Southern Blast hits Torquay

The 'Southern Blast' campaign team with the vegetable-powered vintage fire truck. (supplied)

Well-known ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s is teaming up with not-for-profit ocean preservation agency Surfrider Foundation Australia to raise awareness about a devastating new fossil fuel operation off Australia’s south coast.

A team of ocean enthusiasts are touring through Aussie towns by bike, car and vegetable powered vintage fire truck, and will be stopping at Torquay Surf Club on October 20 offering free ice cream and a screening of the brand new surf film ‘Southern Blast’.

The film event is the fourth stop on the three-month tour, which will see the team cross through three states, offering 14 screenings of the film which celebrates the area

of the Southern Sea most at risk from the proposed fossil fuel operation, which is the largest seismic blasting operation the world has ever seen.

Directed by the award-winning Matty Hannon, ‘Southern Blast’ features Australian free-surfer Torren Martyn, insights from community elders and breathtaking footage of Australia’s

Southern Ocean.

More than just a surf film, ‘Southern Blast’ is a call to action for Australians to stand together against the proposed operation, which – if it goes ahead – will see 5.5 million hectares blasted with untold environmental consequences.

At the Torquay event, the Surfrider team will also be joined by local musician Raging Moby, and a vegetable-powered vintage fire truck offering free scoops of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to residents who sign the petition to have the permit for the blasting operation revoked.

Though tickets for the Torquay event have sold out, tickets for further screenings across Australia are available via the Surfrider website, where Australians can take further action by signing the digital petition to Save The Southern Sea.