Category Archives: Swimming with the fish

On the morning of Christmas Eve the waters were looking inviting.  Just a few days before our part of the world will be engulfed in madness.  On Boxing day there is a mass influx of tourists visiting the area and it can last until the end of the school holidays, right till the end ofContinue reading “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

It’s the Christmas school holiday and as is customary for this time of the year the ocean at our beach is blessed with a particular sea creature.  I hear that they prefer calm warm waters and can lurk both at the surface and at depth, also they can at times be close to shore orContinue reading “Right on cue”

Over the last week and bit I have had a few dips in our local waters and found a few gems.  I’ve been a bit busy and also had a few days away climbing so thought I would provide you with a short but worthy collection of the best sights.  And what better way toContinue reading “Stars on 45”

After a great Saturday morning climbing, the mercury was creeping up to 30 as I got home. The trees swayed and the wind was up, so I guessed that a snorkel to cool down would be out of the question. However, I was wrong. There was not a stir on the flat waters off theContinue reading “Snorkelable”

Not put off by my last venture off Peppy I went back in yesterday.  While the ocean looked deceptively calm, there was still a underlying swell, resulting in the water being swished back and forth.  All that turbulence brings with it a stirring of the pot and as such any loose weed, and of courseContinue reading “A garden salad”

On Saturday, after a hot morning climbing at Welly Dam with wonderful tree top views across a valley it was time to cool off.  So we decided to head to the beach.  It had been a mid-thirty to forty degree week and the sea had been flat as a pancake, so I was hoping toContinue reading “The eye of a storm”

This morning while Lisa took the dogs for a walk a message came back to indicate the water was most definitely snorkelable.  I was however feeling a little weary from a great climbing session the day before and my body was undecided.  When she got back she told me that she had even seen aContinue reading “Pleasure and pain”

My optimistic outlook on the start of a good snorkelling season has been a tad dashed.  Since my first dip I’ve been out three more times.  The water is a good temperature but there seems to be a distinct lack of life out there.  A few wrasse, goat fish and sweeps pop their heads outContinue reading “The Dark Side”

Today is the first day of a week and half festive break from work and the timing was good.  The temperatures have been steadily increasing towards the weekend and usually that means the sea calms down.  So this morning I was walking down to the beach at a very reasonable time of 8am’ish.  There wasContinue reading “Turning blue”

Yesterday I found myself back at Castle Rock, and while I was there to climb I also took a quick dip.  There were more people fishing this time so I was a bit limited in where I could snorkel plus the water was not as beautifully clear as the previous week, but… I came acrossContinue reading “Just one more time”