
- One to two foot beach
- Swell direction:
- Broome: South-west. N Qld: South-east.
- Wind:
- Broome, light easterly.
- Weather:
- Fine, sunny.
- Tides:
- Broome, low tide 6.59 am