Tathra Ocean Swimming
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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Swimming to this rocky outcrop, and then through an opening between the rock formation. (A narrow opening where I was told to keep to the left hand side)
Safely on the other side, all are accounted for, then its time to head to the wharf.
Reaching the final stages, another rocky outcrop to negotiate.
The final leg with the wharf in close proximity.
Almost there.
Wednesday the swimmers stopped just prior to the wharf, whilst on Thursday they swam through the wharf pylons to the other side. Then time for a spell and for a talk, prior to the journey back to the surf club.
An overhead pic of the swimmers on their journey home. (Wednesday there were 8 swimmers and on Thursday 14 swimmers.)
View from the Tathra wharf.
Journey home with the Surf Club in clear view.
The ‘Gap’ Café for coffee and socialising.
An ‘Ocean Swimmer’ is always made welcome at Tathra. Similarly, up and down the coast most beaches have a contingent of swimmers who make any new comer very welcome.
Camping at the Tathra Beachside Tourist Park
Our first trip away towing a caravan. All went very smoothly. It certainly is a big improvement on the past excursions living in a camper trailer. Junie is very happy, has a well equipped kitchen to prepare some amazing food dishes for me.
News filtering through from the Mollymook swimmers.
Laura’s 27 km ocean swim from Whale Beach to Shelly Beach schedule for this Saturday has been postponed due to the latest forecast of strong southerly winds due Saturday morning. With 60 or 70 ocean swimmers, each accompanied by an individual paddler and motorised boat, as you could imagine, it would be havoc out to sea with huge swells and chop.
A new date to be announced will be in the autumn, perhaps mid-April when the weather is usually a lot calmer with no to little wind to contend with.
Checking the MND website, Laura has raised $7,990 of her planned $10,000 fundraiser for MND
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Ken B., Mollymook Beach Waterfront: Editor for Mollymook News, Destination Mollymook Milton Ulladulla and Mollymook Ocean Swimmers