RealSurf Surfers' Forum

http://youtu.be/FxOm1c6k3i0

If this has already been posted sorry about that, please delete admins, unless it brings some valid new discussion of course

Made me steam in my seat to be honest, good to watch if you haven't already, especially for victorians.

I'm no Bells local, but I think something has been done since that vid was produced. There is some newish looking concrete at the base of the steps. Whether or not this is part of a proper solution, I do not know. As for the other elements to the picture painted by Maurice, I have no idea. I hope the responsible people have lifted their standards. Pretty strong environmental values among the community around that area so I imagine the pressure has been firmly applied

Worse when you consider Bells is now registered as a site of historical significance by the Victorian branch of the National Trust.

grew up surfing bells and winki, calling it a surfing reserve is a joke , if it was any sort of surfing reserve the carpark would be on the other side of the road and it would all be bush land up where the carpark is now.
With the crapping in the bushes that is not a tourist thing, it is done by surfers and I might add some local surfers, going for an early straight after that morning coffee, in to much of a hurry to do it at home.
You would think ripcurl would come to the rescue with funding as they have been using bells and basing alot of there advertising around it for over 40 years, it would be a piss in the ocean out of there annual budget, but don't hold your breath on that one.
I know blokes who work for the surfcoast council and deal with ripcurl over the bells contest and the bottom line is they(rc) could not give a rats about locals surfers or the enviroment if it affect there contest.

well, grooter, obviously, has the solution.


aquaturds!

crustt wrote:crapping in the bushes that is not a tourist thing, it is done by surfers and I might add some local surfers

Somewhat demoralising

I'm afraid crustt is right, Bells is being "loved" to death

The Surf Coast Shire has had titular duty of care over Bells since the Shire was formed back in 1992 and they have done virtually nothing to look after it. Most of that has been left in the hands of various community organisations (SANE, Surfrider) and via intermittent funding from Rip Curl. Now the Shire has an amazing $600,000 plan to erect a "tourist hub" (which they refuse to call a tourist hub, even though it's on their master plan as such) based on a series of coach parking bays (cutting out several carpark spots in the process) and two lovely new sculptural "photo features" for the bus tourists to take pics around. These photo features are costed at around $75,000 each.

Apparently the place itself isn't good enough for photographs.

The (non) "tourist hub" is clearly aimed at making the Great Ocean Road tourist bus run more appealing and has absolutely nothing to do with Bells's protection as a "surfing reserve". Indeed it runs directly counter to surfers' interests and those of Bells as an ecology.

Meanwhile the Rip Curl Pro has donated $50,000, $35k of it supposedly from the Easter contest's gate money, to the Shire's Bells "upkeep". Where did that money go, I wonder? Well your guess is as good as mine, because the Surf Coast Shire does not return my phone calls or emails, and hasn't for two years, ever since ASL ran an article on the subject of Bells's upkeep and future.

Here's hoping they didn't spend it on the sculptures.

That's really disappointing. I grew up in the area but left about 15 years ago. Didn't know about all this crap. Good on MC. Hope something gets done. Rip Curl's got a lot of marketing mileage and no doubt dollars out of the place over the years so surely they should get involved. What happened to SANE? I thought they were looking after the area.

there are good dunnies in the lower carpark near the bells break.

if you need a turd they come well recommended.

all locals know this,

its the blow ins that dont and they cr@p in the bushes between winki and bells.

maybe all thats needed is decent signage?

offshore1 wrote:well, grooter, obviously, has the solution.


aquaturds!

But seriously....

Nick Carroll wrote:I'm afraid crustt is right, Bells is being "loved" to death

The Surf Coast Shire has had titular duty of care over Bells since the Shire was formed back in 1992 and they have done virtually nothing to look after it. Most of that has been left in the hands of various community organisations (SANE, Surfrider) and via intermittent funding from Rip Curl. Now the Shire has an amazing $600,000 plan to erect a "tourist hub" (which they refuse to call a tourist hub, even though it's on their master plan as such) based on a series of coach parking bays (cutting out several carpark spots in the process) and two lovely new sculptural "photo features" for the bus tourists to take pics around. These photo features are costed at around $75,000 each.

Apparently the place itself isn't good enough for photographs.

The (non) "tourist hub" is clearly aimed at making the Great Ocean Road tourist bus run more appealing and has absolutely nothing to do with Bells's protection as a "surfing reserve". Indeed it runs directly counter to surfers' interests and those of Bells as an ecology.

Meanwhile the Rip Curl Pro has donated $50,000, $35k of it supposedly from the Easter contest's gate money, to the Shire's Bells "upkeep". Where did that money go, I wonder? Well your guess is as good as mine, because the Surf Coast Shire does not return my phone calls or emails, and hasn't for two years, ever since ASL ran an article on the subject of Bells's upkeep and future.

Here's hoping they didn't spend it on the sculptures.

If you'll pardon the pun that is shitful. Hell the Mornington Peninsula Shire (at least it would appear) does a hell of a lot more for a place like Gunnamatta that has a lot less 'prestige' than Bells - even though it has been surfed for probably just as long.

I was obviously writing while you posted Nick. Good to see RC have chipped in. That seems fair. Obviously the Surf Coast Shire is run like every other Council, poorly. What a waste.

I've seen busloads of tourists rock up there and to be honest, they look bewilldered. Especially the Asians. They probably haven't even heard of surfing. It's pretty sad really. The place used to really have a pretty cool feel in the old days. I guess you can't stop progress and it was always going to happen in one form or another.

I guess that's what happens when you have non-surfers in control. Hopefully some local surfers will get on council.

BA wrote:The place used to really have a pretty cool feel in the old days.

Went over there for school contests, club contests and sometimes to just go. Even planted a tree there. It did have a good vibe

Fcuk I'm getting old

That masterplan won an architectural design award, Nick, for "demonstrated care in addressing the needs and aspirations for an iconic coastal site that experiences infrequent heavy public use and witnesses excessive coastal exposure."

ithink you guys need to get down there a bit more.

the shire has revegetated the whole of the cliff top from bells to torquay.
maintained the paths, removed problem plants...

its no garden of eden. it always has been a farm covered in turd, with a cliff and a small
sh!tty beach.
get over it.

Was the place to be on the w'end. Quality surf for 3 days. Since when?

Wouldn't it just act as fertiliser?

He looked like he was really enjoying solving the p00 riddle...

Another poo thread