A pastel abstract painting of a sky juxtaposed by the perfect symmetry of the Indian Ocean swell lines curving around a shallow atoll. No one to see it but you and your close knit crew howling from the deck.
An Indo boat trip is a rite of passage as a surfer and images similar to ones mentioned above cloud our thoughts from the moment we take any interest in riding waves.
Perfection is out there, smattered around the seemingly endless archipelago of Indonesia but On The Java Ridge reminds us that something more sinister lurks not far from our affluence fuelled pursuit of this dream.
Serong deftly captures the varied Australian psyche within the microcosm that is the typical crew aboard a surf boat trip. Traversing back and forth between Canberra and the waters off Sumba, Serong's perceived disconnect between people and political policy becomes cavernous. What transpires is a thought provoking exploration of prejudice, perceived difference and humanity, brought to the fore when surf tourism and people smuggling come face to face.

Serong's triumph is in maintaining the nuances of the characters so no one becomes merely a parody within the message.

Compassion before politics is harder to argue with when you know and understand someone and that's what makes this book the perfect companion to an Indo boat trip. It's a reminder that we're all chasing something better, whether that's a wave or a way of life.
-Stu McKerihan

'She slowed the Java Ridge as the colours of the reef on Halura's southern side rose from the blue. The powerful diesels burbled at low revs and the bow-wave became sluggish and loud. The boat pitched and rolled with the swells passing under it. In the distance they could see the thatched roofs of the village on Halura's western tip. On the steep hills behind the houses, the jungle was so thick that nothing- not a fence, an aerial or a roof-disturbed it.'