Up close to cyclonic swells…

Last week Cyclone Oma developed 1200 kilometres off our coast. Slowly she moved in a westerly direction, heading directly for us. She intensified to a category 3. The weather bureau predicted catastrophic winds and destruction if it crossed the coast and made a land fall. People were urged to make preparations. Stock piling sandbags and moving or tying down all outside equipment. The winds intensified, howling and battering everything in its path. Then on the weekend it changed course and started moving North. No longer expected to make landfall or be the catastrophe that had been expected.

But the huge cyclone driven swell surged onto the coast. Waves 5-7 metres high.

The beaches were closed. But experienced surfers were in their element. They arrived in droves from all over Australia. And the crowds gathered to watch the show.

I watched as this brave/crazy bloke waved in a jet skiThe only way to get close up to the waves was to be towed in.

The video is a bit shaky as it was hard to hold the camera steady against the gale force winds.

Look carefully, in the below photo the jet skier has just dropped off the surfer. That tiny figure is dwarfed by the massive swell

I took photo after photo, mesmerised by the might and power of Mother Nature. The sound and fury of the waves cannot be truly captured in a photo.What an adrenalin rush to have that wall of water thundering right behind you.

An iconic ocean front restaurant, “Oscars”, had just had a million dollar makeover. Renowned for being so close up to the ocean, but in these conditions that is too close.

It will be a while before meals are served here again.

Today the wind continues to blow 50-70 kilometres per hour. But, unfortunately it has delivered only 2mm of rain. In 2 days time we fly to New Zealand. It looks like being a bumpy ride…

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Leya has given us “close-up” for the “len’s-artist photo challenge this week. This is my interpretation of it….