Mollymook News
editor Ken Banks
The Mollymook ocean swimmers are not an organised group. They are simply a number of local Mollymook Milton Ulladulla citizens joined by numerous other ocean swimmers holidaying in the Mollymook Milton Ulladulla area who enjoy an ocean swim each morning. They meet at the Mollymook Surf Club at 6.30 am and a 2nd group of longer distance swimmers at 6.45 am daily, throughout the year. (However during winter when the days are shorter we may start up to 15 minutes later, viz. 6.45 am and 7.00 am). There is no water safety, each person chooses individually whether or not to swim in the prevailing conditions and if so the distance they swim and understand they swim at their own risk. Most endeavour to swim in pairs or groups and numbers vary from 4 to 6 in the winter to say 40 during summer.
2021 Mollymook Ocean Swim – Local Ocean Swim Group and a few
The 2021 Mollymook Ocean Swim was held in beautiful conditions. Full marks to the young organising committee headed up by Lewis Betts. Pics following are primarily of our local ocean swimmers with the many other pics given to Lewis for him to organise the necessary publicity.
Following pages have pics and all the 2021 Mollymook Ocean Swim Results
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Kim’s Saturday morning sunrise pic
Click on this link for all entry details for the May 16 Mollymook Ocean Swim.
Kim took some lovely pics of the beautiful sunrises on Saturday and Sunday morning.
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Drone pic, Palm Beach Start
This past Saturday, April 17 Laura, a Mollymook ocean swimmer, completed this ultra-marathon swim. Despite the choppy conditions at the start of the race, and the fact she had to swim against a southerly swell, plus had a small shark swimming about 20 metres away, for about 15 minutes, and that was only 2 hours into the swim. Regardless, she was able to draw inspiration from her supporters and get herself over the line faster than expected, finishing fourth overall after being pipped for third.
“It was just euphoric, honestly I just had the best time out there, I never felt tired or fatigued, I just had so much adrenaline going through me,” she said.
“It was such a close race swimming for third position for most of the way. We were basically sprinting for third position for the last kilometre or two.”
Laura was continuously getting donations throughout the race, and by the end she had exceeded her goal of $10,000. At the time of publication, the amount of donations was sitting at just under $11,000.
She is also grateful to the many Mollymook swimmers who have helped, supported and encouraged her over the past few months. And the emails she received post race were so encouraging. All were past on to Laura who I think is still on a high. Also there will be an article in tomorrow’s local Times newspaper. A heartfelt thanks from Laura to all who helped make this a reality.
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Sue and Chris provide this update on their travels through Tasmania. “First of all, what a wonderful achievement by Laura yesterday!! She is amazing and we are very proud of her for continuing with determination to accomplish this goal following so many setbacks and disappointments. How wonderful!
Mollymook Ocean Swim is scheduled for May 16, 2021
The Mollymook Surf Club President, Mr Rodney Austin OAM advise today that a group of younger surf club members are taking on the responsibility for the organisation of the 2021 Mollymook Ocean Swim. The event is being organised to take place on Sunday May 16, 2021
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Simone Brayne Mollymook, GOLD Medal in the 35 to 39 Female Masters Surf Race
NSW Surf Titles continued over this weekend for the 2021 Masters surf and beach events.
Mollymook competitor Simone Brayne (nee Everett) a former brilliant junior swimmer and one of the original Mollymook Ocean swimmers who competed back in the 2001-2004 period, swims 20 odd years later, for the first time in Masters events, the 35 to 39 year female category.
She was brilliant, winning GOLD in the surf race, SILVER in the surf tube and BRONZE in the board race. It was an exceptional performance, if not for a little fatigue it would have been gold in all 3 events.
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Held this past Sunday March 7, 2021 Mollymook Ocean Swimmers were represented by a small contingent of swimmers.
Kim provided this following report: Quote “The course location was changed due to the dangerous swell that persisted over the weekend, so rather than swimming the normal course that has its finishing leg in front of the surf club, we ended up swimming in beautiful flat water at Broulee Bay.
Kate came 9th in her 50 to 60 age group in a time of 27:21. A Top 10 finish. Yay!
Greg came 3rd in his over 60 age group in a time of 24:27.
I (Kim) came 11th in my 40 to 50 age group in a time of 28:12.
Kim added, I thought of Jan as I swam into a tree sized bit of seaweed – trunk and all! I nearly stopped swimming because I heard her voice in my head telling me we’d arrived at the tree ” unquote.
Sue Feigler a regular swimmer at the annual Mollymook Ocean Swims also swam finishing 5th in the over 60 age group in a time of 26:37. Sue’s daughter Danielle who has swam with the Mollymook mid-week swimmers also swam winning her 30 to 40 age group in the time of 22:16
Broulee had a wonderful turn up for the swim with a total of 358 contestants in the various age groups, again demonstrating the popularity of ocean swimming.
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Virginia waxes eloquent in her beautifully written article on the Mollymook Ocean Swimmers and as could only be expected, Dean Dampney provides his professional touch with some classic photography.
The magazine will be available from March 1 at most of the coffee shops in Milton and Ulladulla, also at Bannisters Pavilion, Mollymook bottle shop etc. Alternatively for our out of town ocean swimmers, you can access it on the ‘White Wash’ web site via the following link: www.whitewashmagazine.com.au
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John Sarich (Smeeth) who pioneered the original ocean swimmers at Mollymook is now retired in the outback town, Charleville Qld. John provides this update: “After several year’s hiatus, I’m rekindling my love for swimming. All the rivers up here are a series of permanent waterholes and only flow after good rain. The Ward River (pictured) is 25k west of Charleville. It is a great spot for open water swimming and I have it all to myself during the week. Had a mate take some pics and video so I could check my stroke. Its Looking good so its all about fitness now. I wear fins because the water is black underneath the surface, have a look at the water coming off my hand in one of the pics. Also wear fins in case I throw my arm over a snake. These days I’m always swimming on my own. I do miss the ocean, but am loving my life. Take care, guys, catch up soon. Ciao. John” (A couple of more pics below)
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The daily routine for this gregarious group at Tathra is to begin each day with an ocean swim, usually out to the Tathra wharf and return, providing there isn’t a big swell. They begin at 8.00 am each day (I learnt not a minute before nor a minute after) with numbers varying from say 4 to as high as 30 during the holiday periods when swimmers on holidays join in from Sydney and elsewhere. The locals swim daily throughout the year with the coldest water temperature’s getting down toward 13c in the winter with the odd occasion, reaching a low of 12.5c Besides enjoying an invigorating swim to commence each day, they are also a very social group who adjourn to the aptly named ‘Gap’ café for coffee at the conclusion of their morning swim. I was made very welcome, I showed them a copy of our Mollymook swimmers book which they were very impressed with. One of the ladies (Rachel) asked “did I know Ian and Leonie?”. Yes, I responded. She went onto mention that she was also from Lockhart.
On Tuesday the water temp. was reportedly 18c, a little low for this time of the year due to the recent strong Nor-easterly winds/currents.
They swim to the wharf and return although on Thursday they took me through to the other side of the wharf. The swim is spectacular as you weave in between the rocky outcrops staying reasonable close to the steep shoreline cliffs. The sea life is quite diverse. I swam over this massive ‘Bull Ray’, I was momentarily in wonderment, ‘what was it’? We also saw a variety of sea life, so pretty! On another occasion one swimmer stopped me, waved and yelled out “did you see it”? It was another giant ray, she called out.
I could imagine how pretty and enjoyable it would be diving in these crystal clear waters with a snorkel and flippers.
The following pics, map out the spectacular journey swim as you weave in and through the various rock formations.
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January 28, 2021 it was announced that West Australian ocean swimmer, Stephen Junk had been inducted into the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. (Credit, Facebook pic)
Listed above are the inducted Ocean Swimmers in the Australian Marathon Swimming ‘Hall of Fame’.
Graeme moved to the Port Stephens area from Mollymook and began swimming with the ‘Shoal-Bay Wharfies’. Accordingly they gave him the nick name ‘Molly’.
Prior to his move up north, Graeme was one of the foundation builders of the original Mollymook Ocean Swimmers group and the inaugural Mollymook Ocean Swim Classic in 2003.
Moving north to the Port Stephens area he has made his presence known as a keen ocean swimmer. Here is an example of his most recent feat:
Graeme writes: “The old adage, ‘Don’t let the old man in’ was ably demonstrated last week when I (aged 68), completed a solo ocean swim circumnavigating Fingal Island in 2 hours 40 minutes. Water safety was provided by members of the Fingal Bay Surf Club and several ‘Wharfies’.
The 8 km swim was undertaken in treacherous seas (on the ocean side of the Island), with some bommies unloading on me and a couple of sharks for company. This swim had it all!
Anyway I became the first person to complete this challenge – I must be mad! Our swimming group have t-shirts displaying “ Don’t let the old man in” fits perfectly with me, nearly 68 and still having some mongrel left in me. Say hi to the gang down Mollymook way. What memory do they have of me?” Regard, Graeme.
P.S. Some of Molly’s previous swims have been from Shoal-Bay to Hawks Nest ( Jimmies Beach) and return and on another occasion from the Tea Gardens bridge to Shoal-Bay.
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Australia Day 2021 was not our traditional style swim
Spectators at the Beach Hut café were agog, what in the world is going on. The ocean swim group normally do a length of the beach swim to celebrate Australia Day each year. BUT 2021, here they are floating down the beach with the strong ‘north-south’ current next to the sandy shore. The question was asked did anyone get a picture for proof? What were their names?
Sanity prevailed. Apparently the leadership group agreed that the swimmers would earn their coffee simply by floating down with the strong ‘north-south’ current rather than attempt to get out and swim in these very challenging conditions with strong rips, currents and large bumpy / choppy swimming conditions.
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Australian microbiologist, Professor Dominic Dwyer a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Sydney and has been appointed a member of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) delegation currently in Wahun, China with the purpose of investigating the source of the original outbreak of COVID-19.
Dominic is a keen ocean swimmer having competed in the 2 km Mollymook Ocean Swim Classic on numerous occasions as outlined below:
2019 – 2 km Mollymook Ocean Swim he finished 71 overall and 49th in male category, just behind Lloyd and ahead of Jill P. in a time of 38:01 (60-69 age category. Overall number of competitors was 190)
2018 – 2 km Mollymook Ocean Swim he finished 57 overall and 38th in male category and ahead of Lloyd on this occasion and 6th in his 60-69 age category. (170 starters)
2017 – 2 km Mollymook Ocean Swim he finished 54th in the male category in a time of 34:12 and 3rd in his 60-69 age male category. (309 starters)
2010 – 2 km Mollymook Ocean Swim he finished 52nd overall in a time of 33:56 and just behind Tony Ireland. (266 starters)
2008 – 2 km Mollymook Ocean Swim he finished 40th overall, in 34:44, only 4 seconds behind Dick M. and 3rd in the 51-60 male category. (184 starters)
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Another pic of our headline act – Peter the Priest
As the BOM meteorologist Melody Sturm reported today on the current surf conditions, “We’re seeing waves over three metres high just off-shore, and closer to the coast (there’s) a little less height in those waves, but they’re still quite powerful”.
Peter the Priest, as seen earlier was the headline act providing entertainment for all and sundry, however not to be overlooked were the supporting contributor’s.
Click on images to enlarge
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