A week of Sydney swimming | Part one

I moved down to Sydney at the perfect, and imperfect, time. On the one hand, I flew down the same night as my sister flew out of Brisbane airport, headed to London via LA. We travelled to the airport together and hugged goodbye as we pulled into the international terminal, then waved as the doors closed and the train carried on to the domestic. Not only was it convenient to do this journey together, but it also meant I had a new adventure to look forward to. When my parents went home after their visit, I felt low, and deeply grateful that I had my sister’s visit to look forward to. As she departed, I didn’t feel so sad about being left, because I was leaving too.

However, I also moved to the beautiful beach suburb of Coogee, the day we’d gotten tattoos. This meant I had a (minimum) two week wait until I could properly swim in the ocean on my doorstep. When I first explored Coogee and the surrounding coastline, I was in awe of the deep blue and turquoise waters that frothed and swayed just a short walk from my new house, and I ached to dive in. But, two weeks later, I still was, and I was so excited to plunge into the sea. I've been keeping a record of each swim in my journal, and decided to share my first week of swimming here.

Wednesday 13th September

I went down to Coogee beach. My housemates had warned me that Coogee is deceiving – it can look calm but be pretty wild. Today, it even looked frightening. As much as I wanted to run straight in, I know my strength well enough not to put myself in danger so easily. Instead, I took my first Sydney swim in the pool at the south end of the beach. The bath is filled with salt water that crashes into the exterior and splashes over the wall as waves come in. The water was cold, and it took me a moment to submerge myself. But once I did and started swimming, I was so comfortable. I swam lengths, mindful of the others in the pool, until after a few, they had all left, and the pool was mine. The sensation of my body in water, the exercise and immersion, the view of the ocean, the early sunset sky streaked with pink, the smell of salt, the subconscious understanding of where I was and how far I’ve come to be here, all of it combined in a delightful, fulfilling experience. I’d swum wearing a hat to protect my head, but before I got out, I took it off and submerged myself completely. I’m not sure what it is about total immersion, there is probably science behind it, but it feels so important to ensure I get at least a moment of it every time I swim.

Thursday 14th September

I’d spent Thursday morning and early afternoon in the sunshine with friends. We caught up over journals and ginger beer near Bondi Beach, which was a beautiful and powerful start to the day. I decided to walk the coastal route home, which gave me ample choice of swimming locations. I decided to swim at Clovelly, a sheltered inlet of water, closer to Coogee. Once there, I changed into my swimsuit and chose a staircase to descend into the water. It was precarious. The steps were slippery with the remnants of slimy seaweed. Once I’d lowered myself onto a rock, I continued onto another, deeper one, further submerging myself. Once I was waist-deep, I was able to do a small dive to immerse myself completely. As it had the day before, the full immersion felt incredible. I love the feeling of my body suspended in water, diving, floating, dipping, rising. 

Friday 15th September

After lunch, I headed down to Coogee, where the waves didn’t look as wild as I’d previously seen them. I decided to give it a go and swim between the flags. The sand was steep, and the waves break so close to the shore, so you when you’re getting in and out, you have to find a calm moment and commit. Of course, the water was cold at first, but once I’d dived a few times, it was delightful. The waves were manageable. I loved bobbing over and diving beneath them as the strength demanded. At the same time, I felt so connected and so free.

Saturday 16th September

I began my day watching the sunrise at Bronte. I’d caught the bus part way and walked the other half of the distance, arriving before the sun came over the horizon. As I walked, I caught glimpses of a deeply coloured sky through the trees:  maroon, purple, and green. The sky brightened as I sat on the sand with a handful of other sunset admirers. Deep purple turned lilac, then light blue. Red became orange, then gold. The bright red sun rose above the horizon, turning the dawn light to day. I sat on the sand for another hour, journalling. I had a lot of thoughts to untangle that morning, and this was the perfect opportunity. There is something so refreshing about watching the sunrise. The only way to improve the moment was to get into the water.

I swam in what I found out was called the ‘bogey hole’. An area of the beach, sheltered by rocks. It was high tide, a little choppy, with plenty of depth to swim in. It was going to be a hot day, but it wasn’t there yet. I forced myself to breathe slowly as I waded in, but it was tough. A woman noticed me and we agreed that I’d adjust in a moment. She asked if it was my first time in the ‘bogey hole’, to which I replied it was. She told me that at mid-tide the water is calmer, and if you have goggles you can often see gropers. After our whole conversation, she said: “See, you’ve adjusted now.” And I had. I felt so comfortable in the water. She’d distracted me, prevented me from the overthinking that can sometimes cost us great experiences. She told me to enjoy my swim, and dove off into the waves. 

I spent the next while treading water, diving, twisting, dipping, turning, splashing. It felt so good not to focus on how many lengths I was swimming, like I’d do last year, when I got into swimming at my local leisure centre. Instead I could just play, and enjoy the sensations.

Later that afternoon, I swam again. This time, with company, although I stayed in the longest. I was at Coogee again. The temperature was in the low 30s, and the sand was packed with sunbathers. This meant that getting into the cool water was extra refreshing, and it wasn’t long before I found myself far more comfortable swimming the tall waves than I had been baking on the sand. Beneath my foot I felt something, like a large rock. I pulled it up with my toes, eager to see if some interesting sea shell or coral had found its way almost to shore. Instead, I found a plastic toy car that had been swept away from its owner. When I left the sea I took it with me. One less piece of plastic in the ocean…!

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Part two to come!