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1
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(waves crashing)
2
00:00:18,923 --> 00:00:21,756
(seagulls cawing)
3
00:00:29,081 --> 00:00:31,831
(birds chirping)
4
00:00:39,382 --> 00:00:41,516
(bubbles popping)
5
00:00:41,516 --> 00:00:44,099
(gentle music)
6
00:00:48,377 --> 00:00:51,060
- [Mick] I always thought that
life was a matter of choice
7
00:00:51,060 --> 00:00:54,930
and you made decisions based
on acquiring knowledge,
8
00:00:54,930 --> 00:00:57,320
and making that decision,
and then rolling the dice,
9
00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,493
and going with it,
giving it your best shot.
10
00:01:06,007 --> 00:01:08,910
I never thought that
there was an overall plan.
11
00:01:08,910 --> 00:01:13,120
I thought life was just
a series of accidents,
12
00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:14,787
some good, some bad.
13
00:01:19,418 --> 00:01:23,085
(mellow instrumental music)
14
00:01:57,210 --> 00:01:58,870
My first experience with the death
15
00:01:58,870 --> 00:02:01,493
of a loved one was my Dad.
16
00:02:02,490 --> 00:02:04,550
Since then, I've buried around
17
00:02:04,550 --> 00:02:07,283
20 of my family and close mates.
18
00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,870
But life goes on and on each occasion
19
00:02:11,870 --> 00:02:14,403
I quickly came to terms with it.
20
00:02:16,210 --> 00:02:19,143
After all, you're meant
to bury your elders.
21
00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,450
That's the way it is.
22
00:02:22,450 --> 00:02:23,623
Passing on the baton.
23
00:02:25,510 --> 00:02:28,120
But it doesn't always run to script.
24
00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:29,870
Accidents happen.
25
00:02:29,870 --> 00:02:31,533
Fate intervenes.
26
00:02:32,890 --> 00:02:37,033
But it always happens to someone else.
27
00:02:38,180 --> 00:02:40,397
Always some other poor bugger.
28
00:03:19,580 --> 00:03:23,330
However, fate had decided
it was now my turn.
29
00:03:48,767 --> 00:03:51,600
(bubbles popping)
30
00:04:08,928 --> 00:04:11,220
(gentle music)
31
00:04:11,220 --> 00:04:14,003
There comes a moment in any journey,
32
00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:19,273
the moment it dawns on you
that it's coming to an end.
33
00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:23,300
Growing old's a bit like that.
34
00:04:26,060 --> 00:04:27,970
How did you end up here?
35
00:04:27,970 --> 00:04:29,540
What if you'd gone there?
36
00:04:29,540 --> 00:04:30,540
Why did that happen?
37
00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:35,130
Did you have any say in it
or was it all in the hands
38
00:04:35,130 --> 00:04:40,130
of a higher power like
God, Allah, even fate?
39
00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,030
On my journey, the biggest influence
40
00:04:44,030 --> 00:04:47,600
wasn't divine intervention
or happenstance,
41
00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,950
but the direct result of a choice I made.
42
00:04:50,950 --> 00:04:54,570
Not only did that decision
change the course of my life,
43
00:04:54,570 --> 00:04:57,543
it taught me the core values
I hold to this very day.
44
00:04:58,639 --> 00:05:02,480
I learned humility, to show respect,
45
00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,213
the joy of living in the moment.
46
00:05:05,178 --> 00:05:09,310
That having mates is a gift of pure gold.
47
00:05:09,310 --> 00:05:11,650
But most of it all, it taught me that
48
00:05:11,650 --> 00:05:14,210
it wasn't always sunny and offshore,
49
00:05:14,210 --> 00:05:16,650
that sooner or later in your life,
50
00:05:16,650 --> 00:05:18,743
probably when you least expect it,
51
00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,423
you're gonna be mowed down by rogue waves.
52
00:05:42,496 --> 00:05:43,950
(soft instrumental music)
53
00:05:43,950 --> 00:05:48,100
My Dad was a Royal Marine
and he met my Mum here
54
00:05:48,100 --> 00:05:50,600
in Hobart towards the end
of the Second World War.
55
00:05:51,940 --> 00:05:56,170
Dad was 24, he came from
out near the Welsh border
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00:05:56,170 --> 00:05:59,673
and had a bloodline to Romany Gypsies.
57
00:06:02,890 --> 00:06:05,770
Mum was a 20-year old local girl.
58
00:06:05,770 --> 00:06:08,403
She was a fourth-generation Tasmanian.
59
00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,400
Mum and Dad's union
resulted in me being born
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00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,093
in early 1947.
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00:06:24,614 --> 00:06:27,650
We had very little
money and the upbringing
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00:06:27,650 --> 00:06:30,260
was more about satisfying your needs
63
00:06:30,260 --> 00:06:32,693
rather than trying to pursue your wants.
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00:06:38,580 --> 00:06:41,210
Most of our daytime activity was spent
65
00:06:41,210 --> 00:06:43,900
playing in the rivulet
or Knocklofty Terrace,
66
00:06:43,900 --> 00:06:46,550
or a big adventure was to
catch the big trolley bus
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00:06:46,550 --> 00:06:49,300
down to Nutgrove Beach where
we spent the day swimming.
68
00:06:50,169 --> 00:06:53,740
You always had the sense that
it wasn't just about you,
69
00:06:53,740 --> 00:06:55,570
that you were part of a bigger thing
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00:06:55,570 --> 00:06:59,307
and that bigger thing was
the place in which you lived.
71
00:07:03,030 --> 00:07:06,593
Dad's life was adventurous to the extreme.
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00:07:08,190 --> 00:07:10,450
He signed on on the Royal
Marines when he was 16,
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00:07:10,450 --> 00:07:13,490
and not long after the war broke out
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00:07:13,490 --> 00:07:16,943
and he was sunk three
times before he was 21.
75
00:07:18,390 --> 00:07:23,390
In 1945, he was in a flotilla
waiting for the land invasion
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00:07:24,310 --> 00:07:29,250
of Japan and ended up in
a place called Hiroshima.
77
00:07:29,250 --> 00:07:31,200
Four days later he was moved out
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00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,363
and moved to a place called Nagasaki.
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00:07:35,660 --> 00:07:37,810
And it's something he
never recovered from.
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00:07:39,581 --> 00:07:42,664
(gentle piano music)
81
00:07:45,130 --> 00:07:49,670
I had heroes in my life
like Tarzan and Superman,
82
00:07:49,670 --> 00:07:52,120
and, as a teenager, Mikki Dora.
83
00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,313
But Dad was my biggest hero.
84
00:07:56,780 --> 00:07:59,770
But I'd have to say that I never wanted
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to be like any of my heroes.
86
00:08:02,940 --> 00:08:05,000
It was something Dad instilled in me
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00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:06,830
that you don't wanna
be like everybody else.
88
00:08:06,830 --> 00:08:09,333
You've got a special gift and you are you.
89
00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:14,000
It's important in life that
you, as much as possible,
90
00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,923
become the master of your own destiny.
91
00:08:17,700 --> 00:08:19,570
You've got to cherish the things
92
00:08:19,570 --> 00:08:23,010
that you hold dear to you,
hold them in the moment
93
00:08:23,010 --> 00:08:26,193
because you never know what
fate has in store for you.
94
00:08:28,650 --> 00:08:30,960
His overriding message was that
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00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:33,850
it's not so important what happens to you.
96
00:08:33,850 --> 00:08:35,280
The most important thing in your life
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00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,123
is how you deal with it.
98
00:08:39,362 --> 00:08:41,600
(gentle instrumental music)
99
00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,160
I didn't have a very good childhood.
100
00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,730
I received a lot of joy
and love and happy times
101
00:08:46,730 --> 00:08:50,333
but there was an overall shroud
of darkness in our house.
102
00:08:52,290 --> 00:08:54,500
My parent's relationship fell apart
103
00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:57,443
and Dad left home when I was 12.
104
00:09:01,510 --> 00:09:03,630
My schooldays were a reflection
105
00:09:03,630 --> 00:09:05,940
of what was happening at home, really.
106
00:09:05,940 --> 00:09:08,438
And then when you throw
in a bit of puberty,
107
00:09:08,438 --> 00:09:10,596
and I was the only boy in a class
108
00:09:10,596 --> 00:09:13,950
with 49 girls for three years.
109
00:09:13,950 --> 00:09:17,153
Safe to say that I wasn't really
focused on the blackboard.
110
00:09:19,389 --> 00:09:24,320
So left school at 15 and my
Mom, through family connections,
111
00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,870
acquired me a brilliant career
in the Accounts Department
112
00:09:27,870 --> 00:09:29,470
of the Hydro Electric Commission.
113
00:09:30,490 --> 00:09:32,983
It was an absolutely mindless job.
114
00:09:37,451 --> 00:09:40,810
I did that for a while
and then a mate of mine,
115
00:09:40,810 --> 00:09:42,380
he'd gone to work for a finance company
116
00:09:42,380 --> 00:09:43,967
and he rang me one day and said,
117
00:09:43,967 --> 00:09:46,950
"Interested in changing
job?" and I said, "You bet."
118
00:09:46,950 --> 00:09:49,913
So I end up working as a repo man.
119
00:09:52,303 --> 00:09:55,470
I got a car and 80 bucks a week it paid.
120
00:09:55,470 --> 00:09:57,580
And I got shotguns pushed into my face.
121
00:09:57,580 --> 00:10:00,862
I've got abused, punches thrown at me.
122
00:10:00,862 --> 00:10:04,270
(tires rumbling)
123
00:10:04,270 --> 00:10:07,028
It certainly taught me
a lot about the cost
124
00:10:07,028 --> 00:10:11,470
of borrowing money and what
can happen to your life
125
00:10:11,470 --> 00:10:15,790
if fate intervenes and
something unexpected happens.
126
00:10:15,790 --> 00:10:17,673
It can go pear shaped pretty quick.
127
00:10:19,115 --> 00:10:22,960
(mellow electric guitar music)
128
00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,033
After Dad moved out of the family home,
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00:10:27,020 --> 00:10:31,453
my Mum filed for divorce and
subsequently met another man.
130
00:10:33,630 --> 00:10:35,800
When Dad received the news that Mum was
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00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,273
to remarry, he couldn't deal with it.
132
00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:44,860
As a result of his war experiences,
133
00:10:44,860 --> 00:10:49,860
he suffered from mental health
problems his entire life.
134
00:10:53,243 --> 00:10:56,180
The news of Mum remarrying
was too much to bear
135
00:10:56,180 --> 00:11:00,993
so he killed himself when
I was in my mid-teens.
136
00:11:03,427 --> 00:11:05,320
(cheery music)
137
00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,401
I was a competitive swimmer up till then.
138
00:11:07,401 --> 00:11:10,170
I actually did quite well.
139
00:11:10,170 --> 00:11:15,170
I was a backstroker,
and in 1963 I ended up
140
00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,973
in the trials for the Tokyo Olympics.
141
00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:26,963
Came a very admirable last
in my event. (chuckles)
142
00:11:28,998 --> 00:11:30,850
I'd just come back from the Olympic trials
143
00:11:30,850 --> 00:11:33,400
and a friend asked if I wanted to go
144
00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,563
and see a movie about surfing.
145
00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:42,430
Another one of those
incredibly defining moments
146
00:11:42,430 --> 00:11:44,760
in your life, which at the time was just
147
00:11:45,922 --> 00:11:47,323
a spontaneous reaction.
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00:11:49,866 --> 00:11:51,457
(guests chattering)
149
00:11:51,457 --> 00:11:54,525
Need a ticket for the surf movie please.
150
00:11:54,525 --> 00:11:55,730
Thank you.
151
00:11:55,730 --> 00:11:59,530
There I went in and sat down
in the State Picture Theater
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00:11:59,530 --> 00:12:04,530
as an aspiring Olympian
and I stood up a surfer.
153
00:12:04,672 --> 00:12:07,970
(electric guitar music)
154
00:12:07,970 --> 00:12:11,503
Up on the silver screen,
there was freedom, fun.
155
00:12:12,610 --> 00:12:14,110
No one telling you what to do.
156
00:12:15,039 --> 00:12:18,483
I saw people just having
loads and loads of fun.
157
00:12:27,012 --> 00:12:30,777
When I told my Mum that
I wasn't swimming anymore
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00:12:30,777 --> 00:12:33,753
and I was gonna be a
surfer, she was horrified.
159
00:12:35,070 --> 00:12:37,663
I might as well have told her
I was gonna be a Hell's Angel.
160
00:12:39,290 --> 00:12:40,640
Never quite saw what I saw.
161
00:12:42,490 --> 00:12:45,640
There was a way I could express myself.
162
00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:46,490
I could stay fit.
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00:12:47,423 --> 00:12:49,803
I was discovering the
place in which I lived.
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00:12:51,180 --> 00:12:54,170
I was with friends who were inspirational.
165
00:12:54,170 --> 00:12:57,073
Showed no fear, did crazy stuff.
166
00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,670
They weren't in the mold
of a normal teenager
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00:13:00,670 --> 00:13:02,723
in the 1960s, that's for sure.
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00:13:04,170 --> 00:13:06,270
Some of those relationships
went on to become
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00:13:06,270 --> 00:13:09,673
both the most meaningful
and enduring of my life.
170
00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,003
Mates I lived and laughed with.
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00:13:13,949 --> 00:13:16,683
Mates I buried and still grieve over.
172
00:13:20,315 --> 00:13:23,148
(thrilling music)
173
00:13:25,300 --> 00:13:29,233
Through my surfing life and
exploration of the island,
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00:13:29,233 --> 00:13:32,520
I developed a very, very strong attachment
175
00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:33,990
to my island home.
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00:13:33,990 --> 00:13:36,363
I'm quite patriotic about where I live.
177
00:13:39,510 --> 00:13:42,773
It played a major part in who I am today,
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00:13:43,750 --> 00:13:47,370
that appreciation and
respect for where you live.
179
00:13:47,370 --> 00:13:51,300
That understanding that
life is not just about you,
180
00:13:51,300 --> 00:13:55,860
that you are intrinsically
connected to your surroundings,
181
00:13:55,860 --> 00:13:59,161
and how you interact
with those surroundings
182
00:13:59,161 --> 00:14:01,619
plays a large part in who you are
183
00:14:01,619 --> 00:14:04,023
and whether you're content or not.
184
00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:07,663
So without realizing it,
185
00:14:09,306 --> 00:14:14,306
I suddenly had found the best
teacher I ever had in my life.
186
00:14:18,197 --> 00:14:20,947
(birds chirping)
187
00:14:22,329 --> 00:14:25,079
(waves crashing)
188
00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,740
Surfing was different, totally different
189
00:14:32,740 --> 00:14:34,853
than anything else I'd been involved with.
190
00:14:36,828 --> 00:14:39,328
I mean, it's called a
sport, but it's not a sport.
191
00:14:40,550 --> 00:14:42,687
It's more ethereal than that.
192
00:14:52,953 --> 00:14:55,030
Describing surfing to somebody is like
193
00:14:55,030 --> 00:14:57,603
trying to describe sex to a virgin.
194
00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,233
They've got nothing to compare it to.
195
00:15:06,253 --> 00:15:09,220
(waves crashing)
196
00:15:09,220 --> 00:15:13,210
A lot of us are probably
more naturally gifted at it
197
00:15:13,210 --> 00:15:16,181
than others, and fortunately
I was one of those.
198
00:15:16,181 --> 00:15:20,193
I found surfing and the
balance aspect very, very easy.
199
00:15:22,140 --> 00:15:24,590
When I was on the
surfboard, I was in tune.
200
00:15:24,590 --> 00:15:25,550
I was in rhythm.
201
00:15:25,550 --> 00:15:28,900
I was of the wave, I
was not riding the wave.
202
00:15:28,900 --> 00:15:29,917
I was of it.
203
00:15:33,811 --> 00:15:34,940
(thrilling music)
204
00:15:34,940 --> 00:15:38,140
And the best surfers, the best dancers,
205
00:15:38,140 --> 00:15:42,030
whether they're doing tangos
or waltzes, doesn't matter,
206
00:15:42,030 --> 00:15:43,030
they just look good.
207
00:15:43,909 --> 00:15:47,992
Because, they're connected,
connected to that wave.
208
00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,410
The beauty is that no two
waves are ever the same.
209
00:17:05,410 --> 00:17:09,173
Each wave is an individual just like us.
210
00:17:10,780 --> 00:17:12,270
It's only when they feel the friction
211
00:17:12,270 --> 00:17:16,093
of the bottom that they stand
up and eventually break.
212
00:17:19,793 --> 00:17:23,226
The art of surfing is that very last gasp
213
00:17:23,226 --> 00:17:27,710
of that dying wave, that's when a surfer
214
00:17:27,710 --> 00:17:30,023
picks her up and starts dancing.
215
00:17:30,980 --> 00:17:32,650
It's a death dance for the wave.
216
00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:35,877
That's a really beautiful thing.
217
00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,520
And when you look at it
in that sort of term,
218
00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:41,493
it's very spiritual.
219
00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,363
Most surfers who become addicted,
220
00:17:46,820 --> 00:17:48,740
you find them very spiritual people.
221
00:17:48,740 --> 00:17:49,573
They...
222
00:17:50,933 --> 00:17:52,533
There's another element to them.
223
00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:55,693
An understanding, a knowing.
224
00:17:58,630 --> 00:18:02,660
And I think that comes from those moments
225
00:18:02,660 --> 00:18:06,307
when you're actually riding
inside of the barrel of a wave.
226
00:18:07,430 --> 00:18:10,223
The rush that you get
out of that is enormous.
227
00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:12,210
Hard to describe.
228
00:18:14,264 --> 00:18:15,990
And when it's over, it's surreal.
229
00:18:18,810 --> 00:18:23,353
You begin to wonder if it even happened.
230
00:18:24,277 --> 00:18:27,027
(birds chirping)
231
00:18:35,431 --> 00:18:38,764
(waves crashing softly)
232
00:18:39,888 --> 00:18:43,710
One of the beauties of surfing in Tasmania
233
00:18:43,710 --> 00:18:46,880
is there are not many people,
in more ways than one.
234
00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:48,797
It's probably one of the
salvations of the island.
235
00:18:52,650 --> 00:18:53,560
Not many people live here.
236
00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,930
Not many people up to this
point in time want to live here.
237
00:18:56,930 --> 00:18:58,550
Most people seem to
think living in Tasmania
238
00:18:58,550 --> 00:19:01,970
is like living in a rusty
old fridge from the 1950s and
239
00:19:03,130 --> 00:19:06,680
not many of us were gonna
enlighten anybody from outside.
240
00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:08,380
We didn't want anyone living here.
241
00:19:12,350 --> 00:19:15,610
That's one of the things
about surfing, it's selfish.
242
00:19:15,610 --> 00:19:16,443
It's hedonistic.
243
00:19:16,443 --> 00:19:18,393
It's all about getting the rush.
244
00:19:19,230 --> 00:19:21,340
It's because, it's a finite resource.
245
00:19:21,340 --> 00:19:22,640
There's only so many waves,
246
00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,180
and the more and more surfers there are
247
00:19:24,180 --> 00:19:26,330
the harder and harder
it is to catch waves.
248
00:19:28,970 --> 00:19:31,460
Winter was the worst time, so damned cold.
249
00:19:31,460 --> 00:19:32,990
Eight degrees, freezing.
250
00:19:32,990 --> 00:19:35,130
Not a nice place to be in the winter,
251
00:19:35,130 --> 00:19:36,380
particularly as a surfer.
252
00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:42,360
And I think it was in
1974 that I first escaped.
253
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,240
I went to Hawaii and then went across
254
00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:48,393
to California and Mexico.
255
00:19:49,460 --> 00:19:51,743
And I was hooked, that was it.
256
00:19:52,990 --> 00:19:54,840
I was a traveler from that moment on.
257
00:20:00,232 --> 00:20:04,134
There was a place in
Indonesia that Aussie surfers
258
00:20:04,134 --> 00:20:06,373
had discovered the year before.
259
00:20:06,373 --> 00:20:08,903
A rather unknown place,
it was called Bali.
260
00:20:08,903 --> 00:20:09,790
(upbeat rock music)
261
00:20:09,790 --> 00:20:13,020
So in 1975 I went to Bali and
262
00:20:14,650 --> 00:20:18,940
in those days Kuta and Legian
were just tiny little isolated
263
00:20:21,050 --> 00:20:24,173
villages and in between was
nothing but rice paddies.
264
00:20:30,030 --> 00:20:32,963
Rented a room off the locals,
lived with a local family.
265
00:20:34,070 --> 00:20:35,610
The best surf was out on what they
266
00:20:35,610 --> 00:20:37,190
called the Bukit Peninsula.
267
00:20:37,190 --> 00:20:39,960
It's a rather holy place called Uluwatu.
268
00:20:44,370 --> 00:20:47,583
And from the Uluwatu Temple
you had to trek your way
269
00:20:47,583 --> 00:20:50,834
down over these open
paddocks along cliff tops
270
00:20:50,834 --> 00:20:53,730
and eventually, after about half an hour,
271
00:20:53,730 --> 00:20:57,730
you came to this cave and
there was a bamboo ladder
272
00:20:57,730 --> 00:20:59,080
that you had to climb down.
273
00:21:01,207 --> 00:21:03,234
There might have been 20 surfers there
274
00:21:03,234 --> 00:21:05,140
from all around the world.
275
00:21:05,140 --> 00:21:07,640
People just starting to
get into the know of Bali.
276
00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:11,060
It was a magic place.
277
00:21:11,060 --> 00:21:16,060
The culture, the people, the
surf, it was just fantastic.
278
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:19,290
For the next five years in particular
279
00:21:19,290 --> 00:21:21,250
I kept going back to Bali every winter
280
00:21:21,250 --> 00:21:22,660
and spent the whole winter up there,
281
00:21:22,660 --> 00:21:26,790
but word got out and slowly it started
282
00:21:26,790 --> 00:21:28,240
to get more and more crowded.
283
00:21:29,510 --> 00:21:32,540
So I decided to leave Bali at that
284
00:21:32,540 --> 00:21:36,570
and went on to explore
other parts of Indonesia.
285
00:21:36,570 --> 00:21:38,960
Lombok in a dugout, aboard a freighter
286
00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,310
to islands off Sumatra.
287
00:21:41,310 --> 00:21:44,290
Sailed a yacht to Southeast Java.
288
00:21:44,290 --> 00:21:46,105
Pretty hedonistic.
289
00:21:46,105 --> 00:21:48,688
(upbeat music)
290
00:24:01,115 --> 00:24:04,724
In 1970, I was then selected as being part
291
00:24:04,724 --> 00:24:08,620
of this finance company's
future management team.
292
00:24:08,620 --> 00:24:12,700
I was moved up to Sydney and
then spent a couple of years
293
00:24:12,700 --> 00:24:16,634
as a systems auditor simply
to learn the protocols
294
00:24:16,634 --> 00:24:19,224
of lending money and collecting it.
295
00:24:19,224 --> 00:24:22,160
(man shouting)
296
00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,560
Moving to a place like
Sydney was exhilarating.
297
00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,460
It was exciting.
298
00:24:27,460 --> 00:24:29,060
I'd never seen anything like it.
299
00:24:32,220 --> 00:24:35,163
Then I started to see it in another way.
300
00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:39,028
Coming from a place like Hobart
301
00:24:39,028 --> 00:24:41,843
where I'd had this
incredible, strong connection.
302
00:24:42,940 --> 00:24:45,740
It was really nothing like that in Sydney.
303
00:24:45,740 --> 00:24:46,930
There were too many people.
304
00:24:46,930 --> 00:24:49,193
It was crushing, overpowering.
305
00:24:50,350 --> 00:24:53,963
Anything I could connect to
was simply buried in concrete.
306
00:24:56,420 --> 00:25:00,564
I was being asked to sell
my soul to an institution
307
00:25:00,564 --> 00:25:03,450
and in return I got
loads and loads of money.
308
00:25:03,450 --> 00:25:06,030
I got to sleep with my secretary, get fat,
309
00:25:06,030 --> 00:25:08,560
and when I seriously thought about it.
310
00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:09,760
It's not what I wanted.
311
00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:14,263
It's not a way that I saw
myself living and being happy.
312
00:25:15,270 --> 00:25:16,930
I walked away, left the company,
313
00:25:16,930 --> 00:25:20,293
left the big city lights and
just got lost for a while.
314
00:25:23,954 --> 00:25:25,500
(gentle guitar music)
315
00:25:25,500 --> 00:25:29,090
And then one day this
friend of mine rang me and
316
00:25:29,090 --> 00:25:32,340
said, "do you wanna go on a
road trip for the weekend?"
317
00:25:32,340 --> 00:25:33,237
I said, "Yeah sure, where are we going?"
318
00:25:33,237 --> 00:25:36,027
He said, "Oh, let's
rock up the West Coast."
319
00:25:39,780 --> 00:25:41,380
We ended up on King Island,
320
00:25:41,380 --> 00:25:43,533
which is a pretty interesting road trip.
321
00:25:45,491 --> 00:25:47,991
(cows mooing)
322
00:25:50,350 --> 00:25:53,790
Spent a year sharing house
that was off the grid.
323
00:25:53,790 --> 00:25:57,110
Pretty much hippy existence,
with this Czechoslovakian guy,
324
00:25:57,110 --> 00:25:59,003
and the three of us worked in a mine.
325
00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,713
Essentially we just worked
and slept, and went surfing.
326
00:26:06,291 --> 00:26:10,117
There were four surfers on the island.
327
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,880
It's a magnet for swell and
it's got fantastic beaches,
328
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,680
and conditions made it
such that the island
329
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:18,280
was just covered in magic waves.
330
00:26:33,478 --> 00:26:36,819
I spent a year out there and
after I'd saved enough money
331
00:26:36,819 --> 00:26:40,240
I thought, I had a yearning for change
332
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:41,440
and so I caught a plane.
333
00:26:42,510 --> 00:26:44,496
Flying across Bass Strait
and I remember looking
334
00:26:44,496 --> 00:26:46,762
out the window and
seeing the Nut at Stanley
335
00:26:46,762 --> 00:26:50,553
and suddenly I realized
that I was coming home.
336
00:26:54,482 --> 00:26:55,840
(guitar music)
337
00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,330
I had enough money from
working at the mine
338
00:26:58,330 --> 00:27:02,270
to buy six acres of land
down near Clifton Beach
339
00:27:02,270 --> 00:27:05,063
so I did that, then I met a girl.
340
00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,043
Within two months of meeting
Robyn, we were married.
341
00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:14,610
A month later we started building a house.
342
00:27:14,610 --> 00:27:16,323
And it wasn't so much a house.
343
00:27:16,323 --> 00:27:20,883
It became our home for the past 40 years.
344
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:29,900
There's not many people live there,
345
00:27:29,900 --> 00:27:34,900
and the only services in the
immediate area are a surf club,
346
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,290
a lawn bowls club, and a cemetery,
347
00:27:38,290 --> 00:27:41,590
which pretty much sums up
the sort of place I live,
348
00:27:41,590 --> 00:27:45,210
and it's everything I
want, everything I need.
349
00:27:45,210 --> 00:27:46,870
Couldn't be happier.
350
00:27:46,870 --> 00:27:47,703
Very lucky man.
351
00:27:50,973 --> 00:27:52,743
Right place, right time.
352
00:27:54,230 --> 00:27:55,823
Life goes down another path.
353
00:27:56,761 --> 00:27:58,070
You don't even know.
354
00:27:58,070 --> 00:27:59,920
Don't even know you left the highway.
355
00:28:03,460 --> 00:28:05,044
In lots of ways I was a late starter.
356
00:28:05,044 --> 00:28:06,803
I didn't get married till I was 30.
357
00:28:08,291 --> 00:28:11,703
Our one and only son Tim
was born when I was 40.
358
00:28:12,670 --> 00:28:14,973
But we made the decision to only have one.
359
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,181
There's a poem, which
talks about raising kids
360
00:28:20,181 --> 00:28:23,623
and that you're actually
nothing but an archer.
361
00:28:24,670 --> 00:28:28,850
And your children are from
you but are not of you
362
00:28:28,850 --> 00:28:30,293
and they're like arrows.
363
00:28:32,620 --> 00:28:35,140
Your role is to, when the time is right,
364
00:28:35,140 --> 00:28:37,523
to pick up that arrow and release it.
365
00:28:38,970 --> 00:28:42,613
And your duty is to release
it in the best direction.
366
00:28:43,460 --> 00:28:47,030
When it's let go, you admire it's journey
367
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,361
and trust that you've done things
368
00:28:50,361 --> 00:28:52,723
up to that point as you should.
369
00:28:55,830 --> 00:28:57,520
And raising Tim was a bit like that.
370
00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:01,410
I was very, very conscious
of not forcing him
371
00:29:01,410 --> 00:29:02,633
into my lifestyle.
372
00:29:05,210 --> 00:29:08,290
And if he wanted to surf, it
had to be of his own volition
373
00:29:08,290 --> 00:29:11,003
not because his Dad wanted him to.
374
00:29:14,245 --> 00:29:19,245
In the late 1980s, I'd been
surfing the Southwest Wilderness
375
00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,033
for quite a while, for
probably about 10 years.
376
00:29:23,958 --> 00:29:25,900
And I had a friend down
one year from Queensland
377
00:29:25,900 --> 00:29:30,900
and he wanted to go, and then
Tim piped up, he was five,
378
00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:33,047
and said he wanted to come along.
379
00:29:33,047 --> 00:29:36,100
And I said, well, okay,
you can come along,
380
00:29:36,100 --> 00:29:38,340
but there's a rule here.
381
00:29:38,340 --> 00:29:40,733
There's no whinging when it turns to crap.
382
00:29:41,820 --> 00:29:43,860
Things get bad, that's it.
383
00:29:43,860 --> 00:29:46,560
You just shut up and soldier on, okay?
384
00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:47,965
Okay, deal done.
385
00:29:47,965 --> 00:29:50,965
(upbeat rock music)
386
00:29:53,689 --> 00:29:54,930
He probably spent so long sitting on
387
00:29:54,930 --> 00:29:57,410
that bloody beach that he just,
388
00:29:57,410 --> 00:29:59,523
he picked up surfing through osmosis.
389
00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,952
By the time it was his turn,
and he decided that he wanted
390
00:30:03,952 --> 00:30:07,760
to do it, that was very, very special.
391
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:08,993
I'd passed the baton on.
392
00:30:10,584 --> 00:30:13,120
It was in good hands and
from what I could see
393
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,873
Tim was gonna carry it
for a long, long time.
394
00:30:23,820 --> 00:30:27,250
In surfing terms, I
could've died there and then
395
00:30:27,250 --> 00:30:28,453
and been quite happy.
396
00:30:29,780 --> 00:30:32,030
Yeah, that was special
to hand that sort of
397
00:30:33,010 --> 00:30:35,523
way of life on to your kid.
398
00:30:38,543 --> 00:30:41,293
(waves crashing)
399
00:30:46,629 --> 00:30:48,712
I always had this ritual.
400
00:30:49,654 --> 00:30:54,654
I'd walk out of the surf,
no matter what it was like.
401
00:30:54,850 --> 00:30:57,835
I'd always turned and faced the ocean.
402
00:30:57,835 --> 00:30:59,410
- [Man] Whoa-ho-ho!
403
00:30:59,410 --> 00:31:01,910
- [Mick] The traditional
surf god was called Hui.
404
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,670
And I always thanked Hui for the day.
405
00:31:07,014 --> 00:31:08,583
I always paid my respects.
406
00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:11,220
That's way I lived.
407
00:31:11,220 --> 00:31:13,050
I always tried to live in the moment,
408
00:31:13,050 --> 00:31:15,363
not get too far ahead of myself.
409
00:31:17,870 --> 00:31:20,450
After each surf, I tried to treat it as if
410
00:31:21,450 --> 00:31:25,217
that was gonna be my last
surf ever and one day it was.
411
00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:29,343
After 50 years, just walked away.
412
00:31:30,250 --> 00:31:31,150
That was that.
413
00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:34,223
Regrets, none whatsoever.
414
00:31:35,371 --> 00:31:36,204
(engine humming)
415
00:31:36,204 --> 00:31:41,180
Surfing kept me young and fit till my 60s.
416
00:31:43,380 --> 00:31:46,294
I got to travel around
the world extensively.
417
00:31:46,294 --> 00:31:50,000
I've had some of the most fantastic times
418
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:51,540
in my life in Indonesia.
419
00:31:51,540 --> 00:31:54,650
Remote islands that had never
seen white people before.
420
00:31:54,650 --> 00:31:56,720
We'd rocked up in a boat
and surfed for days.
421
00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:57,673
We were gods.
422
00:31:58,750 --> 00:32:01,470
We left a surfboard for them at the end.
423
00:32:01,470 --> 00:32:02,470
And they knew we were gods.
424
00:32:05,007 --> 00:32:08,861
Those kids now are probably
surfing their life out.
425
00:32:08,861 --> 00:32:09,911
Fantastic, fantastic.
426
00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:14,577
I mean how greedy do you wanna be?
427
00:32:14,577 --> 00:32:16,827
How many rides on the
Big Dipper do you want?
428
00:32:20,509 --> 00:32:21,759
I'd had enough.
429
00:32:25,590 --> 00:32:28,757
(mellow guitar music)
430
00:32:36,666 --> 00:32:39,416
(birds chirping)
431
00:32:40,804 --> 00:32:43,530
I drifted through a lot of
jobs until the early 80s
432
00:32:43,530 --> 00:32:46,653
when I landed a sales
position in the film industry.
433
00:32:49,380 --> 00:32:51,183
In many ways, it was like surfing.
434
00:32:52,130 --> 00:32:55,260
I'd always considered surfing an art form.
435
00:32:55,260 --> 00:32:57,530
Self-expression with no rules.
436
00:32:57,530 --> 00:32:59,540
Capturing the moment.
437
00:32:59,540 --> 00:33:01,086
Whether you make a film or a wave,
438
00:33:01,086 --> 00:33:03,283
it all comes down to what looks good.
439
00:33:04,860 --> 00:33:07,610
I ended up making over 100 documentaries.
440
00:33:07,610 --> 00:33:09,880
Mostly about people and their interaction
441
00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,970
with the natural world,
mountain climbing, tiger hunts.
442
00:33:13,970 --> 00:33:16,180
Worked on Japanese documentaries.
443
00:33:16,180 --> 00:33:18,113
Even a feature with Fuji Films.
444
00:33:20,552 --> 00:33:23,135
(upbeat music)
445
00:33:27,620 --> 00:33:29,160
But my proudest achievement was
446
00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,623
with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.
447
00:33:35,450 --> 00:33:39,590
I was lucky they openly
welcomed me into their world.
448
00:33:39,590 --> 00:33:41,958
In return, I helped tell their stories
449
00:33:41,958 --> 00:33:44,663
and taught their kids how to tell a story.
450
00:33:54,084 --> 00:33:56,500
I developed very close relationships
451
00:33:56,500 --> 00:33:59,283
with quite a few members of
the Aboriginal community.
452
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,463
I hold that time very, very dear to me.
453
00:34:04,100 --> 00:34:07,480
They taught me a lot and I learned a lot,
454
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:10,410
particularly relationship with place,
455
00:34:10,410 --> 00:34:12,930
what they call on country,
456
00:34:12,930 --> 00:34:15,543
and I got to learn what it meant to them.
457
00:34:19,853 --> 00:34:22,170
- [Cameraman] What do you reckon, Buck?
458
00:34:22,170 --> 00:34:24,323
- Fantastic, beautiful place.
459
00:34:24,323 --> 00:34:25,744
- [Cameraman] Wanna buy it?
460
00:34:25,744 --> 00:34:26,577
- Buy it ?
461
00:34:26,577 --> 00:34:28,005
(laughing)
462
00:34:28,005 --> 00:34:30,171
You g to make a bite?
- Is that an option?
463
00:34:32,086 --> 00:34:33,315
- [Cameraman] You wanna
put in a land claim?
464
00:34:33,315 --> 00:34:34,446
- Put a land claim?
465
00:34:34,446 --> 00:34:36,570
(laughing)
466
00:34:36,570 --> 00:34:38,440
- [Mick] In many ways, I see the problem
467
00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:41,353
of disconnection with
country a universal one.
468
00:34:42,430 --> 00:34:45,098
Modernity's wrecking havoc
on everybody's relationship
469
00:34:45,098 --> 00:34:48,603
with the natural world,
not just the Aboriginals.
470
00:34:52,777 --> 00:34:55,190
(mellow music)
471
00:34:55,190 --> 00:34:57,940
(birds chirping)
472
00:34:59,531 --> 00:35:03,281
In 2008, I suddenly
found myself in hospital.
473
00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:08,863
I'd endured a six-inch
split to my aorta artery.
474
00:35:14,670 --> 00:35:19,380
Initially, my chance of
survival appeared pretty slim
475
00:35:19,380 --> 00:35:21,853
and full recovery slimmer still.
476
00:35:23,910 --> 00:35:25,620
Fortunately, after a few weeks,
477
00:35:25,620 --> 00:35:28,323
I moved out of danger and was sent home.
478
00:35:29,510 --> 00:35:32,760
I was far from well though and
popping pills like a junkie
479
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,090
but at least I was home.
480
00:36:09,413 --> 00:36:12,410
A week later, I was back in hospital.
481
00:36:12,410 --> 00:36:13,660
Something else was wrong.
482
00:36:19,334 --> 00:36:23,917
I now had a serious mental
health problem to deal with.
483
00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:40,263
Rather than getting better, I
descended into a dark abyss.
484
00:36:44,300 --> 00:36:47,802
Mick Lawrence had become
a complete stranger to me.
485
00:36:47,802 --> 00:36:50,113
I was both lost and scared.
486
00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,102
So I went back to my GP and told him
487
00:36:55,102 --> 00:36:57,667
I was bailing on my pills.
488
00:36:57,667 --> 00:36:59,357
"But why?" he said.
489
00:36:59,357 --> 00:37:01,637
"Because they're destroying me.
490
00:37:01,637 --> 00:37:03,497
"They've got me on the road to nowhere."
491
00:37:06,927 --> 00:37:10,973
"Okay, but I need to tell
ya, this may not end well.
492
00:37:12,894 --> 00:37:15,694
"It may be time to get your
board back out of the shed."
493
00:37:19,444 --> 00:37:23,393
I thought about it, but back
wasn't the way I wanted to go.
494
00:37:25,319 --> 00:37:27,226
(waves crashing)
495
00:37:27,226 --> 00:37:28,833
I called mine The Tardis.
496
00:37:31,088 --> 00:37:32,343
It was like a surfboard.
497
00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,923
Instead of standing on it, you sat in it.
498
00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:41,243
Similar, very, very
similar to a surfboard.
499
00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:44,303
So I had no problem with the transition.
500
00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:52,220
My problem was, as my GP warned me,
501
00:37:52,220 --> 00:37:54,480
your biggest danger is yourself because
502
00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,150
if you don't control yourself
you're gonna blow yourself up.
503
00:37:57,150 --> 00:37:58,343
You'll die out there.
504
00:38:00,283 --> 00:38:01,300
(soft guitar music)
505
00:38:01,300 --> 00:38:03,250
Now, I'm not a good listener.
506
00:38:03,250 --> 00:38:04,803
I never have been.
507
00:38:06,107 --> 00:38:09,250
So it's pretty amusing that
I'd discovered the secret
508
00:38:09,250 --> 00:38:11,273
of not blowing myself up by listening.
509
00:38:16,984 --> 00:38:21,160
And that came from the cadence of the boat
510
00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:22,410
moving through the water.
511
00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,250
It's just like a mechanic can tell
512
00:38:26,250 --> 00:38:28,433
when a car's in tune, you can just hear.
513
00:38:30,075 --> 00:38:32,400
The same with a boat, the
same with a surfboard.
514
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:34,050
You know when it's running sweet.
515
00:38:36,950 --> 00:38:39,793
I quickly discovered that
once I got into that cadence
516
00:38:39,793 --> 00:38:42,780
I could paddle for three
or four, five hours
517
00:38:42,780 --> 00:38:44,763
and not even break into a sweat.
518
00:38:50,580 --> 00:38:52,630
Within the space of a few months,
519
00:38:52,630 --> 00:38:55,863
I was paddling around
home, around Storm Bay.
520
00:38:56,754 --> 00:38:58,600
I was clocking up about 100Ks a week
521
00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:02,239
and I was feeling great.
522
00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:03,480
Physically, I was feeling great,
523
00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,853
and I knew I had turned a corner.
524
00:39:09,630 --> 00:39:14,000
Trouble was, I didn't know how
to do what was for my head.
525
00:39:16,850 --> 00:39:17,683
Bloody dog.
526
00:39:18,941 --> 00:39:21,045
(suspenseful music)
527
00:39:21,045 --> 00:39:23,795
(birds chirping)
528
00:39:25,530 --> 00:39:27,833
I've never been a
stranger to the black dog.
529
00:39:27,833 --> 00:39:31,607
As a kid, there was always one at home.
530
00:39:31,607 --> 00:39:33,723
Wasn't mine, belonged to my Dad.
531
00:39:35,429 --> 00:39:37,110
So when he turned up in my backyard,
532
00:39:37,110 --> 00:39:38,540
it was a real kick in the guts.
533
00:39:38,540 --> 00:39:42,253
'Cause I thought I'd buried
the mongrel with my Dad.
534
00:39:43,660 --> 00:39:46,380
There he was, staring me in the eye,
535
00:39:46,380 --> 00:39:49,360
tongue hanging out, panting, glaring at me
536
00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:53,103
with those bloody eyes, and I was scared.
537
00:39:57,353 --> 00:40:00,780
I just hung in there and hoped that
538
00:40:00,780 --> 00:40:01,971
by getting myself physically fit
539
00:40:01,971 --> 00:40:06,020
the mental bit would look after itself.
540
00:40:06,020 --> 00:40:07,080
But it was a tough time.
541
00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:08,803
I couldn't tell anyone about it.
542
00:40:10,010 --> 00:40:11,160
I couldn't tell anyone.
543
00:40:12,225 --> 00:40:13,850
I don't think many blokes can.
544
00:40:15,530 --> 00:40:16,400
And it's...
545
00:40:18,264 --> 00:40:20,680
I think moments like that,
when you realize that
546
00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:24,199
even though you're surrounded
by family and friends
547
00:40:24,199 --> 00:40:27,160
and you live in a
beautiful, peaceful place
548
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:28,460
where everyone's friendly,
549
00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:32,803
ultimately, you're on your own.
550
00:40:34,244 --> 00:40:37,244
And you've gotta sort it our yourself.
551
00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:40,953
That's what I did.
552
00:40:43,533 --> 00:40:46,116
It wasn't as hard as I thought.
553
00:40:52,123 --> 00:40:53,823
I remember paddling up this inlet.
554
00:40:56,070 --> 00:41:00,713
And suddenly in front of
me I could see a platypus,
555
00:41:01,660 --> 00:41:04,090
and he was just gliding
across the top of the water,
556
00:41:04,090 --> 00:41:06,613
so I stopped paddling
and just sat and watched.
557
00:41:07,830 --> 00:41:11,823
And then suddenly he realized
that I was in his space.
558
00:41:13,170 --> 00:41:18,070
He freaked, he dived, he
disappeared, he ran away.
559
00:41:19,757 --> 00:41:22,320
And I suddenly realized
that that was the answer.
560
00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:24,220
That was the way to deal with the dog.
561
00:41:25,220 --> 00:41:27,033
I just have to deny him space.
562
00:41:30,998 --> 00:41:33,748
(birds chirping)
563
00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:39,150
There's a lot of similarities
between surfing and kayaking.
564
00:41:39,150 --> 00:41:41,650
You're on the water, working in harmony
565
00:41:41,650 --> 00:41:43,643
with a finely-tuned water craft.
566
00:41:44,510 --> 00:41:47,110
It requires the same sense of balance,
567
00:41:47,110 --> 00:41:50,403
maneuvering, gliding, accelerating.
568
00:41:52,780 --> 00:41:54,320
I guess the biggest difference is that
569
00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:57,840
with surfing you're focused on the wave.
570
00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,153
With kayaking, you're not riding a wave.
571
00:42:01,620 --> 00:42:02,720
You're riding a place.
572
00:42:07,093 --> 00:42:08,070
(solemn music)
573
00:42:08,070 --> 00:42:11,050
It was only when I stopped
surfing that I realized that
574
00:42:11,050 --> 00:42:14,630
while we surfed all these iconic places
575
00:42:14,630 --> 00:42:17,097
it was only ever about the wave.
576
00:42:17,097 --> 00:42:19,547
The place just happened
to be where the wave was.
577
00:42:20,910 --> 00:42:22,660
Sure, we appreciated where we were
578
00:42:22,660 --> 00:42:25,113
but it was just the
backdrop for the main act.
579
00:42:30,150 --> 00:42:32,360
With kayaking, place dominates.
580
00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:34,860
You're part of the bigger thing.
581
00:42:34,860 --> 00:42:36,433
Part of a much bigger wave.
582
00:42:37,613 --> 00:42:39,453
Not so myopic.
583
00:42:42,971 --> 00:42:45,370
The other big difference is the rush.
584
00:42:45,370 --> 00:42:48,560
The euphoria you gain from the experience.
585
00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:52,343
Riding a wave is usually
short, intense, exciting.
586
00:42:53,574 --> 00:42:55,030
(waves crashing)
587
00:42:55,030 --> 00:42:56,093
Full of adrenaline.
588
00:42:57,100 --> 00:42:59,820
Kayaking, however, moves
to a different rhythm.
589
00:42:59,820 --> 00:43:03,543
It's prolonged, more laid back, tranquil.
590
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,543
You still get a rush,
still taste the adrenaline.
591
00:43:08,550 --> 00:43:11,503
But it's a rush for the
spirit, not so much the body.
592
00:43:13,276 --> 00:43:16,026
(engine humming)
593
00:43:22,850 --> 00:43:24,473
Ask a surfer what he does and the response
594
00:43:24,473 --> 00:43:29,473
will be ride waves, of
course, but that's a delusion.
595
00:43:30,363 --> 00:43:32,380
When you really think about it,
596
00:43:32,380 --> 00:43:35,383
surfers spend very little
time actually surfing.
597
00:43:37,110 --> 00:43:40,330
At best, you might catch
10 waves in an hour.
598
00:43:40,330 --> 00:43:44,700
A long wave lasts 30
seconds, if you're lucky,.
599
00:43:44,700 --> 00:43:46,854
So five minutes per hour hardly counts
600
00:43:46,854 --> 00:43:48,913
as wall-to-wall adrenaline.
601
00:43:50,468 --> 00:43:54,070
(gentle piano music)
602
00:43:54,070 --> 00:43:56,300
With kayaking, the rush lasts
603
00:43:56,300 --> 00:43:58,643
for as long as you remain in the zone.
604
00:44:04,465 --> 00:44:07,132
(wind rustling)
605
00:44:14,240 --> 00:44:16,360
It's certainly a more humbling experience.
606
00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:19,790
Whereas surfing tends to massage the ego,
607
00:44:19,790 --> 00:44:22,670
kayaking simply massages the soul.
608
00:44:37,391 --> 00:44:41,530
I remember surfing the Southwest
for the very first time
609
00:44:41,530 --> 00:44:42,413
on my own.
610
00:44:43,473 --> 00:44:45,780
It was quite large and
challenging to surf.
611
00:44:45,780 --> 00:44:46,613
And if I'd been there with my mates,
612
00:44:46,613 --> 00:44:48,320
I would have been charging.
613
00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:49,833
I would have been frothing.
614
00:44:51,030 --> 00:44:52,763
But I wasn't, I was scared.
615
00:44:57,870 --> 00:44:59,240
And it took me two or three sessions
616
00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:01,713
before I felt anywhere near at ease.
617
00:45:04,513 --> 00:45:08,278
(feet lapping water)
618
00:45:08,278 --> 00:45:10,801
And it probably took me
four or five solo trips
619
00:45:10,801 --> 00:45:15,801
before I found that, not only
did I enjoy that solitude,
620
00:45:17,326 --> 00:45:18,659
I thrived on it.
621
00:45:32,416 --> 00:45:35,631
(somber music)
622
00:45:35,631 --> 00:45:38,381
(birds chirping)
623
00:45:40,454 --> 00:45:43,287
(water splashing)
624
00:45:47,353 --> 00:45:51,686
There's a fine line between
solitude and loneliness.
625
00:45:53,740 --> 00:45:55,224
For me, the key to being comfortable
626
00:45:55,224 --> 00:45:58,773
with solitude is being
comfortable with yourself.
627
00:46:04,550 --> 00:46:07,740
I'm lucky, I've always
enjoyed my own company.
628
00:46:07,740 --> 00:46:10,503
Never missed or feared
having no one else around.
629
00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:19,090
Not sure whether this is fine judgment
630
00:46:19,090 --> 00:46:21,093
or a dose of good luck.
631
00:46:23,780 --> 00:46:25,580
You can see where the tides come in.
632
00:46:30,890 --> 00:46:34,133
Apart from stupidity, your
major enemy is the weather.
633
00:46:36,500 --> 00:46:38,860
Fortunately, I knew the enemy well.
634
00:46:38,860 --> 00:46:42,693
I knew its capacity,
its behavior, its signs.
635
00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:46,753
Knew when to go and when to stay.
636
00:46:46,753 --> 00:46:48,663
I was comfortable with all that.
637
00:46:54,950 --> 00:46:58,190
Surfing also taught me
to stay calm in a crisis.
638
00:46:58,190 --> 00:47:02,463
To think my way through,
that panic can kill ya.
639
00:47:04,390 --> 00:47:07,937
So falling back on myself
didn't phase me at all.
640
00:47:09,957 --> 00:47:13,350
(birds chirping)
641
00:47:13,350 --> 00:47:16,050
In the natural world,
there are no human ideals
642
00:47:16,050 --> 00:47:19,563
like equality, rights, justice.
643
00:47:21,850 --> 00:47:23,690
Out there when it all goes pear shaped,
644
00:47:23,690 --> 00:47:26,263
you're simply left with the consequences.
645
00:47:29,230 --> 00:47:30,633
It is what it is.
646
00:47:32,290 --> 00:47:36,533
And as alien as it might
be, you can't sue nature.
647
00:47:39,350 --> 00:47:43,033
The other thing about nature
is that voids never last long.
648
00:47:44,960 --> 00:47:49,960
Rejuvenation follows destruction
as night follows day.
649
00:47:50,010 --> 00:47:52,473
It's a natural order of things.
650
00:47:54,390 --> 00:47:57,093
Unfortunately, the human
world isn't like that.
651
00:47:58,602 --> 00:48:00,170
There's a part of us that loves
652
00:48:00,170 --> 00:48:01,950
coming up with negative stuff.
653
00:48:01,950 --> 00:48:05,333
Loves supplying fertile
ground for our dark side.
654
00:48:10,030 --> 00:48:12,022
I found the best way to deal
with these negative forces
655
00:48:12,022 --> 00:48:16,600
was to fill the void with
what's happening around you,
656
00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:17,850
become part of the place.
657
00:48:20,020 --> 00:48:22,070
That's the thing I learned about the dog.
658
00:48:23,170 --> 00:48:26,033
It thrives on being the
center of attention.
659
00:48:28,810 --> 00:48:30,920
And once I stopped giving it attention,
660
00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:32,840
it began to lose interest.
(Tasmanian devil wailing)
661
00:48:32,840 --> 00:48:34,643
Started to leave me alone.
662
00:48:38,940 --> 00:48:42,430
That's when I found things
began to turn around,
663
00:48:42,430 --> 00:48:45,263
when I got a chance to find myself again.
664
00:48:46,361 --> 00:48:49,444
(upbeat banjo music)
665
00:48:53,810 --> 00:48:54,643
Birch's River.
666
00:48:56,932 --> 00:48:58,163
More creek than a river.
667
00:49:01,050 --> 00:49:03,000
Not often I get to paddle off the map.
668
00:49:04,670 --> 00:49:06,323
So I think I'm gonna turn round.
669
00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:11,033
Look.
670
00:49:11,033 --> 00:49:13,233
I might even be on the Pocrocker River.
671
00:49:15,221 --> 00:49:16,593
I might even be lost.
672
00:49:19,628 --> 00:49:21,628
I don't know about this.
673
00:49:22,973 --> 00:49:24,071
(gentle electric guitar music)
674
00:49:24,071 --> 00:49:28,630
It sounds a bit weird, but
I actually enjoy being lost.
675
00:49:28,630 --> 00:49:30,170
Where am I, who am I?
676
00:49:32,240 --> 00:49:33,730
What makes you tick?
677
00:49:33,730 --> 00:49:34,763
What tips you over?
678
00:49:35,953 --> 00:49:36,786
(waves crashing)
679
00:49:36,786 --> 00:49:40,765
I like the process,
searching, finding answers.
680
00:49:40,765 --> 00:49:42,098
Becoming unlost.
681
00:49:53,516 --> 00:49:54,954
(birds chirping)
682
00:49:54,954 --> 00:49:57,240
For the next five years, I threw myself
683
00:49:57,240 --> 00:49:59,963
into exploring the Southwest wilderness.
684
00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:03,510
I started in the mountain lakes
685
00:50:03,510 --> 00:50:05,490
and then worked my way down through
686
00:50:05,490 --> 00:50:07,200
the various river systems,
687
00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:10,113
into the harbors and
out onto the coastline.
688
00:50:11,010 --> 00:50:14,053
Usually I had no plan, just drifted.
689
00:50:21,890 --> 00:50:24,283
And then I started to focus on Port Davey.
690
00:50:25,290 --> 00:50:27,970
Of all the Southwest, this was it.
691
00:50:27,970 --> 00:50:30,186
This was the spot.
692
00:50:30,186 --> 00:50:33,853
(upbeat instrumental music)
693
00:51:43,585 --> 00:51:44,585
How amazing.
694
00:51:48,440 --> 00:51:49,320
So you've taken this
695
00:51:49,320 --> 00:51:51,054
all sorts of places, rivers.
- Yeah, I have.
696
00:51:51,054 --> 00:51:53,440
But only since we came to Australia.
697
00:51:53,440 --> 00:51:56,115
'Cause we bought it specially
for Australia and New Zealand.
698
00:51:56,115 --> 00:51:58,698
(lips blowing)
699
00:52:05,575 --> 00:52:08,011
- [Mick] A very personal
relationship with your kayak.
700
00:52:08,011 --> 00:52:11,482
(laughing)
- We're intimately acquainted.
701
00:52:15,374 --> 00:52:16,580
Well, the great thing about this is,
702
00:52:16,580 --> 00:52:19,370
when you're portering this thing,
703
00:52:19,370 --> 00:52:22,220
I can just slip straight into the rucksack
704
00:52:22,220 --> 00:52:25,144
and actually wear the whole
thing up above my head.
705
00:52:25,144 --> 00:52:26,270
It just stays on my back.
706
00:52:26,270 --> 00:52:27,540
So I just put this on basically
707
00:52:27,540 --> 00:52:31,147
and wear the kayak on my back. (laughs)
708
00:52:31,147 --> 00:52:33,750
- [Mick] I don't mind telling ya.
I reckon you guys are nuts.
709
00:52:33,750 --> 00:52:36,295
(laughing)
710
00:52:36,295 --> 00:52:37,378
- [Woman] No.
711
00:52:41,160 --> 00:52:42,845
- [Mick] Well, happy trails.
712
00:52:42,845 --> 00:52:43,678
- Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
713
00:52:43,678 --> 00:52:44,943
- Thanks, Mick.
- Yeah.
714
00:52:47,100 --> 00:52:48,810
And you remember the
directions, don't you?
715
00:52:48,810 --> 00:52:50,460
Turn left to Antarctica.
716
00:52:50,460 --> 00:52:52,710
(laughing)
717
00:52:59,267 --> 00:53:02,100
Hey, with no wind that thing goes!
718
00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:04,559
- [Man] Easy!
719
00:53:04,559 --> 00:53:05,768
You can even wear the thing!
720
00:53:05,768 --> 00:53:08,749
(Mick laughs)
721
00:53:08,749 --> 00:53:10,757
Coo-ee!
722
00:53:10,757 --> 00:53:11,590
Burnie!
723
00:53:17,893 --> 00:53:20,640
- [Mick] That was a
wonderful period in my life,
724
00:53:20,640 --> 00:53:24,463
a time when I was in almost
constant state of contentment.
725
00:53:25,430 --> 00:53:27,390
And why shouldn't I be?
726
00:53:27,390 --> 00:53:31,160
In a space of five
years, I'd cheated death,
727
00:53:31,160 --> 00:53:33,963
dealt with a dog, and found a new passion.
728
00:53:35,490 --> 00:53:37,770
It was the second major crisis in my life.
729
00:53:39,810 --> 00:53:42,720
I'd given it my best shot and
730
00:53:42,720 --> 00:53:44,903
I thought I'd handled it quite well.
731
00:53:44,903 --> 00:53:47,303
Thought my Dad would be proud of me.
732
00:53:51,120 --> 00:53:54,430
But it was also a time when
I became a bit of a hermit,
733
00:53:54,430 --> 00:53:57,580
not that I'd turn my back
on my surfing friends,
734
00:53:57,580 --> 00:53:59,793
just that our paths seldom crossed.
735
00:54:02,714 --> 00:54:05,714
(upbeat rock music)
736
00:54:18,390 --> 00:54:21,890
Even though my board
gathers dust in the shed,
737
00:54:21,890 --> 00:54:22,840
I'm still a surfer.
738
00:54:23,690 --> 00:54:26,927
Still the go-to forecaster
for Tim and his mates.
739
00:54:28,490 --> 00:54:31,503
They were living large,
exploring new frontiers.
740
00:54:33,030 --> 00:54:35,290
In many ways, it was like watching my life
741
00:54:35,290 --> 00:54:36,303
replayed in HD.
742
00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:43,453
Up until now, life here has
managed to fly under the radar.
743
00:54:44,340 --> 00:54:45,540
But things are changing.
744
00:54:46,650 --> 00:54:49,583
The world's seen what we have
and they want a slice of it.
745
00:54:50,750 --> 00:54:53,690
What's more, our leaders
are more than eager
746
00:54:53,690 --> 00:54:54,910
to serve it up to them.
747
00:54:56,363 --> 00:54:59,940
I see tourism as a potential Trojan Horse,
748
00:54:59,940 --> 00:55:02,713
a gift to be treated with great caution.
749
00:55:04,100 --> 00:55:07,350
Either way, our way of
life is being challenged.
750
00:55:07,350 --> 00:55:08,923
And it's not just in the surf.
751
00:55:11,026 --> 00:55:13,859
(waves splashing)
752
00:55:17,780 --> 00:55:20,763
Then I was offered a job
as a wilderness guide.
753
00:55:21,660 --> 00:55:25,210
Greg was an old surf mate of
mine who ran three days tours
754
00:55:25,210 --> 00:55:28,300
from a standing camp at Port Davey.
755
00:55:28,300 --> 00:55:32,293
He's a master storyteller who
really knew how to deliver.
756
00:55:34,019 --> 00:55:35,372
It was more like being on a surf trip
757
00:55:35,372 --> 00:55:38,834
with no surf than a guided tour.
758
00:55:38,834 --> 00:55:40,570
- [Woman] Out here on the rocks really.
759
00:55:40,570 --> 00:55:42,880
- [Man] Here we go, here we go, look.
760
00:55:42,880 --> 00:55:43,717
Here he is.
761
00:55:43,717 --> 00:55:46,550
(people cheering)
762
00:55:48,524 --> 00:55:49,656
- Whoa!
- Hey!
763
00:55:49,656 --> 00:55:51,239
- [Woman] Oh, whoa!
764
00:55:53,090 --> 00:55:54,885
- [Mick] Even though it's very relaxed,
765
00:55:54,885 --> 00:55:57,243
we cram a lot into a day.
766
00:55:58,290 --> 00:56:00,410
Cruise around offshore islands,
767
00:56:00,410 --> 00:56:05,410
stroll through ancient
forests, climb some mountains.
768
00:56:05,552 --> 00:56:09,219
(mellow instrumental music)
769
00:56:53,777 --> 00:56:56,444
(birds hirping)
770
00:57:04,773 --> 00:57:07,523
(birds trilling)
771
00:57:41,623 --> 00:57:45,223
It's a great job but I do
have some reservations.
772
00:57:47,730 --> 00:57:51,593
I saw what tourism did to Bali
and I'm very mindful of that.
773
00:57:53,060 --> 00:57:54,260
That place is now a zoo.
774
00:57:57,710 --> 00:58:00,460
This place is undergoing change as well.
775
00:58:00,460 --> 00:58:02,653
Slowly, but it is changing.
776
00:58:06,110 --> 00:58:07,460
It's all to do with people.
777
00:58:10,600 --> 00:58:13,940
In the time since I was born,
778
00:58:13,940 --> 00:58:15,690
the world's population has trebled.
779
00:58:17,910 --> 00:58:20,020
And if you look at it
from another perspective,
780
00:58:20,020 --> 00:58:23,573
that means in the 70 years
that I've been alive,
781
00:58:25,840 --> 00:58:28,523
my personal space has
been reduced by a third.
782
00:58:30,310 --> 00:58:33,133
And that's frightening,
that's frightening.
783
00:58:34,180 --> 00:58:37,700
I mean, even here, we
live on this big rock
784
00:58:37,700 --> 00:58:40,070
surrounded by a moat,
you'd think we're immune,
785
00:58:40,070 --> 00:58:40,903
but we're not.
786
00:58:42,630 --> 00:58:44,400
And that's our biggest challenge.
787
00:58:44,400 --> 00:58:47,423
Not just for the Southwest,
it's the challenge for Tasmania.
788
00:58:49,360 --> 00:58:53,300
We've got to understand
that not only do we need
789
00:58:53,300 --> 00:58:57,907
to protect the place, the space as well.
790
00:58:59,410 --> 00:59:01,870
(electronic music)
791
00:59:01,870 --> 00:59:04,620
(waves crashing)
792
00:59:12,237 --> 00:59:14,987
(birds chirping)
793
00:59:18,040 --> 00:59:20,580
With the approach of summer,
things couldn't have been better.
794
00:59:22,410 --> 00:59:23,970
I was still stoked with kayaking.
795
00:59:23,970 --> 00:59:26,223
The guiding season was about to start.
796
00:59:28,400 --> 00:59:29,929
Tim and the love of his life, Kaitlyn,
797
00:59:29,929 --> 00:59:31,633
had just bought their first home.
798
00:59:32,940 --> 00:59:35,014
And for the first time in my life,
799
00:59:35,014 --> 00:59:37,233
I thought about being a grandfather.
800
00:59:38,410 --> 00:59:42,683
I was on cloud nine,
living the dream, I was.
801
00:59:42,683 --> 00:59:45,850
(mellow guitar music)
802
00:59:49,249 --> 00:59:52,166
It's an exclusive club that no one,
803
00:59:53,260 --> 00:59:57,133
no one deserves to be or
wants to be a member of.
804
01:00:02,442 --> 01:00:05,680
The ceremony involved a
traditional surfer's sendoff
805
01:00:05,680 --> 01:00:08,320
and Tim's partner Kaitlyn and I
806
01:00:08,320 --> 01:00:12,080
carried his ashes down
through a guard of honor.
807
01:00:12,080 --> 01:00:14,743
Over 200 of Tim's surfing friends.
808
01:00:18,430 --> 01:00:21,360
Tim's mates followed us
out and formed a circle.
809
01:00:21,360 --> 01:00:23,240
Together we held his ashes aloft
810
01:00:23,240 --> 01:00:26,902
and scattered them to the breeze.
811
01:00:26,902 --> 01:00:29,569
(waves rushing)
812
01:00:35,900 --> 01:00:37,100
I call them rogue waves.
813
01:00:38,203 --> 01:00:42,073
They come outta nowhere, at
any time, from any direction.
814
01:00:46,417 --> 01:00:48,667
Sometimes there's only one.
815
01:00:49,803 --> 01:00:51,720
Sometimes endless sets.
816
01:00:57,577 --> 01:01:01,360
And when they hit, they drag you down
817
01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:03,883
into the deepest depths of despair.
818
01:01:07,630 --> 01:01:09,910
It'd be very easy if you just gave in
819
01:01:09,910 --> 01:01:12,750
and rolled over and said
I can't take it anymore.
820
01:01:12,750 --> 01:01:15,890
I don't think anyone
could blame you for that.
821
01:01:17,663 --> 01:01:20,003
My Dad, he couldn't work it out.
822
01:01:20,920 --> 01:01:23,983
He rolled over, he gave up.
823
01:01:28,143 --> 01:01:31,226
(propellers humming)
824
01:01:32,917 --> 01:01:35,667
(engine humming)
825
01:01:39,060 --> 01:01:41,051
A few days after Tim's service,
826
01:01:41,051 --> 01:01:44,470
I had my first camp for the season.
827
01:01:44,470 --> 01:01:47,120
Back-to-back camps with a
three-day break in between.
828
01:01:51,139 --> 01:01:53,490
(gentle instrumental music)
829
01:01:53,490 --> 01:01:56,263
So I decided to stay at
the camp during the break.
830
01:01:57,220 --> 01:01:59,177
Spend some time on my own
831
01:01:59,177 --> 01:02:01,653
in the place I felt most comfortable.
832
01:02:22,550 --> 01:02:23,852
That was the very bottom.
833
01:02:23,852 --> 01:02:28,320
That was three days of torment, anger,
834
01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:30,153
pain, unrelenting pain.
835
01:02:36,412 --> 01:02:39,410
I couldn't even think about the future.
836
01:02:39,410 --> 01:02:43,300
To me now, the future was
gone, no longer existed.
837
01:02:43,300 --> 01:02:44,170
It wasn't there.
838
01:02:44,170 --> 01:02:48,833
Not a place to visit, not
a place to think about.
839
01:02:48,833 --> 01:02:52,860
But I also found that instead
of living in the moment
840
01:02:52,860 --> 01:02:55,700
I spent most of my time living in the past
841
01:02:55,700 --> 01:02:59,383
because the past is the
only place that Tim was.
842
01:03:04,300 --> 01:03:07,773
Solitude had been replaced
by a bit of loneliness.
843
01:03:09,160 --> 01:03:11,790
The natural world no
longer provided solace
844
01:03:12,990 --> 01:03:17,757
and I had absolutely no idea
where I was going to find it.
845
01:03:20,535 --> 01:03:23,285
(birds trilling)
846
01:03:25,853 --> 01:03:28,436
(somber music)
847
01:03:33,913 --> 01:03:37,740
I've always strived to be
the master of my own destiny.
848
01:03:37,740 --> 01:03:40,283
Probably one of Dad's legacies.
849
01:03:44,350 --> 01:03:47,210
But I'm now beginning to wonder if
850
01:03:47,210 --> 01:03:49,003
such an idea is even possible.
851
01:03:51,600 --> 01:03:55,197
That the elements are
overwhelmingly stacked against you.
852
01:03:57,923 --> 01:04:02,317
That we're nothing but
flotsam on the stream of life.
853
01:04:04,870 --> 01:04:07,537
(water running)
854
01:04:28,210 --> 01:04:31,600
I remember being on the Franklin River,
855
01:04:31,600 --> 01:04:33,633
a beautiful place called the Big Fall.
856
01:04:37,670 --> 01:04:40,005
I was sitting there when I noticed an area
857
01:04:40,005 --> 01:04:43,123
of limestone bowls about a meter high.
858
01:04:46,650 --> 01:04:49,040
And I soon realized
that they'd been formed
859
01:04:49,040 --> 01:04:51,935
by floodwaters spinning small rocks around
860
01:04:51,935 --> 01:04:53,923
and around on the bedrock,
861
01:04:54,770 --> 01:04:59,143
slowly but surely grinding
the bowls deeper and deeper.
862
01:05:02,380 --> 01:05:04,780
A process that had been in train
863
01:05:04,780 --> 01:05:06,673
since before the arrival of Man.
864
01:05:07,926 --> 01:05:11,009
(somber piano music)
865
01:05:16,795 --> 01:05:20,370
It made me understand how
completely insignificant I was
866
01:05:20,370 --> 01:05:21,970
in the broader scheme of things.
867
01:05:26,830 --> 01:05:30,010
The stark reality was that ultimately
868
01:05:30,010 --> 01:05:32,260
it all came down to a collision of events
869
01:05:32,260 --> 01:05:35,563
over which you have absolutely no control.
870
01:05:38,850 --> 01:05:41,790
How many floods rolled over
the top of you in a lifetime.
871
01:05:47,635 --> 01:05:50,385
(insect buzzing)
872
01:05:56,764 --> 01:05:59,370
One of the joys of being a father is
873
01:05:59,370 --> 01:06:01,233
the handing on of knowledge,
874
01:06:02,640 --> 01:06:05,283
the guiding, the nurturing.
875
01:06:07,070 --> 01:06:08,940
Sharing in somebody's else's life
876
01:06:08,940 --> 01:06:12,820
and just observing and
participating in the joys,
877
01:06:12,820 --> 01:06:14,770
and helping during the bad times.
878
01:06:14,770 --> 01:06:17,520
(waves crashing)
879
01:06:19,030 --> 01:06:20,860
That's probably the biggest loss,
880
01:06:20,860 --> 01:06:22,593
having that focus in your life.
881
01:06:23,690 --> 01:06:26,360
And trying to gain a new focus
882
01:06:27,550 --> 01:06:30,213
has taken up the last six
months of my head space.
883
01:06:31,970 --> 01:06:36,830
So I've decided I out of all that
to join the local board riders club
884
01:06:37,860 --> 01:06:40,360
and offer just to help out in the contests
885
01:06:40,360 --> 01:06:42,430
and the nurturing of the
kids in their surfing,
886
01:06:42,430 --> 01:06:45,823
and surfing skills and even life skills.
887
01:06:49,430 --> 01:06:51,850
There's a whole gaggle of
little six, seven, eight,
888
01:06:51,850 --> 01:06:53,860
10-year-old, 12-year-old kids out there
889
01:06:53,860 --> 01:06:55,420
who get a lot of joy out of hanging out
890
01:06:55,420 --> 01:06:59,090
with one of the original
pioneers of the thing
891
01:06:59,090 --> 01:07:00,603
that they love doing, surfing.
892
01:07:04,572 --> 01:07:06,520
(mellow music)
893
01:07:06,520 --> 01:07:09,053
Half a century ago, surfers were tribal.
894
01:07:09,920 --> 01:07:13,173
A loud, loose, politically
incorrect boys club.
895
01:07:14,190 --> 01:07:16,880
Today, there's three generations
896
01:07:16,880 --> 01:07:19,053
and a lot of them are females who rip.
897
01:07:20,850 --> 01:07:23,060
The tribe of yesteryear has evolved
898
01:07:23,060 --> 01:07:26,720
to be more aware, more inclusive.
899
01:07:26,720 --> 01:07:30,473
Still tribal but has a deeper,
broader sense of community.
900
01:07:31,710 --> 01:07:34,820
Kids sharing waves with
their grandparents.
901
01:07:34,820 --> 01:07:36,543
That's a beautiful legacy.
902
01:07:41,140 --> 01:07:43,320
In my time of need, I was overwhelmed
903
01:07:43,320 --> 01:07:45,120
by the way my community reached out.
904
01:07:46,000 --> 01:07:48,606
We all have a story and
when I listen to others
905
01:07:48,606 --> 01:07:51,093
I begin to get my loss into perspective.
906
01:07:53,860 --> 01:07:55,340
There's always somebody worse off
907
01:07:55,340 --> 01:07:57,713
and you don't have to
look far to find them.
908
01:08:01,630 --> 01:08:04,990
Ironically, those who've been
dealt the cruelest of hands
909
01:08:04,990 --> 01:08:07,730
are often the ones who complain the least.
910
01:08:07,730 --> 01:08:11,193
The ones who just get on with
it, give it their best shot.
911
01:08:12,440 --> 01:08:15,320
Having friends like that helped get me
912
01:08:15,320 --> 01:08:17,223
through some pretty tough times.
913
01:08:19,116 --> 01:08:22,360
(gentle piano music)
914
01:08:22,360 --> 01:08:25,380
Being alone, that was the biggest hurdle.
915
01:08:25,380 --> 01:08:27,680
That's when I was most vulnerable,
916
01:08:27,680 --> 01:08:31,660
when the emotional
demons came out to play.
917
01:08:31,660 --> 01:08:33,816
But I was never really alone.
918
01:08:33,816 --> 01:08:36,363
I had Atlas, my grand-dog,
919
01:08:37,510 --> 01:08:39,163
happiest being I've ever known.
920
01:08:40,460 --> 01:08:42,820
He leads a simple life.
921
01:08:42,820 --> 01:08:46,553
As long as he's fed, sheltered
and loved, he's content.
922
01:08:48,010 --> 01:08:50,860
His attitude introduced a more balanced,
923
01:08:50,860 --> 01:08:52,913
less emotional perspective,
924
01:08:54,030 --> 01:08:56,860
one that made me realize that whilst I had
925
01:08:56,860 --> 01:09:00,090
suffered a huge loss,
I still had the basics.
926
01:09:00,090 --> 01:09:04,143
I was still fed, sheltered, still loved.
927
01:09:05,250 --> 01:09:08,014
That's been a significant lesson.
928
01:09:08,014 --> 01:09:12,143
Focusing on how much I
had, not how much I'd lost.
929
01:09:14,561 --> 01:09:17,200
(gentle music)
930
01:09:17,200 --> 01:09:20,693
When I looked back, I've
certainly had a fortunate life.
931
01:09:21,550 --> 01:09:24,830
I coulda been born in
any number of hell holes.
932
01:09:24,830 --> 01:09:29,033
Instead I was born in a
place most can only dream of.
933
01:09:30,070 --> 01:09:34,090
I've also been blessed with
a long, meaningful marriage.
934
01:09:34,090 --> 01:09:36,793
Experienced the joy of having been a dad.
935
01:09:37,630 --> 01:09:41,503
I'm part of a caring community,
surrounded by close mates.
936
01:09:42,480 --> 01:09:44,163
It's been a great journey.
937
01:09:45,670 --> 01:09:49,980
But not all journeys are plain sailing.
938
01:09:49,980 --> 01:09:54,377
Sooner or later, fate's gonna
throw some rogue waves at you.
939
01:09:55,700 --> 01:09:59,950
And when they hit, you wonder
how you're going to survive
940
01:09:59,950 --> 01:10:02,373
let alone cope, but you do.
941
01:10:03,290 --> 01:10:05,813
Even if it's a constant struggle, you do.
942
01:10:07,060 --> 01:10:08,720
That's the thing with rogue waves.
943
01:10:08,720 --> 01:10:10,391
They're just a part of life
944
01:10:10,391 --> 01:10:12,473
that we all have to deal with.
945
01:10:13,390 --> 01:10:16,680
It's just that for some
they're eight foot,
946
01:10:16,680 --> 01:10:18,443
for others they're 80.
947
01:10:19,683 --> 01:10:22,913
The sobering thought is,
there's more out there.
948
01:10:24,039 --> 01:10:25,113
They're not done yet.
949
01:10:34,392 --> 01:10:36,360
I often wonder how different my life
950
01:10:36,360 --> 01:10:38,495
would have been if 60 years ago
951
01:10:38,495 --> 01:10:42,983
I hadn't made that simple
decision to see a surf movie.
952
01:10:44,000 --> 01:10:46,673
Yet another question with no answer.
953
01:10:48,641 --> 01:10:53,641
However, if I had my time over,
with one obvious exception,
954
01:10:54,640 --> 01:10:56,570
I wouldn't change a thing.
955
01:10:56,570 --> 01:10:59,083
I mean, what'd be the point?
956
01:10:59,936 --> 01:11:01,586
I never wanted to grow up anyway.
957
01:11:02,600 --> 01:11:03,897
Not about to start now.
958
01:11:41,899 --> 01:11:45,566
(gentle instrumental music)
69926
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