Sincere thanks for the doco and reminder. I was 14 when I first went to Catus (1968). I still remember my first tube ever at 4-5ft cactus. Years later 10ft at Castles surfing on my own. No leg ropes and still remember the sheer terror of swimming back in with Noahs lurking. Met a fella who walked from cactus to the head of the bight and back with his dog, a stick and a handline. And meeting the aboriginal community from Maralinga who had been abandoned in Penong. The only known example where a country (Australia) has allowed a foreign power (Britain) to detonate a nuclear bomb on its own people. Regards to all who experienced and love the Nullabor.

Bellissimo video e bellissima musica , il brano come si chiama?

Nice one Terry, it rightly belongs in the National Archive.

Wish Australia was still free like back then. Glad I was around in those days.

Mahalo for sharing this! And thank you for no commercial kitschy Beach Boys commercial music! As teen in the 60's am so grateful I had so many surf trips ... CA, HI, OZ ... no leashes, only longboards ... an outsider to society and secret surf spots of amazing memories.

Growing up as a teenager in the 70s I can only imagine how wonderful this life would have been. We are all lucky for so many reasons.

Fantastic. Well done. I've enjoying every minute of this. Thank you!

This is amazing. Really transports to the time.

Better times,when surfing was for the soul,and so very special to be a surfer. Its a shitshow these days,and pedestrian at best.

When we were free

Was there 73 and again in 74. This brings back memories, thanks.

Ahh, times gone by, when things were a lot more mellow.

Good times,was flat when I have there -should have been here last week🤦🏻‍♂️ But shared it a million mice🤣🤣

Back to a time when all was loose and unregulated ...petrol 5c a gallon... ...went there in '95, prob still better than now ...moved back to NZ a few years ago and even here is like Aus - any break with pedigree has an insta-crowd as soon as there's a sniff of swell...

Been surfing since 1965. This sensationally personal film of the sport's early, playful and peaceful side captures the dream.

A few mates and I spent a week surfing at cactus in 1977 and guess what we were travelling in an EK holden.

if I could go back in time... that was my favorite.

Nice peaceful days

Now when you go there , your told to fk right off. 😂most unfriendly surf place in Australia I'd say and many others agree.

Thanks so much. I was there in 1981 and never knew sharks could be so friendly!!!!

When I tell all the young people I work with who all have an ankle bracelet in their hand that they refuse to put down that they don't know what it means to live a life of freedom... well, this film is what I'm talking about. Awesome!

The right is called caves the left is cactus if you filmed this there now the locals would shoot you they are crazy protective of the place.

Is Kiwie White in this video? One of my old mates (RIP 💔)

Wow, this is fantastic! I love seeing the way it was.

Committed, to go back,for your memories and spirit, Charger.👊🏼

1979 PB Ratz made a trip from San Diego to Tip of Baja and back surfed many great spots those were the days we had a box of Hustler magazine we traded for Lobster fun times

I wasn’t born for this future shit lol😂 I would love to take a Time Machine with my surfing abilities 😅

Who was playing on the soundtrack ?

Nah yeah

I got a job there in Ceduna, 1978 , a year later. That was my backyard surf spot for the next 3 years. The people of Ceduna and Penong were wonderful to me. Some of the best years of my life.

This is rad classic cactus footage ! Cheers heaps for sharing

was there xmas 74 got after cyclone tracy winds an some big surf :)

This film should go into the National Archives, brilliant!!!

Hey Terry....were you and your mates at Cactus in Feb. '77. by any chance. I seem to remember the brown Holden wagon. If so I have some photos you might possibly be in. My mate Marty and I were down there in a light blue VW wagon.

Locals were always so friendly and welcoming

Was there in 76 . What a fantastic spot. Camped under a tarp next to the Holden. Made the super 8 movie. Got chased by a big shark at c#nts one day. Kiwis on surfari. Thems were the days🥰

Epic

Wow the golden era

And nobody gave a shit about 'social media', they were too busy being.. social. Not twenty brands of everything thinkable. A time when it was kept simple when you didn't have so much 'noise' to distract you from the most important things in life, including doing nothing and not feeling guilty or agitated about it. Nice music, suits the era, like Bakery, Tully, Fraternity ( Hi Bon) or Taman Shud

buggar me...I think I'm the guy with the strapped on board.I was there and knew bede and chook pretty well, and ,yeah it was a great time to be young and feckless. thanks for this (years ago)....Hi anyone still alive .Gwyn

Thanks for posting this. Brings back some great memories of living and surfing at cactus in the mid 70's. Bede and I came to OZ, from kiwi land, in January 1976 to surf cactus. Our inspiration was a surfer from Adelaide, known as chook, who told us about cactus while he was touring and surfing NZ. Bede and I arrived in cactus around mid-march 1976, with 3 other guys from from our home town. We stayed there for 4 months and had the best of caves, castles and crushers, another right 6 km west of cactus. Great memories and great waves. Thanks.

Some nice abs to go with the good waves. 👍

Looks like you got nice waves and a good trip . Good edit .... 1978 ld just finished making a new board , 1 morning l decided to go up the top of my street near cronulla and hitch hike to Cactus. 2 days later l got there.. in my pup tent with a stream of scorpions walking through during the day , l had fun waves only a coupla other guys, l had a few dawnies at l think was called castles or caves on my own most probably the same break these guys were surfing ..( a bit crazy now l think about it,,) then after aweek l hitched back via along the whole coast , 2 weeks later l got back home fun trip met heaps of neat surfers and other folk ..

Someone had tiger shoes from asics,,,, sweet

I've only read about Cactus before but this is the first time seeing it. Really looks as great as it sounded even tough i heard that it was super sharky.

good spot top music thanks for the treat

I'd give anything to be able to go back to the mid 70's and surf places like this again

Probably less sharky then than now due to the Japanese and Chinese taking all there food

Good work..great tune,,,,,,

There for a few weeks in 78,great surf,good camp and people but really, really,really sharky!