Mossy Point - Tomaga River

Back to Sydney today, so my last South Coast photo for this time.

Batemans Bay and the Clyde River

Nathaniel Bateman was the commander of the Northumberland, and as a young naval officer, Captain James Cook sailed as master under Bateman's command, charting the St Lawrence River in Canada.

In 1770, Cook sailed along this coast, past tall cliffs broken by inlets lined with white, or golden sandy beaches. In places the trees almost reached (and some still do) the waters edge. Then this bay, its entrance guarded by two small islands, and the mouth of a large river. Cook remembered his commader on the Northumberland, and named the bay after him - Bateman Bay. In time it became Batemans (no apostrophe these days, though it once did!)

The river was named the Clyde (probably after the Scottish river of that name) by another explorer, Robert Johnston, in 1821. The bridge, which opens to allow taller vessels through, was built in 1956. Before that you had to wait for a ferry to cross the river.

After a history of timber-cutting and milling, and fishing, and a small, isolated population through much of the 20th century, Batemans Bay became a popular tourist and holiday resort, at first mainly for Canberrans - this stretch of coast is sometimes called 'The Capital Coast' in reference to the number of Canberrans; and latterly more Sydney-siders (though at 4+ hours drive, it is a bit more than a weekend destination for Sydney-siders). The permanent population is 16 000, and the summer and easter hordes many times that. Yet, it's still a pretty calm and tranquil place, the crowds in the shopping centre on an overcast January day (stopping them going to one of the fabulous beaches in the area) notwithstanding.

For more pics of Batemans Bay and the surrounding area, click here.

Those mangroves again!

Yesterday when I drove past, not only was the sun out, and the Great Dividing Range visible in the background, the mangroves were up to their knees in the water - high tide. That tree next to them is a casuarina. The name casuarina is derived from the Malay “Kasuari” or “Cassowary” which refers to the likeness of the plant's thin drooping stems and leaves to the feathers of the bird.

Washing the catch, Mossy Point

For more shots from here, including ravenous seagulls, click here.

Mangroves Moruya River

Bergson - especially for you!

Mangroves in Moruya River, when the tide is higher.

Mangroves

Moruya River at low tide allows you to walk amongst the mangroves. Many people search for bait worms in the mudflats at low tide. Too many mangroves have been lost to development along the Australian coast and waterways. We now understand that they are essential fish breeding grounds.

Slip! Slop! Slap! (and Wrap)

This is one of my favourite positions for summer.

'Slip-Slop-Slap' is the name for a campaign in Australia exhorting people to "slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat" when they go out into the sun in order to prevent skin cancer. It is probably Australia's most recognisable health message

The campaign started in 1981 and its mascot is a seagull called Sid. (See Sid here). The campaign included advertisements and a jingle and has been adopted universally as part of SunSmart campaigning. As a result the incidence of skin cancer in Australia has decreased.

The health campaign was extended in later years to encourage the use of sunglasses. That is, slip on a shirt, slop on the sunscreen, slap on a hat and wrap on some sunnies: "Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap". By this stage however the skin cancer aware message of the campaign had successfully been absorbed into the Australian psyche and "slip, slop slap, wrap" was neither as memorable or as necessary as its precursor. (Source: Wikipedia)

Most primary schools require hats to be worn when kids are playing outside. They have a "no hat, no play" policy.

More than all that, though, we're exhorted to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Australia still has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. About 280,000 skin cancers are diagnosed each year in Australia including about 8,000 melanomas, the most dangerous form. Each year 1,200 Australians die from skin cancer. Here's all the facts and figures from the Cancer Council.

Some people from overseas have commented about the tops that everyone wears to swim in (see yesterday's photos, and there's one over the deck chair in this one). They're called "rash vests" (or, inevitably, "rashies" in Australianese). They were first worn by surfers, in conditions when a wetsuit isn't needed, to prevent chest rashes developing from the wax on their boards. Now they are a staple part of beachwear, in order to prevent sunburn.

Facing the waves

There's a low pressure system off Queensland at the moment - not unusual...it is cyclone season in the north. It is delivering flooding rains to southern Queensland and northern NSW, and huge seas down the NSW coast. Yesterday most of Sydney's beaches were "closed". This means that the lifesaving patrols do not put out the "swim between the flags" flags and advise people not to swim, because it is too dangerous.

Here on the coast south of Sydney, the seas are a bit higher than usual, but we're not having anything like further north, or the rain either. Just a succession of beautiful sunny days.

That's my son second from the left.

The best way to get through a wave is to dive under it. Waiting to dive: Or maybe you might prefer to just throw yourself into it after it's broken!

Whatever you decide, remember - have fun!

Here's a picture from the newspaper showing seas off Sydney. Waves have been up to 3 metres.

An Aussie summer

At this time of year, the lazy days of January, Australians in droves decamp to the beach. So has Sydney Daily Photo. Here are some of the essential ingredients: an umbrella for shade, clothing to cover up from the ozone-hole strength sun, board shorts and rash vests, boogie boards and beach cricket. (That brown house nestling a third of the way up the cliff in the background, with the log cabins in front, belongs to Nicole Kidman and family). This is a really busy day on "my beach" !

Wulworrá-jeung (Robertson's Point) - Cremorne

This is one of my favourite spots in all of Sydney Harbour. I like to climb down the ladder in the cliff face and sit on that little bridge across to the lighthouse and watch ferries, cruise ships, kayaks, and whatever else comes into view on the harbour. Robertson's Point was called Wulworrá-jeung by local Aborigines, the Cammeraygal. It's at the very tip of Cremorne Point.

James Robertson, a Scottish watchmaker, was granted 86 acres of land here in 1832. he built a house here. PS, all the masts across the harbour (above) are of the Sydney-Hobart yacht race fleet in Rushcutters Bay.