Big Seas

Last week I had a pretty wild swim on high tide at Wylies Baths. Nothing too unusual about that. This week there has been a big swell off Sydney, so it was too dangerous to swim while the tide was high. But, even at low tide, it was a wild old time in the pool.

All of these photos were taken at low tide. Actually, two days ago it was probably even wilder. Even today, some big sets were crashing into the pool and washing up over the concrete platforms at the base of the cliffs.

Twenty lengths seemed like thirty today after struggling against the swell.

Strangely, though, the water temperature is back up to 18°C.

Cooler Water

It's beginning to feel like winter swimming at last. The water temperature at Wylies today was (according to the board) 17°C. I still don't feel the need to wear a swimcap, but that's because I only swim my 20 - 25 lengths.

The week has seen very strong (and cold) westerly winds. Today they were particularly strong, but, as the cliffs protect the baths from the cold westerlies and southerlies, it was warm in the sunshine. 

The offshore winds were, however, meant to flatten out the seas, but when I swam, just past high tide, I got a rather rough and choppy pool.

Winter Solstice

The water at Wylies Baths has stayed reasonably warm since Winter officially began about three weeks ago. I swam there on both Saturday and Sunday this past weekend, just a couple of days before the solstice. Both days were bright and sunny, but, due to a swell, I had to save the lap swimming until low tide at 4PM or thereabouts. By this time, the sun was low in the sky, the pool was in shadow and there was a bit of a chill in the air. 

On Saturday the water temperature was 19°C, and on Sunday it was 18°C, so still warm (although there was an occasional wetsuit to be seen). There's still no real need for a swim cap, but I will admit that I was glad of a hot shower and a mug of tea on Sunday.

I swam twenty sparkling lengths on Saturday (plus another couple without the goggles, just looking at the views), then another fifteen on Sunday. There were plenty of fishes swimming around the pool, but I didn't see the friendly octopus this weekend. The resident cormorant also failed to show up.

Lord Howe Island

Lagoon Beach

I've recently spent a week out in the South Pacific on Lord Howe Island. It's about 600 km off the mid-north coast of New South Wales, and has the most southerly coral reef in the world. This world-heritage area has a relatively shallow lagoon with several beaches, and also has ocean beaches on the opposite coast. Plenty of swimming spots to choose from.

Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird seen across the lagoon

The water is incredibly clear. There 90 species of coral and 500 species of fish from both the tropics and the temperate regions. 

Beach at Lovers Bay

It was lots of fun to swim, with mask and snorkel, from beaches along the lagoon, out to reefs of gorgeous coral and algae. At each reef, there were many colourful fish, both large and small. It was easy to spot parrotfish, angel fish, anemone fish and so many more. Off Lovers Bay, I swam next to a large turtle. 

View across the lagoon to North Bay

From North Bay, I swam out to and old wreck that was filled with shoals of catfish and butterfly fish.

Sunrise at Neds Beach

At Neds Beach, on the ocean coast, the reefs are very close to the shore. There's a sand channel that can be followed out to deeper water. I saw turtles here too, and also swam with three (small) Galapagos Sharks nearly every morning.

The Long Swim (in order of direction)

In April, 2009, I decided to swim in all the rock pools and tidal baths along the coastline of Sydney. My conceit was that I would adapt the idea behind Roger Deakin's book, "Waterlog", (itself adapted from an idea contained in John Cheever's story, "The Swimmer"), that is to cover a given geographical distance by swimming bodies of water situated along that distance. Essentially, I would swim along the Sydney coastline from South to North (therefore from Port Hacking to Broken Bay), using the ocean pools and saltwater public baths on the beaches, and in the bays and the rivers. My only rule was that I must swim at least one length in the direction of completing the overall swim.

Almost two years later, I finally completed (with certain exceptions) my swim trek. The eighty swimming enclosures along the route are listed below. Ten of these enclosures have been closed completely or have had the shark nets removed. In five of these I was unable to swim at all, but in five I swam the original area without the shark nets. One pool was being cleaned on the day I was there, and I will return at a later date to swim there. One pool is restricted to women and children, so that leaves seventy-three tidal swimming enclosures that I actually swam. Here they are:

Port Hacking

1. Gymea Bay Baths

2. Lilli Pilli Baths

3. Gunnamatta Bay Baths

Cronulla Beaches

4. Oak Park Pool

5. Shelley Beach Pool

6. Cronulla Ocean Pool

7. Cronulla Rock Pool

Botany Bay

8. Kurnell Tidal Baths

The Georges River

9. Como Baths

10. Oatley Bay Baths

11. Jewfish Bay Baths

12. Carss Point Baths

Botany Bay

13. Sandringham Baths

14. Dolls Point Baths (closed) (did not swim)

15. Ramsgate Baths

16. Monterey Baths

17. Brighton-le-Sands Baths

18. Kyeemagh Baths (closed) (did not swim)

Eastern Suburbs Beaches

19. Little Bay Rock Pool

20. Malabar Rock Pool

21. South Maroubra Rockpools

22. Mahons Pool (Maroubra)

23. Ivo Rowe Rock Pool (South Coogee)

24. Wylies Baths (Coogee)

25. McIvers Baths (Coogee) (women and children only) (did not swim)

26. Ross Jones Pool (Coogee)

27. Giles Baths (Coogee)

28. Clovelly Bay

29. Clovelly Pool

30. Bronte Baths

31. Bronte Bogey Holes

32. Bondi Icebergs Pool

33. Wally Weekes Pool and Children's Paddling Pool (Bondi)

Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson)

34. Watsons Bay Baths

35. Parsley Bay Swimming Enclosure

36. Nielsen Park Swimming Enclosure

37. Redleaf Pool (Double Bay)

The Parramatta River

38. Balmain (Dawn Fraser) Baths

39. Chiswick Baths

40. Henley Baths (closed) (swam within the original area)

The Lane Cove River

41. Woolwich Baths

42. Tambourine Bay Tidal Pool (closed) (did not swim)

43. Lucretia Baths (Woodford Bay)

The Parramatta River

44. Greenwich Baths

45. Balls Head Tidal Pool (closed) (swam within the original area)

Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson)

46. McCallum Pool (Cremorne)

47. Clifton Gardens (Chowder Bay)

Sydney Harbour (Middle Harbour)

48. Balmoral Baths

49. Balmoral Beach Swimming Enclosure (shark net removed) (swam within the original area)

50. Northbridge Baths

51. Garrigal National Park Swimming Enclosure

52. Guerney Crescent Baths (Pickering Point)

53. Sangrado Baths (closed) (swam within the original area)

54. Clontarf Pool

Sydney Harbour (North Harbour)

55. Forty Baskets Beach Pool

56. Fairlight Beach Pool

57. Manly Cove Swimming Enclosure

58. Little Manly Cove Pool

Northern Beaches

59. Fairy Bower Rock Pool (Manly)

60. Queenscliff Pool

61. Freshwater Pool (yet to swim here)

62. Curl Curl Pool

63. North Curl Curl Rock Pool

64. Dee Why Rock Pool

65. Collaroy Rock Pool

66. North Narrabeen Rock Pool

67. Mona Vale Rock Pool

68. Newport Rock Pool

69. Bilgola Rock Pool

70. Avalon Rock Pool

71. Whale Beach Rock Pool

72. Palm Beach Rock Pool

Pittwater

73. Avalon Baths

74. Taylors Point Baths

75. Salt Pan Cove Baths (closed) (did not swim)

76. Winji Jimmi Baths (closed) (did not swim)

77. Bayview Wharf Baths

78. Scotland Island Swimming Enclosure

The Hawkesbury River

79. Illawong Bay (Kur-ring-gai Chase National Park) (shark net removed) (swam within the original area)

80. Brooklyn Baths