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TR: Mentawai Islands, Indonesia


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Hmmmm. Sounding less appealing, but I'm sure I'll work something out.

 

Any of you guys ever been to the Telo islands? We're heading there in a couple of days for a travel article.

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My bro spent a long time there in 2000 and ended up getting Cerebal malaria.

Some wicked waves & he had thoughts of setting up surf camp & now look at the place!

 

I'm only going back to Bali for a wedding next year otherwise I probably wouldn't go.

Got to get to Pohnpei... Fast!

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Cept it costs $$$ to fly ith your boards there huh? I've heard there's a ton of cheap boards for sale at the surf camps - lots of crew leave em there cos it's so exxy to take them home

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Telos is pretty heavily flogged here. Looks nice though. I get the impression it's a bit up market. Targeted at the older cashed up surfer that doesn't like it too big. Should be interesting Spook. Hope you score some swell.

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Yeah, I think you're right on that front Mantas. Still, different strokes for different folks....

I think it's gonna be small. Swell charts aren't showing anything significant. Oh well. See what happens eh?

I've seen some cracking pics from the Newcastle area from my east coast mates from this past winter

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Originally Posted By: spook
Cept it costs $$$ to fly ith your boards there huh? I've heard there's a ton of cheap boards for sale at the surf camps - lots of crew leave em there cos it's so exxy to take them home


Not sure, (I haven't looked into it that much yet!) may depend if you go via USA. I think it's the same as going to Hawaii where on US airlines the flog you for some crazy amount per board.
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I haven't checked any info, but I think you can only fly Continental there from east coast Oz.

Spoke to a guy a few weeks ago and he said something like $100 for your first 2 boards, then $100 for each board after that.

The main camp (run by Alois) has a bunch of boards maybe?

But there's cheaper places to stay in the the town, and then just organise a boat out there each day. Something like that.

It looks like it can get heavy huh?

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Spook, found this on the site..

"Continental Airlines will accept one surfboard/wakeboard or one surfboard bag containing up to four boards per customer as checked baggage. Services charges (one way):

1 surfboard $100.00

1 surfboard bag containing up to two boards $100.00

1 surfboard bag containing up to three boards $400.00

1 surfboard bag containing up to four boards $700.00

This service charge is in addition to any excess baggage charges that may apply."

 

We would stay with friends who aren't too far from Alois's camp. Have boat and fishing gear al ready to go. I think I would take 2 boards, pretty big jump up for anything over 3 boards.. Don't ya love those US airlines..

 

Waves are sucking here right now. 2 weeks of rain and another ahead by the looks of things (& SE winds)

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That sucks. Never once have I been slugged for surfboards or snowboards on any airline.

 

A couple of my mates went to Pohnpei a few years ago. They didn't score though.

 

This is about our 3rd week of onshore dribble here ....arrrggh!

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Onshore indeed and nice and strong too. At least I don't feel bad sitting down all day watching bathurst! You know it will be a few weeks since a surf then we will get a killer swell, when we are all out of shape!

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Everyone I know up there has been accounted for. Not such good new for a lot of villages at the southern end of the islands which were badly hit.

 

Imagine sitting on the back deck of Midas when another charter boat slammed into you, and then being washed a couple of hundred metres into the jungle. The reef at Maccas is gnarly.

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Yep. Maccas is quite far south of the northern Playgrounds area. There's 4 main islands in the Mentawai, and Maccas is kinda two-thirds down the Pagai Utara (the second island from the bottom).

How's them directions for you guys? Clear as mud.

 

Have read some pretty horrific first hand reports about villages down there. Greenbush village had 52 houses and a church wiped off the land. Estimates put the wave(s) at 4m. Many many dead, rotting bodies, no clean water and so on.

 

The resort at Maccaronis is gone. The only building that looks to have survived is the main bar building where everyone sheltered. Having been there, I can only imagine the amount of force it would have taken to demolish some fairly large and sturdy bungalows.

 

Here's some footage of the Midas charter boat on fire after the initial collision:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=1728062241801

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