Yeeehah!
Welcome to the wild, wild South: Lombok.

The rutted tracks of the surfing frontier town of Kuta Lombok are plied by rugged settlers and aimless drifters from the four corners of the surfing world (Holland? Finland?!), riding their steel horses with semi-guns and mini-mals slung below their saddles, their intrepid ladies bouncing behind, releasing their deathgrips on the riders only to ease the chafing of their thongs. (No, not between their toes.)

Kuta and South Lombok must be on the Lonely Planet Surf Pilgrimage Route or something, because it is extraordinarily popular with young backpackers from Europe and the more affluent Asian countries, like Japan, Korea and Singapore. Not without good reason: the area is blessed with reefloads of fun, cruisy waves that still have enough size and punch to get your motor running. And because they’re not of the usual surfporn quality that would normally attract the hardcore crew, the mood in the lineup is mainly mellow. Of course, there’s always Dessert Point for those seeking perfection. But as the Chinese saying goes: be careful what you wish for. Unlike Jim Banks, who surfed these magical waves solo for several seasons before the enormity of his secret caused his sealed lips to burst open with the news, you’d have to fight off a swarm of angry bees to get any honey at Desert Point these days.

And there’s more: seriously meaty breaks that heave and dredge into bloody-hell drops and shoot-me-now barrels. These are ruled by a small crew of local chargers and a few committed expats who’ve escaped from the Bali/Mentawais circuses. Some of these breaks are right alongside their mellower cousins, others require a bit of exploring to find, and still others are only spoken of in macho grunts after the first carton has gone down.

To complete the frontier-town scene, there’s a land rush going on around Kuta Lombok, along with all the usual intrigues, double-deals and bargain scores.

Saddle up and read on …

Somewhere, Over the Sea.

We hopped over to Lombok from Bali. Literally. The plane went straight up and then straight down, with a timely little nose-lift just before we hit the tarmac. 22 minutes doors-closed to doors-open. Barely long enough to get scared.

The rest of our crew took the ferry over, as they were bringing our vanload of longboards, hybrids and shorties – as well as our intrepid Lombok guide "Cutch" McCutcheon. We were ready for anything. The regular ferry takes about four hours (and the fast boats less than half that), which could make it a viable option to the flight - especially when you factor in check-in and hanging around time. A laid-back cruise at less than $10 a head is also a nice way to decompress for the Lombok vibe.

From Mataram airport on the Northwest coast, it’s just over an hour’s drive to Kuta on the Southern end of the island. The new airport is ‘scheduled’ to open in July, 2011. However, in Lombok ‘scheduling’ has a unique meaning that we still haven’t quite worked out. Suffice to say it’s not a reliable indicator of when a planned event will actually take place. That said, the new airport will be a big deal. It’ll open the South to tourism by cutting the travel time to less than half what it takes from the current one, and aid the local economy by providing the island with a more centralised travel hub.

Ten minutes drive from Kuta takes you to Surf Central: Gerupuk. Backpacker lodges, bars, warungs, surf shops, boards for sale and hire, ding repairs - all in a traditional fishing village at the head of the bay.

Gerupuk is a huge bay with five spots that work on slightly different tides, wind and swell directions, offering a range of waves from cruisy to … cripey! Whatever the conditions, the chances are one or more of the spots will be firing. The only way to get amongst them is by hiring an outrigger. We were taken out for a few sessions by Rifa, younger brother of the local surf star and embodiment of the cool, laidback nature of the place.

Gerupuk Breaks:

Don-Dons is right at the head of the bay, and is a good bet when there’s a big swell running. We pulled up to find it about head-high and looking pretty as a picture. Glassy in the light breeze, a classic A-frame with an extended middle section and bowly left and right shoulders.

It looked pretty crowded and a bit fat from the boat, but looks can be deceiving. Most of the crew were from surf schools and out with their instructors, or traveling novices looking to step up a level. Getting our share without bullying the crew wasn’t an issue, as the waves weren’t that easy for them to learn on. The peaks do come in a bit fat and fade on the shoulder, but they still jack at take-off and offer a workable wall and bowl before it all fattens out again. Heaps of fun on a longboard or hybrid.

Inside Gerupuk is the next break on that side of the bay. A bit like Don-Dons but bigger in the same conditions and mostly a right hander, though we did get some fun lefts too. It’s very sheltered and works in most conditions, and can handle heaps of swell. We had it overhead and very consistent. Astonishing how much swell gets that far into such a deep bay.

Outside Gerupuk is a solid right on the other side of the bay, beneath the big boobies (you’ll see what we mean), that was pretty heavy on the day we surfed it. I say ‘we,’ but I had to sacrifice my session to stay on the boat and keep the snapper company. He gets cranky when everyone’s out there having fun while he’s stuck in the boat with his nose glued to the back of a camera.

When it’s big, the swell warps its way onto the reef, offering up a heaving peak and a heart-stopping drop into a screaming wall. You will get caught inside, you will get worked, but you will also get shacked. A coupla boards were broken as well as a leggie, and it was fun to watch the poor bastards swimming against the surges and rips over the shallow reef, with macking sets falling on their heads. I was soooo bummed I had to stay on the boat.

The other two breaks are a left that breaks on the same side of the bay as Inside Rights – but even further out - and Kiddies – a zippy, barreling right near the ‘harbour’ that needs bulk swell to get going.

Mawi.
A reef/beach break about 20 minutes West of Kuta. It offers fun lefts and rights on small days, but on bigger days it’ll crush you like the worthless worm you are. Handles more swell than most of us can.

Ekas Bay.
East of Gerupuk and about an hour’s drive and 30 minute boat ride from Kuta. It holds two breaks, Outside Ekas and Inside Ekas, with a choice of big drops and open faces or cruisy, endless walls - depending on swell size and your preference. See the Longbreak story, Lombok-Heaven On The Planet.

Seger.
A right reef/beach break just outside Kuta and a stroll or two-minute drive from our hotel, making it our first option on Day One. It’s a quick and snappy peak that barrels and bowls, sometimes offering a bit of a wall and occasionally even a left option.

With a big swell and fullish tide, there was a lot of water moving around and it looked like a lot of hard work. The last guys had come out of the water and were drying off as we got their predictable report: "Shoulda been here an hour ago." We checked it every morning of our stay, but it just got bigger and uglier. Cutch reckons it goes off in the right conditions, so it’s worth keeping an eye on - but there are heaps of other reliable options …

Secret Spot.
It hides in plain sight, on your way from Kuta to heaps of other breaks. You’ll look at it, but distance and angle mean you might not actually see it for what it is: a long, right reef that breaks more like a point and is a perfect longboard wave when it’s smallish. Trimming, speed-turning, noseriding … it just goes on … and on … and on … see fourth last frame - good luck )

Home Sweet! Home.

In anticipation of the new airport opening, several of the big international and Indonesian hotel players have acquired prime sites for sumptuous new resorts.

At the moment, the only luxury option in Kuta is our host, the Novotel. In preparation for the arrival of more visitors and real competition, the hotel had almost completed a complete renovation of all of its Superior and Deluxe Rooms rooms when we were there, to be followed by a refurbishment of its private villas.

This was also scheduled for completion in July, but unlike the airport’s iffy ‘scheduling,’ this one looked to be right on track. The finishing touches were being applied during our stay.

www.novotel.com

Despite its traditional, towering thatched roofs, the hotel resembles nothing so much as a small Spanish or Mexican village. Especially the area housing the villas, restaurants and bars. Once past reception, you enter a maze of alleys that wind past doorways leading to the private courtyards and verandahs of the villas, eventually leading you to the restaurants, bars and expansive private beach.

We were comfortably ensconced in two spacious villas with several bedrooms, indulgent bathrooms, large televisions and uninterrupted views across the beach to the serious waves slamming onto the reef in ruler-straight lines.

Breakfast served up great local dishes and western favourites, like nasi goreng, cheese omelettes, fresh fruits with yoghurt … and the same breathtaking and knee-trembling view from our villas: soft white sand sloping down to the lagoon and the reef getting absolutely slammed by set after set.

www.novotel.com

Eat, Drink and be Merry, for Tomorrow …

Eating and drinking in the town of Kuta is a moveable feast: from cheap warungs offering wholesome local dishes and (virtually) free Bintangs, to unexpectedly cool new establishments with chill music, fusion menus, woodfired pizzas, margharitas – and (virtually) free Bintangs. These do get pretty busy, so you’ll probably have time for quite a few beers before your meals arrive. Yeah, it’s tough – but just suck it up and get on with it.

So is Lombok about to emerge from the big shadow of Cousin Bali? Thankfully, not yet - even though it has its own Kuta and is about to get a spanking new airport and string of glittering new resorts. The island’s laidback, rural vibe is as much about culture as economics. Poverty is a key reason for the island’s simple way of life, but so is the influence of a more conservative attitude to religion and society.

Kuta may well flourish in a cocoon of tourism culture, but it will take quite some time for that lifestyle to invade the rest of the South Coast. And that’s probably a good thing. Lombok offers old-fashioned adventure with a calm and peaceful vibe. Prices are low, hassling is minimal and the welcome is restrained but genuine.

Walk softly here and you’ll go far …

Destination Details

Where to Stay
Novotel Lombok
www.novotel.com
Basic accommodation and budget hotels also available in Kuta and surrounds.

Getting There:
AirAsia has regular flights from Australia to Bali.
www.airasia.com
From Bali it’s a short hop on Garuda.
Traditional Ferry or Fast Boat are also options.

Health:
Suncreen, small medical kit, mosquito repellent.
Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Surf Gear:
Your favourite board will handle most conditions – take a similar backup in case. Longboards and hybrids will also work well at most breaks.
Board shorts and rash vests are all you’ll need in the surf.
A surf hat will save your scone and stop your eyes from frying - but might look dorky in your holiday snaps. Tough choice.

Communications:
Mobile network is available - costs of global roaming are high. Local prepaid is probably the smart move.
The hotel has internet access.

Getting around:
Bikes with racks are readily available.
Check the brakes and make sure the helmet fits properly and the strap can be secured. Don’t ride barefoot and half-naked: skin is soft, roads are hard.When to Go
March - September

Check Out
www.airasia.com
www.novotel.com
www.tropicsurf.net