-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Enloe [mailto:enloe@viaccess.net]
Sent: Tuesday, 12 October 2004 7:17 AM
To: Heron Charters
Cc: shaun@worldsurfaris.com
Subject: Heron Charters Evaluation

Hi Steve and Shaun:
I am totally blown away that anyone could have any complaints whatsoever about the Montebello charter--unequivocally, it far exceeded any expectation that we had for the trip. I am having trouble picturing any basis for complaint and would virtually guarantee that all the other guests on our charter will enthusiastically agree.
Following is a rundown on how I would describe our experience, with your listed areas of concern kept in mind:
This is a very nice boat! I've never been on a boat so well maintained, so polished--and it stayed that way throughout the 10 days via never ending work while we surfed.
Sleeping was comfortable and very appropriate. Yes it's a boat, and yes it's a surf trip, so no it's not the Queen Mary. With the dry, chilly winter weather, we were always comfortable by boating standards. We were comfortable in the aft bunks, though on a warm night I moved my bedding to the the rear deck for a while. The bedding was very comfortable, and moving it worked great.(By surf trip standards, it was total luxury)
Food-fantastic.Different menu daily and always creative and tasty(and plenty). Way better than expected on a boat trip. Hygiene and cleanliness were never a problem. Cooking and doing dishes on a boat is usually a bit like camping out, but on the Heron, normal standards were exceeded.
As for the fly bridge, swim deck and jet ski--you couldn't ask for more. The jet ski was a specially nice surprise. Not only the convenience to the break, but the safety and photographic options are signicantly enhanced.
Storing surf boards on the deck was no problem for me. They were always secured before steaming, and the foredeck seems like the most logical approach.
I've done a lot of traveling throughout the world, and I've spent a lot of time on boats, and this trip was by far, the best travel experience of my life. I've told every surfer I know that it must be the best surf trip available on this planet.

As for the captain and crew--the absolute best! Making us happy and comfortable was always first.

I hope that my enthusiasm level doesn't diminish my credibility, but that's just how I feel. I can imagine some finicky clients not quite understanding the nature of a surf charter, and if they expect white linen and crystal, they would be dissapointed. But I would expect this type of trip to attract people just expecting an amazing, comfortable, safe, and above all--fun-- trip.

I only hope to be able to do it again.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael L. Enloe (and son David)

-----Original Message-----
From: Leon Norris -Geraldton Boardriders
Sent: Thursday, 7 October 2004 6:41 PM
To: shaun@worldsurfaris.com
Subject: RE: Montes Bellos

Shaun,

Meant to get back to you earlier to say thanks for your service in
booking the trip. We had a ball. Waves were good, so was the fishing and
the food. Steve and the crew did a great job putting in a big effort to
ensure we had good value from the trip. We will certainly go again....

Thanks again and I look forward to booking with you for future trips

Regards

Leon Norris
Geraldton Boardriders Club
Western Australia.

Testimonial from world-renowned surf photographer, Ted Grambeau
Appeared in The Surfers Journal - Volume Twelve Number One.

Ted filmed a promotional trip on Heron to the Montebellos in 2001 with a crew of high profile surfers including Ry Craike, Flea Virotsko & Paul Evans.

TED:
“Had a trip to Northwest Australia, up the coast from Gnaraloo via boat with Steve Heron to all the little islands. Stopped off at Gnaraloo, had a few waves, went up past Exmouth, past Barrow Island, and the Montebellos. Amazing sea life, whales everywhere, lots of things in the water. A relatively unexplored region. There are local guys there, fishermen from Kalbarri, who surf up there. I wouldn’t be too specific about where waves are, and I think you better have a lot of local knowledge to get waves up there, so I don’t think it’s going to be easily over exploited. Had on that trip again Aamion Goodwin, Paul Evans, a local guy from WA, Fetus (I’ve forgotten his real name), Darryl ‘Flea’ Virotsko & Ry Craike too. Ry’s a good little surfer, a Kalbarri local.
We got pretty good waves: a couple may not have been surfed before. It’s got an interesting history up there, with the nuclear testing by the British years ago in the Montebellos. The highlight for me was the whales all over the place, hundreds of whales, breaching and smashing the water with their tails.
“ One wave in particular that hit this point wrapped right around, ran across the front of this ledge, then kept going down the whole of this point, almost like a different wave. You could surf it all the way through, almost like 180degrees right the way around, and then they’d got out and run back over the point and jump out and go surfing again. The inside one was like the ultimate longboard wave. The outside was a bit more quality and there was a bit in between that you’d have to race to get to the corner that was like a real full-quality, proper wave. Who knows what it does on a bigger swell. The sea life was just freaky. You’d get those green waves when the sun’s behind the waves, and it’s just all fish. There’s definitely a lot of marine life up there. If there were long paddles, the skipper would take guys over in the zodiac and pick them up from the break.

Young West Australian pro surfer, Ry Craike describes the left that Ted mentions:
“This wave is the perfect little left!” he laughed, after one particular long one. “It just goes for ever. Everything you can want on a wave is on that wave. Everything. Airs, wedges, tubes, it’s so fun, it’s Sick!