Pacific Jules

Wednesday 25th January - Burns night (day) - Oidhche na Taigeise, and fundraising for MND

Wednesday 25th January - and its Burns night (day) when Scottish all over the world celebrate Scotland's much loved Poet, Robert ("Rabbie") Burns.  Not to be confused with our very own manmaid Rob Burns!

Burns wrote about nature, and the sea is a key theme in many of his poems so its fitting that we celebrate him today with a swim.  On my part, i didn't appreciate poetry of any sort when forced to study it at school ( I loathed it and didnt see the point), however I have since found a new appreciation and one of my favourites from Mr Burns is "My Bonnie Bel".

Today we were fortunate to have Barry Gray from "Pipers of Distinction" (https://www.pipersofdistinction.com/ if you are interested in a piper at your next function!) piping the swimmers into the water.    Thank you Barry for supporting the Bold & Beautiful and for your beautiful piping!

We also had Alan Mitchell bravely swim with us today in Scottish Flag speedo's and a tartan bonnet raising money to support those suffering from and research into a treatment for the debilitating Motor Neurone Disease, which progressively damages the nervous system, eventually leading to paralysis.    Awareness has improved over the years, however, as yet, no cure.  MND has touched our community so any funds raised are welcome. 

Alan has joined a global fitness challenge, "Doddie aid" named after a Scottish Rugby international Doddie Weir, diagnosed in 2017 and recently passed away.  Alan's fundraising page, as part of a "Scots in Australia" team should you wish to support to find a cure, is

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alan-mitchell22?fbclid=IwAR1xCzgNYXgDzeXBcVwnvIfXJXUCV0M9elVbrITzgYukgGICm_BFGj-e35g

https://www.justgiving.com/team/scotsinoz

 

You might have seen Mike Tindall in the UK taking a dunk in his Australian Budget Smugglers in an English pond, all in the name of finding a cure for MND! - https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20230103160838/mike-tindall-braves-dip-budgy-smugglers-doddie-aid/

And we were privileged to receive a message of support from none other than the Scottish Rugby team captain and Doodie aid founder Rob Wainwright!   A shout out from the Isle of Coll in Scotland, where the water temperature hovers around 7 degrees - winter without wetsuit would indeed be a challenge (by comparison, todays water temp a balmy 22.7 degrees!)! 

Message here (hope it plays Ok!)

Download 326587184_6014095521980009_7090512048247967818_n  

Management getting into the Scottish spirit!

Traditional celebrations for Burns night should you wish to take note today or for the future, include:

• Piping guests into your celebration (today, our swim)
• Addressing the Haggis whilst reciting Robert Burns poem of the same name (for those not in the know, haggis is a type of black pudding - because I am squeamish I shall not recite the ingredients, suggest you consult good old Google for that one!) - as a child of Scottish heritage, I was exposed - so to speak - to Haggis; suffice to say I will not be partaking.   
• supper of Scotch broth, cock-a-leekie soup or Cullen skink, haggis & Cranachan for dessert (kind of like an Eton Mess - so I would definitely love it)
• singing (including Auld Lang Syne), dancing and poetry
• The ‘toast to the lassies’ - not really PC these days; men make fun of the women, and women reply similarly making fun of the men. 
• a whisky toast (some of us may have partaken this morning!) Slàinte Mhath!  whilst our own Rob Burns recited his namesakes poem "scotch drink"

A few other fun things perhaps you may not have known about Robert "Rabbie" Burns:

• he inspired American writer John Steinbeck (through his poem "To a mouse") and singer-songwriter Bob Dylan (through his song "A red, red rose"
• he was fond of supernatural stories, and wanted to move to Jamaica! 
• he was known as a "ladies’ man" - at 15 he wrote his first song, ‘O Once I Lov’d (A Bonnie Lass)’ to impress a girl called Nellie. Three years later he took dance classes to impress another lass. He fathered 12 children with four different lasses during his lifetime, including nine to his wife Jean.   He died at 37 a few days before his last child was born :(

and as for our own Rob Burns?   common traits shared with his namesake are limited to a love of whisky & the ocean, and here are a few more fun facts!:

• Fave Burns poem ‘Macphersons farewell'
• Have been swimming since I was 8 years old…. I broke my shoulder and my orthopaedic surgeon recommended swimming as a remedial exercise until I finished growing…. My father interpreted that as being Full Time Training which lead to 9 times per week (edit: and it shows with his constant quest to "win" the race back to the point every day!)
• Most interesting place I have swam is the Nanda Blue Hole in Vanuatu - the water was so clear and the viability limitless…. It was like swimming in lead crystal
• I never thought I could live in Sydney but I think I could spend the rest of my life in Manly

Apparently there is a Scottish swim group, the "Scottish turtles" who are fans of Burns' poetry, especially "up in the morning early" so its fitting that the Turtle was spotted today between the point and the Shed!

I hope you all enjoyed being piped into the water and reciting a few poems & celebrating Burns day!

Have a wonderful Wednesday - stay safe, stay kind, look out for one another!

Jocelyn

PS - remember 7am Australia day swim tomorrow and the 2022 Swimmer of the year will be announced! And, importantly the cake stall to raise money for lifeline!  

 

Tuesday 17/01/2023 John Bond’s 6000km!

John has been swimming with us since 2010 and today clocked up his 6000'th km. Well done John! A stunner of a morning today with calm water, great temperature in and out of the water and good visibility!

The Drinks Express head in. The water temp is 22.4 and waves are gentle. Viz is good with loads of fish and rays to be seen!

Some of 'The Originals' with Liz reappearing after 3 years!

We love it when our kids swim with us, Mike with son Jesse

Gropers, Luderick, Mados, Yellowtail and lots of Rays about today!

It’s such an awesome feeling when an Eagle Ray swims beneath you!

Lots of little Stingarees about at the moment too, especially at halfway.

Some of The Merpeeps

Some Drinks Expressers

A few Wows

Clare brought 2 newbies along today, Kathy and Di

Peta is back from SA. Here she is with local character Billy Tatts!

Tony with another newbie, John!

A few more fishy photos most are  taken from right hand side Shelly!

Happy swimming folks!

Lainey

 

Wednesday 4th January - Shark Bands, shark rescues and harbourside holiday hangouts

Four days into 2023 and what a change from the last few days - the sun (aka the greek god apollo) seems to have decided to take a holiday and Posiedon has sent Aegaeus, the god of stormy seas seems to visit, waiting for Triton to sound his conch shell to calm the seas so we can swim freely again.

Todays conditions:

temperature: 19.9 degrees

conditions: wild & messy, beach closed

vibe:  swimmers swam from shelly or bravely the bower, or harbourside like we did.  

Arriving at the beach at 9:30 to meet the mermaids & manmaids who like me are on holidays this week and dont have to be up early (for me, this week is a much needed energy recharge - making the most of it before early starts again next week!)...  the swell was huge, the waves were messy and the beach was closed  - lifeguards telling potential swimmers to swim elswehere!  with reports of the bay not being enticing either (huge thanks to all who post condition reports on the B&B facebook page) we decided to regroup at the old acquarium harbourside for a little swim adventure to fairlight - my first !

It also presented a great opportunity to try out our "Sharkbanz" in bull shark territory!

We swam to Delwood beach first, and i was amazed at the abundance of fish, and their size!    Then onto fairlight beach near the pool - again teeming with fish of all sizes.

Clearly the abundance of large fish means this is a prime fishing spot, as we saw when we swam into a discarded fishing line between Fairlight and Delwood, the end of which was a hook in the mouth of a little blind shark.   Operation free the hook commenced.  Bibiana immediately free dived to see if she could free the hook, whilst Simone swam back to delwood beach to see if the picnickers we had seen earlier had a knife. 

In the meantime several dives were made by Bibi and Luke ,attempting to dislodge seaweed which was also caught in the line and holding the poor shark down.  Our thinking was that if we could get the little shark and the seaweed clump in which it was entangled nearer the surface, we could either free the hook or cut the line so it could swim freely.   The fishing line had proved too strong to break by hand in the water...  

On reaching the surface it was apparent that the little shark had swallowed the hook, presumably for the bait.  Time was of the essence to maximise the little sharks chances of survival so we kept the shark in water whilst Luke set about cutting the line as close to the little sharks mouth as possible. 

Using oyster shells on the rocks whilst keeping the little shark in water, Luke managed to cut the line, just as Simone returned with a knife.   The shark was free of the line and the seaweed. 

The shark immediately swam away under a rock ledge - the hook still in its mouth but at least it could swim freely.   

The happiness we all felt was contagious - we dont know if the little shark will survive but thanks to Bibi, Luke, simone, maria, edwina, patricia, London and the team, the little shark is given its best chance!  

The fishing line was about 30 metres long - this little shark was lucky however countless others are not  - a stark reminder when fishing (legally) to be careful & take all rubbish & broken lines with you, and a reminder that fishing is prohibited in protected marine areas!    linky thing to the protected marine reserves:  https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/marine-protected-areas

If you do see illegal fishing activity, contact the Department of Primary Industries via Service NSW on line, or by phone: linky thing: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/report-illegal-fishing

And did the Sharkbanz work?   Well, none of us saw any bull sharks (Chris even ventured way out into the harbour to test that theory) so I guess they worked keeping the bull sharks away!   Thankfully!    The Sharkbanz do provide some peace of mind, even if we havent had to really test them yet!  

Have a wonderful wednesday, stay safe, look out for each other & be kind to each other and our marine creatures,

Jocelyn

 

A few announcements!  

Budgie Smuggler Random Swimmer of the Month

The Budgie Smuggler Swimmer of the Month for November is Meredith Gee. Meredith will receive a voucher for a new pair of Budgy Smugglers from the Budgy Smuggler shop. To be in the running for Swimmer of the Month, all you have to do is log your swims. The winner is selected randomly from all those who have swum (and logged) at least once during the month. The more times you swim the more chances you have to win the prize. So start logging now. If you don't know how, just email Ian, ugoboyo@gmail.com.

 

Summer badges:

A reminder about the summer badges on offer this year - challenge yourself and remember to log your swims!!

• Summer Challenge - swim 30 times over summer (1 Dec to 28 Feb), and swim in at least 7 different weeks
• Summer Super Swimmer - swim 50 times over summer

 Three long distance swims are also on offer, all of which earn a badge:

• A 6 km swim will be held every summer Saturday morning (depending on conditions) generally starting at 7 am. 
• There will be a 10 km swim once a month over summer also starting with the 7 am swim. Dates for these will be announced in the blog. 
• If these swims are too long for you, you can try a Triple Manly to Shelly swim any day during Summer (distance 3.5 km) from 6.30 or 7 am.

If you are unsure of the routes and protocols for these swims, please ask at the desk before you swim. When swimming these longer distances, we request that, for safety reasons, you stay with the group. We also request that you do not swim in dangerous conditions. The quest for a little cloth badge is not worth putting your life at risk. Enjoy your swimming. In order to be eligible for any/all of these badges you must log your swims in i-Log. If you don’t have a log-in, please contact Ian (ugoboyo@gmail.com) .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday 14th December - The week before Christmas!

The week before Christmas - Sagittarius season, silliness, sleepiness, summer, so sydney....

Water temperature:   19.4 degrees

Air temperature at 7am: 14.6 degrees

Conditions: Silky, serene, sensational...

Vibe:  a bit of sleepiness... perhaps still recovering from the Epic B&B Xmas party?

Its the week before Christmas, and all through the Bay, Christmas Cossie clad swimmers are eager to play

Full to the brim of christmas cheer, joyful swimmers grinning from ear to ear

Lots of tired, smiley faces, ready for a break, after another tough year, how much more can we take?

Hanging for downtime, no emails, sleeping in, rest...  rejuvenation, refresh, bathing in nature, ocean therapy at its very best

Catching up with friends, family and more, welcoming visitors who arrive at our door

Hoping mother nature sends Sunny days, swims in crystal clear, calm waters, full of fish;  as the advent candles burn, make your wish

As snowflakes fall & Christmas lights sparkle across the world, and silly Christmas decorations adorn houses, boys and girls;

We love the contagion of Christmas festive joy and cheer, so look after each other; check in with your family, friends and neighbours, share food, company, wine, cocktails, mocktails and beer!

as always, have a wonderful Wednesday, stay safe, stay sane, look out for each other!

Merry Christmas!

Jocelyn

 

SUMMER BADGES

As the Summer swimming season approaches, we look forward to our Summer swim challenges. By popular demand, we have decided to retain the summer challenge and super swimmer badges which were both well-received last summer. This year we will have the following badges:

• Summer Challenge - swim 30 times over summer (1 Dec to 28 Feb), and swim in at least 7 different weeks
• Summer Super Swimmer - swim 50 times over summer

 Three long distance swims are also on offer, all of which earn a badge:

• A 6 km swim will be held every summer Saturday morning (depending on conditions) generally starting at 7 am. The first 6 km swim will be on Saturday 3rd December.
• There will be a 10 km swim once a month over summer also starting with the 7 am swim. Dates for these will be announced in the blog. The first 10 km swim will be on 10th December.
• If these swims are too long for you, you can try a Triple Manly to Shelly swim any day during Summer (distance 3.5 km) from 6.30 or 7 am.

If you are unsure of the routes and protocols for these swims, please ask at the desk before you swim. When swimming these longer distances, we request that, for safety reasons, you stay with the group. We also request that you do not swim in dangerous conditions. The quest for a little cloth badge is not worth putting your life at risk. Enjoy your swimming. In order to be eligible for any/all of these badges you must log your swims in i-Log. If you don’t have a log-in, please contact Ian (ugoboyo@gmail.com) .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday 23rd November - Irish Eyes, Lots of "Aye's"

Wednesday 23rd November - is it the luck of the Irish and the return to the fold of Irish mermaid Ciara Gaffney that Mother Nature brought us (almost) fabulous swimming conditions today?    Even the Palmie surf boat chose our beautiful bay to train in the golden morning light ! 

The tumult of the last few days has disappeared (but for how long?).  The westerly onslaught has kept the ocean flat, the wind is now but a whisper, the weed seems to be making its way back out to sea and the "coastal upwelling" has cooled down the water, bringing back ALL the cold water benefits (and lots of neoprene!).

Water temp: 16.5 degrees

air temp: "felt like" 6.7 degrees at 6am

conditions: Flat, almost perfect, bit murky

vibe: generally happy - lots of smiles on wonderful wednesday!

Coastal upwelling is why we have been seeing a return to "winter swimming" water temperatures and the return of neoprene en masse the last few days.....  as strong gusty westerly & south westerly winds literally straight across the Bite from Antarctica push the warmer surface water out to sea, and cooler deeper water happily takes its place.  

Lots of "Aye's" this week:  Sue Marrinan 7000 km (wow!), Manmaid Rob and Pri said "Aye do", and the Irish eyes of mermaid Ciara Gaffney (below with mermaids!) returned to the fold.

 

Given we have water temperatures more akin to Ireland than manly at the moment, I thought Ciara could give the BB swimmers an insight as to what its like to swim in Ireland!!  

Ciara started sea swimming at 17 in Tramore (meaning "big beach") in county waterford (yes, THAT crystal), in South East Ireland.   The water temperature hovers around a balmy 14-19 degrees in summer, and 8-10 degrees in winter.  So, Ciara felt right at home when she started swimming with Bold & Beautiful in 2020 with the Mermaids and Manmaids and the Lunchtime swimmers.   She felt the same fear as most of us on our first time swimming in the open Aussie ocean, and she also felt the warm camaraderie, encouragement, friendship and embrace of the B&B community and learned to channel her fear into awe and wonder.    

Last year, Ciara returned to Ireland.  However, her love for swimming remained and she found places to swim, buddies to swim with and some awesome events like the Great Fjord swim in Galway, the 40 foot in Dublin, Salthill in Galway, Bray in Wicklow, Vico in Dalkey (for U2 fans - near Bono's house!) and the Aran Islands (yep Aran of THOSE knitted jumpers). 

Ciara describes Irish sea swimming as a "daily free wim hof" experience (and no sharks!  ask her about the time she swam so fast back to shore after a beach announcement in manly!).  Despite the water being so much colder, necessitating a wetsuit, under that wetsuit Ciara always proudly wears her B&B swimmers or other Budgy Smugglers as a reminder of magical Manly  and the friends & camaraderie of the B&B she misses, and we miss her too!  if you are travelling to Ireland and in need of a swimming adventure Ciara will be a wealth of information! 

The Great Fjord swim in Galway, Ireland is 9/9/2023 if you are interested!  Linky thing here:  https://gaelforceevents.com/en/the-great-fjord-swim-info - from Ironman (3.9km) to an enticer 750m there is something for everyone!   Thats an "Aye" from me one day!

And, lastly, today, Chance Aye'd off coffee as usual......

  

As always - stay safe as the dreaded "virus which cannot be named" once again infiltrates our beautiful city, stay sane, look out for each other, be kind and have a wonderful Wednesday! 

Jocelyn

now for the public service announcements:

Christmas Party

The B&B Christmas Party is now fully booked. If you would like to put your name on the waitlist, can you please contact Ian (ugoboyo@gmail.com). Similarly, if you have booked tickets that you can no longer use, can you also contact Ian. Thank you.

 

Budgie Smuggler Random Swimmer of the Month

The Budgie Smuggler Swimmer of the Month for October is Marianne Gould. Marianne will receive a voucher for a new pair of Budgy Smugglers from the Budgy Smuggler shop. To be in the running for Swimmer of the Month, all you have to do is log your swims. The winner is selected randomly from all those who have swum at least once during the month. The more times you swim the more chances you have to win the prize. So start logging now. If you don't know how, just email Ian, ugoboyo@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Wednesday 2nd November - Poseidons Paradise returns! (apologies photos could not load - tech user error!)

View this photo
Oh, and a few birthdays too including our temperature artiste in residence Guy Dunstan, Marie Antoinette, Daniel Boon, KD Lang, David Schwimmer, Ken Rosewall and yours truly :) ...  Seems to be some Confuddlement in the universe at the moment - is it Mars retrograde?   ... an unhappy mother nature sending La Nina to reinforce her lessons?  ... or the ancient gods and goddesses of the sea making their presence known?  Today, Poseidon, king of the seas and Lord of the sea gods, was happy.

 

Water temperature:  14.9 degrees

Air temperature: 7 degrees, almost exactly half!

conditions: Flat, clear, calm! 

Vibe: grateful

View this photo

 I purchased "Mythos" by Stephen Fry about 10 years ago, to read on a sailing holiday in the Ionian Sea.  I didnt turn a page as I was fully immersed in sailing, swimming, sightseeing, food, ice cream, ouzo and wine.  On a recent clean out to find books for the charity shop, I found it and thought I would read it.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I didnt study history at school - as a girly swot my preferred subjects were physics, chemistry and maths.     Reading it also took me back to my childhood - our parents read to us until we could read ourselves and our favourites were fables, myths, legends and fairy tales - clearly i have been living in fantasy land most of my life!   With all the confuddled conditions of late, I thought recognition of the ancient greek sea gods and goddesses was in order so that they will deliver us calm seas on a more regular basis.   

With apologies to any greek historians in our community - following is a summary of some of those gods and goddesses so you can choose to recognise those you are drawn to, in your daily rituals.  However, please note that gods and goddesses need appeasing.   Ancient sacrifices to appease the gods/goddesses included but not limited to first fruits of the harvest, a basket of beans or grain,  a cake, meat,  a drink offering consisting of wine, milk, and honey.  I presume that drinks consisting of wine only will be accepted as appeasement especially as it is a well known myth that vitamin Sea is a fabulous tonic to counter such appeasement.

View this photo

Aegaeus-  A god of violent sea-storms.   Thank goodness he has given us a break from the tempestuous tumultuous seas of late.  However, we know that he will return the favour!  

Aeolus - The king of the winds. today he sent a blustery chilly westerly to flatten the seas and force a de-mothballing of neoprene today (for some - others maintain the "spring without wetsuit" challenge!)

View this photo

Amphitrite - The goddess queen of the sea, wife of Lord Poseidon, and gave us the sea's rich bounty--fish and shellfish--as well as dolphins (led by the god Delphin), seals and whales (led by the Goddess Ceto).

View this photo

Aphrodite - The goddess of love and beauty - born of the foam of the sea (I will leave you to look up exactly how - this is a family blog and the story may make a few males cringe!).   I dont think Aphrodite wore neoprene....

View this photo

Galene - One of the fifty Nereides, she was the goddess of calm seas and gave us calmness today.  

Lamia - A monstrous shark-shaped sea Daemon. She was a devourer of men especially men who wear neoprene!

Sirens - Three dangerous sea Daemones who lured sailors to their deaths with their irresistable siren-song.....  i dont think we would have any such sirens in our community :) 

Thalassa - The Protogenos or primeval goddess of the sea, and we are all thalassaphiles - we love the sea!  

Thoosa - A sea nymph,  presided over "swift" currents and sea rips; Her parents and siblings represented other dangers of the sea. we can therefore thank toosa for being able to swim today back to the beach over the beautiful mesmerising sea grass, swaying in the gentle swell... 

View this photo

 triton - The herald of the god Poseidon and the original mer-man (or, in our speak, manmaid). A blow of his conch-shell horn calmed the waves and at a wave of his magical trident - could arose the oceans.....  perhaps he needs to deal with neoprene wearing manmaids :) 

And finally - the canine gods of Chance and Hope (Sir Basil's new name) - hope was forever entombed in pandoras chest, and therefore Chance and Basil live in hope for the chance to snaffle some cake, crumbs, coffee - whatever falls their way :)

View this photo

have a wonderful wednesday - stay safe, stay sane, look out for each other, stay kind and see you in the water!  

Jocelyn

Public service announcement:

LAST BnB DINNER FOR 2022 – TUESDAY November 8

At our next monthly dinner, to be held on Tuesday November 8^th, Bluewater Café at 6.30 pm our guest will be Anita Jacoby AM. 

Anita is an avid ocean swimmer and a leading advocate for women in media and leadership. 

Renowned as one of Australia’s most distinguished TV producers (60 Minutes, Enough Rope, The Gruen Transfer), she has uncovered the truth behind headline breaking stories such as “The Body Snatchers”, interviewed world leaders like Bill Clinton, Elton John and so many others.

But it’s the most remarkable tale long hidden in the midst of her own family which led her to write Secrets Beyond the Screen.

Come and join us to hear Anita talk about her gripping memoir and share some behind-the-scenes stories from the sets of some of our most iconic TV shows.

The cost of the dinner is great value at only $35 a head, which includes shared entrees, and a selection of mains to choose from (including a vegetarian option). Glasses of beer or wine and desserts are also available at the special price of only $5 each (please note, NO BYO). Bookings are essential, so to avoid disappointment and secure your spot please book HERE.

B&B 2022 Christmas Party

B&B Christmas Party is back again this year !!
The Party will be held on Monday 12th December at 6.30 pm at Bucketty's Brewing Co, 26 Orchard Rd, Brookvale.
All swimmers and partners/friends are welcome (no under 18s unfortunately).
The theme remains simply “Christmas”, so come dressed in your finest Christmas paraphernalia.
The music this year will again be provided by the band, “Gluteus Maximus”, which plays two types of music, Rock and Roll!
The cost is $20 per head, with all proceeds above the cost of hosting the evening to be donated to RFW
Food and drink available at bar prices.
Don't miss out on this fun event, as numbers are limited.
Click here to book now !

Terrific Thursday

The water was over 18, calm and pretty clear. We didn't see the turtle today, but had a nice sighting yesterday, off the Bower.

A lot of sea life to see, found an Eagle Ray on the way to Shelly.

Cuttlefish are still around.

Saw this grey nurse just off the Bower, near the shed.

A huge Blue Groper near the point

Frolicked with this Fiddler Ray on the beach side of the point with this 7am swimmer....

Wish I could've done a double but had to get to work. Hope you had a great swim too!

Cheers!

Alana

Budgie Smuggler Swimmer of the Month

The Budgie Smuggler Swimmer of the Month for September is Allan Bicknell. Allan will receive a voucher for a new pair of Budgy Smugglers from the Budgy Smuggler shop. To be in the running for Swimmer of the Month, all you have to do is log your swims. The winner is selected randomly from all those who have swum at least once during the month. The more times you swim the more chances you have to win the prize. So start logging now. If you don't know how, just email Ian, ugoboyo@gmail.com.

Wednesday 12th October - The Manly Mile - One family, many tribes making a difference together!

Wednesday 12th October - the morning after the night before, when the generous Bold & Beautiful community came together to raise much needed funds to support those in need...  The evening was a huge success, so much so, was that the reason only 43 people (so far) had logged swims this morning?  Guy was still grinning from ear to ear, proudly displaying the rubber ducky prize given to each of his winning team, taking pride of place on the temperature sign!

Greg Cole captured the essence (or, should I say "Schweppervesence" such was the boundless energy in the room) evening brilliantly and is posting his photos on the BnB facebook page so look out for the photos (todays blog photos were taken by me, so apologies for the quality!)..

The morning after:

Water temp:  16.8 degrees

air temp: 12.6 degrees at 7am

Conditions:  apparently clear (ish), no blueys!  

Vibe: still on a high from last night, and at the same time, quiet...

happy drinks & Duncan still on a high! 

A little under a year ago, Andrew "Drinks" Drinkwater had a vision to "harness the generous and ‘giving’ energy within the BnB to form an inclusive charity arm of our swimming community to raise funds for causes within in the Manly / beaches community -  Giving back to the community that gives us so much joy each day".     The idea was to hold a number of fundraising events each year - with the brief that the initial event had to be "fun and really good experience" therefore creating excitement to be involved with future events.

Well, Drinks, last night your vision became a reality & smashed the brief - in the form of a "Quiz night" to raise funds to assist Nigel Scozzy return home after his accident to a home adapted to his disability, helping Royal Far west kids and Australian seabirds and Turtles! 
 


The energy in the room was electric - 200 of the BnB community filled 20 tables upstairs at the Steyne - the aim being to outwit and outsmart all the other teams and the quiz master extraordinaire, John "JK" ("lets go") Kelly!     Lots of fun and good natured banter was exchanged between "tribes" who were all convinced they were "right", and the winners crowned and presented with their prizes of rubber duckies, wine and a new "perpetual trophy", manifesting future events!  

 

the wall of generously donated prizes!

The main aim was to raise much needed funds.   Trooper as MC Extraordinaire kept us to time and inspired us all to open our wallets, and part with cash (or raid credit cards) as 200 of our community perused and outbid each other for the extensive line up of auction prizes and raffle prizes, generously donated by our community.....   to raise (drumroll...)..... OVER $12,000!

Furious bidding!

kath Jackson & craig “crackers” bannister outbid everyone for this beautiful Greg Cole piece! 


HUGE thank you for all your support - Trooper described our community brilliantly - "one family, many tribes" - whether you were at the fundraiser or not, your support is felt, and greatly appreciated.  We cant wait until the next event!  

A huge thanks to the organising committee led by the visionary Andrew "Drinks" Drinkwater, Greg Cole, Simon "Trooper" Phin, John ‘JK’ Kelly, Fiona Johnson, Duncan ‘DY’ Young,  Diane Schaffer, Michelle Arnold, Lainey De Jaegar, Jon "Frangi" Howard, Paul ‘The General’ Storman, Emma & all who helped out on the night. It is a privilege to be involved & such a collaborative and energised team! (if I have missed anyone I apologise!)!

Special thanks to our community of generous donors for Prizes - live auctions generated furious bidding which was quite entertaining: Manly Sebel, Fastgear, Greg Cole, Jennette ‘LOL’  Britts, Steve ‘Mercedes Steve’ Perks, Deb Amos, Lisa Peresean, Lisa Beresford, Michael Sheahan, Nikki Foulsham, John Kelly, Ian Forster, Tanya Roesler, Georgina Hart, Elaine De Jaegar, Bibiana Arango, Andrew Drinkwater, Kerry Hughes, Paloma Llamazares, Roz Beaver, Sooze Cooper, James Partington, Roger ‘Driftwood’ Harvey, Andre ‘The Master Baker’ Arndt, Jonathan ‘Bondi Ferry’ Cattana, The Manly Mer-people, "Hairy Adelaide", Torbrek Wines, Rosemary and Anthony Scognamiglio, Jude Furniss, Matt Hayes, Karen Sander, Robyn & John Dennet, Jon and Karen Howard (If I have missed anyone I apologise!) ...

Wishing all of you a Wonderful Wednesday and for those who attended last nights fun and frivolity fundraiser, I hope you are still on a high of happiness!  

Stay safe, stay kind, look out for each other,

Jocelyn

 

 

 

Sunday 9th October - the Manly Mile: wet and not so wild - the record breaking deluge continues...

Sunday 9th October - winter badge ceremonies, First patrol for the season for Patrol 1, the first day for nippers (beach drills only!), beginning of a new week and rain records continue to tumble down like the relentless deluge  ....  officially the rainiest year in Sydney since records began!    At least the bluebottles have gone away (but for how long?).  However, my good friend Jane Golding (Senior Forecaster at the Beaureau of Meteorology) advised yesterday that a (brief) reprive is in sight!    

La Nina has decided she loves Sydney, generously giving us rain, wind, messy surf, closed beaches and bluebottles way too early in the season!   That said, nothing dampens the smiles and cameraderie of our wonderful community.... always finding a way to infuse vitamin Sea whilst respecting Mother Nature (and the lifeguards and volunteer surf life savers when the beach is closed!)

water temp: 15.8

air temp: 12 degrees with a bitey wind chill … where is spring ? 

condtions: surprisingly calm after last nights tempest. And, apparently clear and no blueys !  Beach closed due to pollution suggests otherwise ! 

vibe: calm.. wondering where spring went ! 

First up… winter badge ceremony was held this morning …  well done all swimmers who enjoyed invigorating winter swimming & all those health benefits!   Thanks so much ian, Pauline, JK & management  for making this happen! 

Elsewhere on the "manly Mile" La Nina will not interrupt preparations for the inaugural "manly mile" Quiz night fundraiser to be held this Tuesday 11th October at the Steyne hotel, a long time supporter of our swimming community.     The dulcit tones of JK will ring out as he transforms from "lets go" to "Quizmaster" for the evening (and no, he wont take bribes...) and our MC, Trooper will inspire and encourage us to open our wallets (including our on-line wallets!) and spend big on the fantastic prizes generously donated by our wonderful community.   

for those attending, a few housekeeping matters:

• arrival from 6:00pm for a prompt commencement of proceedings at 6:30
• please bring cash in all denominations for raffle tickets (there will be a tap & go as well)
• food can be ordered from your table via QR code and will be brought to you, so you wont go hungry

Details of silent and live auction items will be available on the evening on your tables as well as posted on the Bold & Beautiful facebook page.   The list of auction items is also below in case you arent going and would like to delegate bidding to a friend! 

Live auction:

Greg Cole - Print

Georgina Hart Art Lesson - 8 people x 3 hours

Jeanette Brits Swim Lesson - 5 people x 1 hour (2 prizes)

Silent Auction:

Sebel Hotel - one night in an ocean view room with parking

Greg Cole 3 hours photo shoot w drone - images

St Albans pub lunch + transport

Philips Neopix Easy+ projector (x 2)

Orca Wetsuit

Turning Point Pilates pass

Bommie Swim Pack (x2)

Beer tasting experience - 6 people x 2 hours

Lomi Lomi Hawaiian Massage - 60 mins x 1 pax

Wine tablecloth + boxed bottle of Bollinger

Massage and infrared sauna - Manly

Private Snorkel Tour of Cabbage tree Bay with Bibi and Lainey and 30 pictures

Home Fire Safety Kit - Extinguisher, fire blanket & smoke alarm

Story Room and free journal x 2 people

Cabbage Tree Bay painting by Roz Beaver

First Patrol of the season for patrol 1!   Stay safe, look out for each other, Stan kind and have a superb super Sunday !

Jocelyn 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big rough and blue

This is a dry blog so I'll take the word of all the swimmers I spoke to that there are no blueys in the water and the wind and swell pushed them all onto the shore. There were a few on the tide line as well as the usual rubbish we get with rain and a NE swell. 

Lainey - not drowning, waving and having fun

Plenty of fun to be had

 

I had to take a photo of Elena and her fabulous t shirt

Nicci and Ian both said it was rough. Ian tried to swim in close to the wall but ended up swept along the beach

Wilf

Bindi and Freddy

The MOB (Men Of the Bench)

Some of the Drinks Express ladies and gentlemen

No fish today seeing as I didn't swim, but here's a Spangled Emperor from last weekend

And now... an official notice

Budgy Smuggler Swimmer of the Month

The Budgy Smuggler Swimmer of the Month for September is Allan Bicknell. Allan will receive a voucher for a new pair of Budgy Smugglers from the Budgy Smuggler shop. To be in the running for Swimmer of the Month, all you have to do is log your swims. The winner is selected randomly from all those who have swum at least once during the month. The more times you swim the more chances you have to win the prize. So start logging now. If you don't know how, just email Ian, ugoboyo@gmail.com.

And an unofficial one...

Don't forget the trivia night this coming Tuesday, lots of fun to be had, auctions and prizes

What am I listening to?  Well, apart from the Kenny Everett Video Show (look for the episode with David Bowie!) and interviews with Roger Federer and  I've had this running through my head all week, it's an oldy but a goody and this live version is from Top Of The Pops in 1967

 

Wednesday 21st September - take me back to Fiji time!

Wednesday 21st September - a week ago I was arriving in Fiji, Mana Island for the Mana Swim Fest run by Oceanswim safaris.  We were blessed with (mostly) calm seas, sapphire blue, warm, clear water teeming with fish and coral all the colours of the rainbow.  

Such a contrast to today:

water temp: 16.8

air temp: 16.1

conditions: bumpy and blustery 

Vibe:  bold and brave 

Back to Fiji.....  A few months ago (May, to be exact) a friend suggested I join her and a few other friends for the "Mana Swim fest" in September - on Mana Island, Fiji, run by Ocean swim safaris.   On offer was 5 days marooned on an island in the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by coral reefs, ensconced in a beachfront Bure lulled to sleep by the lapping of the water, hydrated with a swim up pool bar,  endless cocktails, nourished by bottomless buffet meals and relaxation in a day spa & mesmerising sunsets ........  oh, and two swim event days:  day 1 - a 10km solo swim or a trio relay (supported by paddlers and a "feeding station"); day 2 (after a rest day) a choice of 5km, 2.5km, 1km and 500m individual swims.   

I must have been caught in a moment of weakness as I almost immediately booked, and signed up for the 10km solo (my longest swim to date was 6km!).  I had already signed up for a ski weekend the weekend prior meaning I would transit from Ski to Sea within 24 hours.   I figured I had May to August to train and I couldn't think of any reason (aside from that i had never swum more than 6km, and i am not fast!) to NOT go.  Life is far too short!     

Fast forward to 13th September and a 3am alarm having returned from the snow at 6pm the evening before (luckily i had already packed!)...  12 hours, one taxi, one flight, one bus & one boat later and with matchsticks holding our eyes open we arrived on Mana Island - absolute paradise.   

Almost immediately Fiji time was observed.  Straight to our Bures, just like the brochure - surrounded by coconut palms, hibiscus and frangipani, literally steps from the beach -  so close we could hear the lapping of the water onto the sand with the reef literally two strokes away.  

Of course our first stop was the pool bar - a welcoming G&T of course, then a swim to say "Hi" to the fish - so many - all colours of the rainbow.  And a glorious sunset swim - without fear of sharks. 

The group of 24 (from all around Australia and NZ) included fellow B&B swimmers Nikki O’Shea (fresh from the 21km Keppel island solo!), Peter Carroll and his wife linda.  We were united by a love of swimming & camaraderie, challenging ourselves and supporting each other, having fun and the excitement of travelling to explore and swim in tropical waters. 

I was absolutely not prepared for the 10km - the training I had planned went out the window after becoming very sick after an invigorating (but fun!) "swim" in the Thredbo snowmaking dam in July.  And a long boozy ski weekend immediately prior … However,  here I was in Fiji and determined to give the 3 lap course a go - the worst that can happen? I am pulled out or swim to shore.

The beauty of Mana is that swimming is possible safely on both the North and South beaches.  The 3 lap course was set at South beach due to the unexpected arrival of a feisty sea breeze from the North East.  As a sailor I would normally be enthused at its arrival but as a swimmer, about to embark on - for me and others in the event - a mammoth challenge, a sea breeze over a shallow reef makes for quite uncomfortable swimming and unintended ingestion of salty water....  to cut a long story short - the 3 laps were all different -  due to changing tides, changing  breeze and reef currents that can behave like rips.   

However there is something special about swimming above a reef - clear, warm (about 26 degrees) water teeming with fish and colourful coral.  Every lap presented different fish coming to say Hi and even a giant sting Ray - probably wondering "WTF"?.    The paddlers accompanying us were amazing - always checking on us, reassuring, offering water (I had gels too), frequently ever so politely re-directing me back on course (even in a pool i have trouble following a straight line!) and sticking like glue to us all the way to the finish.  

The first lap was tough and it would have been easy to quit knowing that 2 more laps were required.   However, I took the view that this is the ocean after all and mother nature dictates conditions by the minute, so no two swims are the same.  In my mind, I was swimming "3 swims".   The last 3.3 kms lap hurt however i found the mental and physical strength to keep on going, and I crossed the finish line - thinking I was DFL but in fact coming in a slow 3rd in 4 hours 15 minutes (fellow B&B Nikki O'Shea won in a time an hour quicker than mine!  she is a legend!).  As the swim was unaided (ie no flippers or wetsuits or swim aids)  the 10km is a qualifier for the ultra swims like Rottnest (dont worry - NOT on my radar!)....   I had Pina Coladas and chocolate cake for lunch - having ingested so much salt water I couldnt think about food - except sugar.  yep that poison called sugar.  but gee they tasted sooo good! 

(my track - all tacks and gybes and my gps gave up after 7km... a sign?)

The next day, half our group took over a guided snorkelling "three hour tour" to nearby reefs and a cool sand cay - so many fish parties, coral, turtles & black tipped reef sharks patrolling the depths at the reef drop offs and it was pretty surreal standing on a little sand cay in the middle of the ocean as the tide washed in.. (and looking with envy at the day sailors with their eskys of Verve!)..

On Saturday, in picture perfect pristine sparkling sapphire conditions, the 5 km and 2.5 and 1km (Nikki and Sally who came 1st & 2nd in the 10km backed up in the 5km against Fijiian Olympians and Nikki came 3rd, sally 4th!)  events were held. Over the two events, everyone in our group swam further than we had before and way outside our comfort zones.    Peter Carroll, whose team came 3rd in the 10km relay, backed up for the 5km - his first - finishing in well under 2 hours.   His wife Linda completed her very first open water swim, finishing the 1km.   Massive achievement! 

I swam the 1km alongside a friend in her first open water event swim and i was so proud of her - facing her fears to finish!  Big smiles lit up the afternoon and belied tired bodies (the day spa was well patronised and i can recommend the hot stone massage!).  

We bonded , laughed and told our stories over buffets, beers and poolside cocktails   We are all very grateful for the ocean swimming community  - supporting and encouraging each other,  no matter how fast or slow, or how efficient our swimming was, or not.  

Celebrations were capped off nicely in the bar with the swans 1 point win against the pies!  

If you are thinking of maybe possibly one day completing a swim over a longer distance and challenging yourself (and having a holiday too!), I would recommend Mana Swim fest - you are well supported, on and off the water, its warm, you wont need your wetsuit and of course the "fiji time" and island life is very conducive for relaxing.    And the deal is pretty good too with the meal plans.  Another fun fact about Mana - American survivor is filmed on mana and the cast are "living" in rudimenatary conditions on a small beach about 100m East from the resort - so close they can probably smell the delicious scent of the Food in the Fijiian Lovo.... that would be torture! 

So, next year the dates have been (or soon to be) set - in October.    I am almost definitely going back (this time hopefully having actually prepared and trained!) - who is coming with me?  

https://oceanswimsafaris.com/pacific/mana-fiji.html

Stay well, stay kind, look out for one another, and have a wonderful wednesday!

Jocelyn (still recovering from Fiji time!)

Public service announcements:

2022 Winter Badge Ceremony – Sunday 9^th October

You’ve done the hard yards and earned your Winter Badge(s), so why not collect them personally with all the pomp and ceremony the B&B can muster. Our Winter Badge Ceremony will be held at the Royal Far West’s Centre for Country Kids at 14-18 Wentworth St (opposite Rialto Square) on Sunday 9^th October, at 8 am, straight after the regular swim! Everyone is welcome, family, friends and swimmers alike. Bring along $10 for each badge you have earned (credit cards accepted at this event). For the first time at this event, $2 will be donated to the Royal Far West for each badge purchased on the day. So, if you can’t make it, get your friends to collect your badge for you. Or if you have previous badges you have forgotten to collect, now is the time to do it.

A $5 per person donation will be payable to the RFW at the gate for hosting this event, and .... RFW will provide a FREE breakfast (sausage sandwich and a coffee/tea). Bookings are essential to ensure there is enough food. Book here NOW  https://www.boldandbeautifulmanly.com.au/2022-winter-badge-ceremony.html

Quiz Night - The Manly Mile  – Tuesday 11th October

Reposting info below from Friday. Unfortunately the trivia night seems to be sold out but the raffle is on for everyone!

It seems unimaginable that our friend, Nigel Scozzi, who taught many young locals how to save themselves and others on our beaches, would have a freak surfing accident at Queenscliff leading to life-changing spinal cord injuries.

But six months ago, this actually happened. Nigel was surfing with his son and was found unconscious in the water.

Our legendary lifeguard Wayne administered life saving resuscitation and with the help of a Careflight emergency doctor and paramedics brought Nigel back to life. Once stabilised they took our friend, teacher, mentor and surf lifesaving legend to the Royal North Shore Hospital. He hasn’t been home since.

Let’s give back some of the energy and love Nigel has put into our community by helping him back to the beaches to live with his young family, friends and community again. We need to raise funds to help modify his house for wheelchair access and to cover ongoing care, medical expenses, treatment and transport.

A portion of the proceeds will also go to Royal Far West and the environmental charity for Cabbage Tree Bay.

Come along and bring a crowd upstairs at Steyne Hotel on Tuesday 11^th October for a BnB fundraiser hosted by our Quiz Master JK from 6pm. Tickets on sale Friday 16^th September from midday for $35. Tables of 10 or singles all welcome

BUY TICKETS HERE

If you can’t make it, please donate at GoFundMe Support for Nigel