The Latest from Melbourne Branch

Melbourne Branch VIC

The Melbourne branch has been reborn and is about to formally kick off.

On behalf of the new branch, a big shout out to Kristy and the crew at the national office for helping us get set up, and also to Bill Pemberton and others from the previous incarnation of Surfrider Melbourne for the work that precedes us.

Ultimately Surfrider Melbourne is aiming to protect and enhance Port Phillip Bay, its beaches and foreshores from Werribee to Frankston, but because this is a reasonable slice of geography, we’ll be focusing our early activities closer to the city.

Over 3.2 million people live around the shore of the Bay, making it Australia’s most densely populated catchment, and obviously brings with it a few environmental issues.

One of those is litter, and we’re holding our first planning meeting to figure out when and where our first beach clean up is, so if you’re up for it, get along and get involved. (6pm Thursday September 2 at Kindness House, 288 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Map:  http://tinyurl.com/2e2oe68 )

We’re also keen to connect with a few more of the people who make up the estimated 40 million day visits a year to the coast of Port Phillip Bay, and clue them into the fact that Surfrider is for anyone who cares about our waves, oceans and beaches. Or as Kristy puts it, if you love the ocean then you’re eligible to join the Surfrider family.

On the subject of waves and the Bay: whilst there’s great wind and kite-surfing to be had, any surfing is usually the domain of the super enthusiastic/fairly desperate and transport-less types (ie. grommets), who brave hurricane force wind driven arctic conditions to grab a few sloppy two-footers. That said, I recently came across the following pic of some little southern suburb peelers, which you’ve gotta admit are pretty inviting – especially by Bay standards!

Andrew Foran
Melbourne Branch President