Broderick (Brod) Dyke is retired professional tennis player with a stunning eye for photography. Brod is currently ‘holed up’ in Seaford with his partner Hana, while they wait for the Covid-19 situation to blow over. Hana is a Czech national and the couple are usually based in neighbouring Austria. However there aren't too many better places to be stuck during a global pandemic and the couple are making the most of their extended stay.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you got into tennis:

I was born in SA, in Gumeracha. My parents are schoolteachers. My mother was born in Estonia. I grew up in Port Noarlunga South from the age of five years. There weren’t so many houses there then, that’s for sure.

I played tennis in the local area; went to play in the city from the age of 14. Like all kids, I played a bit of football but I played tennis all year around, probably five or six days a week from eight or nine years of age. I was one of the better kids in the state for their age.

I wasn’t quite good enough to get on an Australian team - three players are selected at year’s end - so I went to college in the US, in Wichita, Kansas, 

It was a bit of a culture shock - I didn’t really have enough money to try to travel and play - I got an amount of money per month for food - so I played tennis and tried to get some sort of education. When I came from Australia it was 40 degrees and I was on the plane in thongs and jeans. I got over there and it was like a blizzard, and then the luggage didn’t arrive...

After a few years at college in the US, you decide to move to Europe to try to make a go of it on the professional tennis circuit. How did that come about?

It had been two and a half years and I thought if I was going to try to make it as a tennis player it was now or never. I basically had $400 from my parents and bought a ticket to Europe and managed to survive. 

What are the highlights of your tennis career?

My highest ranking was 35 in the world for the Men’s ATP and 23 in the world in doubles. I made it onto the Davis Cup team at one stage. On the tennis tour I met my partner - Hana Strachoňová, a Czech girl. She was the number one junior in the world. We met in Tokyo in an elevator at the Japan Open. We got together four months later at the Australian Open. We’ve been together ever since - over 30 years.

Who was the best tennis player you played or witnessed on the Tour?

John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier… I didn’t do so well against all of them. I beat Becker - that was a decent win. In doubles I probably beat all of them except for McEnroe. 

Who was your favourite doubles partner and why?

I played with a guy called Wally Masur, and the most fun I had I played with a Swedish guy, Peter Lundgren, who went on to coach Federer for quite a while and a few other great players. We had a pretty fun time for a while.

What has kept you busy after you retired from professional tennis?

After my career finished, I did some tennis coaching, worked for Tennis Australia as a national coach for about six years. Then up to the end of 2019/early 2020, I was working at a tennis academy near Salzburg, Austria. 

What did you like about Austria? Was it all ‘Sound of Music’?

A lot of my friends hadn’t seen the movie! I had to share the DVD! Salzburg is like a fairytale city...

I was really lucky to be able to experience seven years in Austria and it wasn’t too far for Hana to visit her mother in the Czech Republic. 

What brought you back to Australia?

Last year we came back and we haven’t been back (to Europe) because of Covid. Then I thought I’ll start to do some tennis coaching here - I do some work for Tennis SA for state training and then I do a little bit of private coaching at Willunga Tennis Club.

I train whoever wants coaching - there’s a program called ‘Hotshots’ for kids 5-12, then Cardio Tennis for adults, and a few private lessons.

We call ourselves AusCzech Professional Tennis Coaching.

In addition to tennis, both you and Hana are quite skilled in artistic pursuits I hear.

While I was in Austria I used to do a bit of photography but then got into doing a lot of landscape photography. I have just made a website for my photography as well, with landscapes from the Fleurieu and the Salzburg area, as well as Germany, Iceland and Venice. The website is AUSCZECH Art and Photography. It also features Hana's paintings, she does oils on canvas.

I’ve always wanted to do something with my photography… I'm usually pretty humble with things but I think there are some really beautiful ones there. I have a few photos up at The Meeting Place in McLaren Vale. I had an exhibition at the Port Noarlunga Arts Centre.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos at Old Noarlunga, by Brod Dyke

The Edge by Hana Strachoňová, Oil on canvas

What do you like photographing on the Fleurieu?

Beach scenes; I like sunsets and sunrises, whether it’s Middleton Beach, or, I live very close to Moana/Moana Beach. There’s a few... O’Sullivans Beach. Just basically seascapes generally and birdlife as well. I like to do a little bit of wandering around Old Noarlunga in the park there as there’s quite a lot of different birdlife... see if you can get an interesting angle, see if the birds do the right thing! A lot of times you plan to go to a spot and try to suss it out beforehand but sometimes the conditions aren’t quite right. With the birds sometimes it’s serendipitous - it just happens.

Port Noarlunga, by Brod Dyke

Favourite beach: 

I love Moana Beach because we live pretty much here and Port Willunga is a beautiful beach and maybe Middleton. Second Valley is a little hidden treasure. I would love to do the Second Valley caves in a kayak but I need to get a waterproof, floating bag for my camera and lenses in case I go overboard!

[The Fleurieu] is a beautiful part of the world. I love Kings Beach - all around that area… Petrel Cove... it’s nice taking photos of the stars down there. All along the coast is nice so it’s hard to single out anywhere.

Port Willunga, by Brod Dyke

Favourite place for a cuppa:

We probably drink more coffee at home but the Deep Blu Cafe at Moana, looking at the water.

Favourite place for a pizza:

Russell’s at Willunga - I’ve probably been there 250 times in my life - pretty much since he started it. I love sitting by the fire… 

Favourite winery or brewery:

Used to love going to Settlement Wines... Coriole before it got a bit more upmarket. Occasionally we go to Whitefeather Red in Willunga. John Saunders is the owner - he has a few little functions, it's a cute little funky winery. He's a nice guy but he’s definitely out there for sure!

Other favourite haunts:

We’ve been to The Little Rickshaw a bit at Aldinga, and Jimmy’s Fish and Chip Shop at Port Noarlunga and then you've got to go up the jetty and have your hamburger and calamari and chips. 

Biggest character you’ve met in the region:

Gerard at Russell’s Pizza - he’s a very intelligent guy with a different way of communicating his ideas; an interesting character. Emma from Russell’s is also a lovely girl.

Roger Foster is a photographer who when I first looked at cameras he gave me a bit of mentoring which was nice. He seems to know everyone in the whole Fleurieu area. He does a lot of photography of horse jumping, things like that. Used to do weddings. He’s getting a bit older and slowing down a little bit - he still goes to Sellicks in the mornings and takes photos of people taking their horses down the beach. He’s definitely a character of the Fleurieu, or this part of it anyway.