The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk) 29th April 2008
In June 2005 Dave Cornthwaite decided to quit his reasonably-well-paid graphic design job in order to skateboard across Australia. Two and a half years later he holds two world records for skateboarding, and is (perhaps unsurprisingly) a director of a successful skateboard manufacturing company.
He's also written a book about his epic journey, and shares with us some of the marvels he experienced:
The Nullarbor Plain
For the hardiest road-trippers who want to escape the relative urbanisation of the eastern states and experience Australia’s vast interior, the Nullarbor, a name derived from the latin for No Trees, is perhaps as close as one can get to an ocean on land. Stretching 1200km from east to west, many who bisect the Plain courtesy of the Eyre Highway would say the Nullarbor is simply boring. To the contrary, look closely and the wildlife creates a four-day drive into the world’s largest game reserve. From bouncing kangaroos and soaring Wedge-tail eagles, to the slow yet eager cross-highway commute of Shingleback lizards and Southern Right Whales off the nibbled coastline of the Great Australian Bight, a journey across the Nullarbor is not always the monotonous slog as warned by popular guide books. Other hidden treats include spectacular Rift Valley-like views at the Madura Pass and the snow white sand dunes at Eucla, the Nullarbor’s halfway point.
Ceduna Oyster Festival
The first weekend of October swells the South Australian town fivefold into tens of thousands, unleashing a carnival of colour and the country’s largest oyster festival, courtesy of the produce from nearby Denial Bay and Smoky Bay. Street barbeques, funfairs and live music add some flavour to the seaside town, which is also the most eastern point of the Nullarbor. To the everyday traveller Ceduna may not seem like much, but for those who have motored or self-propelled themselves across the Plain it signals the end (or beginning) of one of the world’s loneliest, straightest roads.
Adelaide
Delightfully humble, Adelaide gets a bad rap from most Australians, surprising for such a green, well distributed city. Sure, it will always be an understudy to Melbourne and Sydney in a country where the cities will hold everlasting superiority ‘debates’, but we all love an underdog. If a city can have humble talent then Adelaide has it in abundance, the February Fringe festival is one of the world’s biggest, revealing a cultural underbelly often ignored even by residents. Glenelg, the coastal suburb, opens Adelaide up delightfully to the deep blues of the Gulf St Vincent and is well worth a day or two of strolling. And of course once the city itself has been explored it provides easy access to its surrounding wine regions and the wonderful, meandering Murray River.
Port Campbell
A delightful windswept village nestled at the western end of the fabled Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell is the launching point for visits to Australia’s most visited coastal attractions, The Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge. The village itself, though, is worth an overnight visit both for its picturesque setting and the relaxed, amiable vibe emanating from its two hundred residents.
Apollo Bay
A jewel in the Great Ocean Road’s crown, Apollo Bay sits proudly on a narrow horseshoe beach, separating towering green hills from the crystal blue waters of the Bass Strait. Tourism has replaced fishing and dairy as a main income without encroaching upon an innocent coastal flavour that makes Apollo Bay a wonderful getaway for anyone in love with walking, surfing, sailing, or indeed natural beauty at its best.
Lakes Entrance
As Australian towns go, Lakes Entrance has quite a history. Less than 350km east of Melbourne, it sits on a man-made entrance to the Gippsland Lakes, the country’s largest navigable inland waterway. The drive into Lakes is dominated by ocean views and inviting low-level suburbanisation, which give a holiday-like gloss to the town’s industrial past. As well as a wonderful supply of seafood (try the Nautilus floating restaurant on the seafront) and fine sailing opportunities, Lakes provides a great footing for expeditions to the nearby Lakes National Park and Gippsland Lakes Costal Park.
Cann River
You won’t read about Cann River, anywhere. It’s a ghost town full of mixed feelings, still operating but strangely silent sitting 150km inland from the east coast, surrounded by hills and forest. The Motel is straight out of an American road trip horror movie, a mean façade looming, damp permeating through the walls. I had skated almost 80km over the Great Dividing Range that day and arrived at Cann River as dusk fell. I was exhausted and my feet were in no shape to party, the right began to swell and cast the left in shadow, not a good situation for a long distance skateboarder. Rest was needed so I drove with my team to Sydney for a week of media, then returned. Cann River was still as ominous, as were the 650km of mountainous roads between there and Sydney. A more restless night you won’t find, and then I pushed out, glad to leave the memories of Cann River behind but agonising about what was ahead. I had to skate 60km a day for eleven days if the world record was to fall and ghost town or not, Cann River was always the base for what was ultimately a successful attempt.
Mallacoota
In November 2006 a member of my support team donned helmet and sunglasses and sat in the local radio studio pretending to me. As he went live on air I skated along the local roads some 30km away, heading into New South Wales and drawing some confused glances from passing drivers. Besides having easy-to-manipulate local media, Mallacoota is equidistant from Sydney and Melbourne and is a captivating destination in the very south-eastern corner of Australia. Glistening lakes, thick green forest, mouth-watering inlets and deserted beaches, all serve up one of Australia’s best kept holiday secrets.
Lennox Head
Water sports are the lifeblood of Lennox, the younger, more relaxed sibling to Byron Bay, which sits just a handful of kilometres northwards along the Pacific coast. Sat at the southern edge of the wide, sweeping Seven Mile Bay, Lennox invites variable surf conditions as well as a consistent wind for kite boarders and windsurfers. Fewer coastal towns are quieter than Lennox, and that goes for its water as well. A morning swim or evening surf always seems more beneficial when you’re not part of a wet suited crowd.
The Big Things
However you travel in Australia, The Big Things are always a source of slightly inexplicable fun. In short, some Australian towns are home to enormous roadside sculptures or models; kangaroos, oysters, crocodiles, galahs, lobsters, bananas, the list goes on… Some people actually drive around Australia collecting pictures of The Big Things, and in some places you can purchase ironic miniature replicas, too. My favourite is in the South Australian town of Kingston S.E, mainly because I was so zoned out as I skated into the town I failed to notice a twenty-metre crayfish towering above. Jurassic Park would have been lost on me.
Read about Dave Cornthwaite’s amazing long-boarding trip across Australia in his book BoardFree (Portico, £10.99) Buy the book here.
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