When nothing else matters...

The 58-year-old from Goodwood, Tasmania – one of the stars of documentary film King Neptunes of the Southern Seas – has been surfing since he was in his late 20s and credits the sport for extending his life and expanding his mind. He tries to get out on the water at least twice a week, weather permitting, and describes the process as “meditative”.

“It’s a pretty old world thing to do. Everything just falls away and you can just focus on what you’re doing,” he said.

Brent has been a fan of the sport since his late childhood and early teens when he used to ride his skateboard pretending he was out on the waves.

He moved to Southport in his late 20s and had the chance to take up the sport and knew he had found a deep new passion in life.

“I’ve driven some really powerful machines before, but if you jump on a small wave, there’s enough power in it to light up a city,” he said.

Brent admits he’d been living a party lifestyle prior to taking up the surfing, but time on the waves had helped him improve his lifestyle habits and become more attuned with his own thoughts and mind.

“The circulation just doesn’t seem to be there with some of the younger guys; they only last an hour or two. I’ve still got pretty good stamina and circulation.”

The abalone deck hand is now the primary carer for his mother and looks after his two-year-old grandson several days a week. But he still finds time to catch a wave despite a busy schedule.

“As a surfer you tend to try and organise your life around the surf.”

Filmmaker Alexander Palmer, a keen surfer himself, said he was inspired to make the movie after meeting some of the film’s stars at the beach and becoming fascinated by their stories and philosophical outlook.

“I met these people around different surf breaks and found they were extremely passionate and articulate,” he said.

He is working on securing international distribution deals and hopes to arrange a tour of Australian cinemas.

The full film is also available for viewing online.