Explanation of the Hawks Nest/random camping by Bedo

In March a solid crew of us headed up to Hawks Nest for a bit of camping, some waves, and good times. However Lee’s plan of just rocking up there and finding a camping ground soon fell through. Due to a recent torrential downpour, our campsite was a feet under water. So we resorted to sleeping in the cars. We had a fun surf the first morning where we shared the water briefly with a passing pod of dolphins, who were only about five metres away at one stage, and then hit it hard that nite. We parked the cars in a car park near some dunes and built a fire, which we sat around and shared some yarns, did some stupid shit, jumping over massive bushes into deep holes and crawled through these little tunnels, and had a few drinks before it got too cold when we ventured into town to the local bowlo for a few bevs. After some hours passed we all eventually made it back to the car park, some more legally than others, some after having a snooze at a nearby bus shelter surrounded by lollies. After we exited a ‘hazy’ car back at camp and mellowed out, we shooed away some cops and hit the sack, some made it into the comfort of cars, while others, ahem, such as Robbie C & myself resorted to sleeping on the dunes, using sand hills as wind breaks. Unfortunately for us these sand hills didn’t protect us from the violent rainstorm, which soon saturated us and our sleeping bags, which were probably about 60% water-proof, which was enough (along with the partially conscious state we were in) to keep us in them until the rain stopped at some stage early in the morning… When, we were awoken by heavy machinery and bulldozers that were conveniently digging some shit up about 20m from ‘camp’.

Next day some of the older fellas left us but some new ones joined us. We decided to move further up the coast in an attempt to find beta accommodation. Went past Forster and pacific palms, all the while, exchanging aerodynamic items out of windows, where we got another mad surf. We then set up camp again in a bare car park, conveniently, in direct vicinity of another sports/bowling club. However due to a strict dress code and age restrictions we weren’t allowed in. Soon a tent was pitched and all… fourteen… of us packed in to share some stories, laughs and arr illicit drugs "Doobie Snacks"… to escape bleary eyed and suddenly really happy. Rob had a laugh, Mitch P had a throw and Lee was humiliated after pulling some ‘That’s Gold’ shit, which only recently have we come to understand. Soon after Ben and Matt rocked up, only just arriving.

Next a group of guys trekked into town and hit the club scene; I mean dirty pub scene, and met some lovely, macho females. The rest took it easy at camp and then went to bed. This night everyone got a ‘decent’ bed and sleep.

The next morning we set out nice and early. Checked another beach, had a paddle, waited for Ben to get out, slid down some sand hills and got on our way. Some of the boys pissed off home to make it back for Troppo, while the rest took it slow and decided a stop past Nelson Bay might be a good idea. Ha ha how wrong we were.

We turned off the highway and began down the road towards Nelson Bay, however, it soon turned to a gravel road and this was seen by Matt as a way of abusing the lack of stability in Ben’s car which he was driving and so attempted to fishy along the loose surface. He actually did all right… for the first 40 metres… after which he lost control and slid off the road and down part of an embankment but stopped in some long grass. Didn’t look like anything was wrong ‘till we noticed one of the tires was dead flat. So Lee decided we should put the spare on, we started driving again. Couple k’s down the road it started making a funny noise. We took a look to find it had almost disintegrated, as it wasn’t pumped enough. This posed a slight problem, a car with three tires… Lee had this mad idea that his wheel would fit Ben’s, as they were both Toyota’s. Sounded plausible. No need to check, of course Lee was right, he always was..! To cut a long story short we went and got Lee’s spare pumped, came back to put it on and the stud pattern didn’t match. So, Ben and anyone in his car were fucked for the time being. A troop went out searching for a tire but only seemed to find beaches and waves.

Once it hit dark we were able to move the car, by driving it hell slowly on the fucked up tire, to a small bunch of shops where it would be out of the way. Ben and Matt said they’d stay with the car overnight and let the rest of us head home for some much needed and deserved food and sleep.

We got home by late evening, but it wasn’t for another day or so that we found out what happened to Matt and Ben… In the set of shops they’d parked in they were directly in front of a real estate, of which one of them walked round the back to take a piss where they found a Sigma wagon, about as similar to Ben’s as you get (other than another Corona). In less than no time the Sigma was up on a jack and the wheel was soon on Ben’s and they were back on the road. To this day that very wheel remains on Ben’s car!

And there lies another successful trip away.

         Bede.

[two-o-seven]