Surfing
Bull sharks, sewage and one helluva novelty wave
The latest cyclone to hit Queensland brings Coolangatta's favourite novelty wave to life.
As you’re reading this, millions of litres of water are flowing out of Coolangatta’s Tweed River. This comes after Cyclone Debbie brought havoc to the area, causing some of the heaviest rainfall the Gold Coast has seen in years.
When local photographer Andrew Shield saw what was happening with the weather patterns around his home, he thought of one thing – the novelty wave that would come with them.
Local Jackson Coffey locking into a novelty dream
© Andrew Shield
Robbie Rickard doing his best grom impersonation
© Andrew Shield
Wave quality > water quality
© Andrew Shield
Coolangatta's favourite novelty wave, going off
© Andrew Shield
“When I saw what was happening, I knew what was GOING to happen,” he explains. “When it rains this heavily, the shallow sand bank along the southern rock wall of the Tweed River starts doing something very rare – it turns into every Cooly locals favourite novelty wave. This week it has breaking better than usual though, and some proper barrels have been had.
“Everyone knows it’s been pumping, but it still doesn’t get crowded. This is probably something to do with the health warnings being issued due to overflowing sewer systems. That, and the abundance of bull sharks that move into the river mouths to feed on all the dead farm animals that flow down the river from the Tweed valley.
“But luckily enough, apart from Jackson Coffey suffering a minor twinge of inner ear pain, no one suffered any ill effects from their time spent surfing in what was basically floodwater run-off.
“And, as Jacko told me after his session… ‘It was worth it, because who knows when the river will do this again!’”
The reward for braving bull sharks and sewage systems? An empty lineup and an almost mechanical barrel…