Mid-winter swim, Hataitai Beach

21 June (NZ time), shortest day

Hi there

My swimming friend J and I did our mid-winter swim today at Hataitai Beach.  We never thought we'd be able to do it because yesterday's weather was so terrible.  But as I said to J this morning, "... even if the sea is crocodile-infested, I am definitely doing that swim today". 

J said, "What if there's faecal contamination?"

"Oh.... I might change my mind."

But there were no crocodiles.  No faecal contamination.  And no debris had yet reached our beach after yesterday's storm.  Blue skies, but it was extremely cold.  After our swim, we put on so many clothes you would have thought we were overweight polar bears.

 above: me

 above:  J

above: me

Breaker Bay mid-winter Swim June 2013

Hi there

There is to be a mid-winter swim at Breaker Bay, Wellington on Saturday June 22 at 3 pm - at the beach across the road from the children's playground on Breaker Bay Road.

Afterwards, swimmers and fans can cross over the road to the hall at 150 Breaker Bay Road and there will be mulled wine and hot soup.    Gold coin donation.

If you hang around until 7 30,  or return later, you can watch the French/New Zealand rugby test on a big screen.

J and I will also be trying to get in a mid-winter swim on the proper day - 21 June - at Hataitai Beach.

***
2nd swim for June at Hataitai Beach - Done!

June Swim No. 2 - DONE!

We've done our second swim for June, this one at Breaker Bay!  The residents have one every year.  There's a bonfire and, afterwards, mulled wine and soup in the Breaker Bay Hall opposite the beach.  I am so relieved that we've managed to get the swim in.  Now, it's two down, one to go before 30 June.   It's imperative that we get a day with no storms or hurricanes, or typhoons.
I didn't think the water at Breaker Bay was ultra-cold.  Maybe this was because we'd only been swimming the day before and were a fraction acclimatised to the cold winter sea.

It was hilarious in the water because there was literally no water!  Couldn't have been more than knee deep in most places and was so stony and seaweed strewn that it was all but impossible to actually swim.  I kept getting bogged down in seaweed, and J hated the stones.  Probably about a dozen people in the water.  They all seemed to be just quick plungers, however there were these two boys of about ten or 12 years old who, because of a $5 bet were trying to out-time each other in the water.  J and I left them to it.  It would have been nice to be the last out, but that damn seaweed really got to me.  Give me good old wonderful Hataitai Beach where we can just slip easily into the water from the steps, and there's nary a stone in sight.   Having said that bit about the stones, I must mention one huge stone at the bottom of the steps at Hataitai Beach that both J and I have tripped/banged/fell over at one time or another.  J turned her fall into the most graceful dive, whereas I just yelled out, grabbed my foot and hopped around like a wimp.

Swimming! - one down, two to go!

Finally, the weather has let up and J and I got in our first swim this month - yay!, pause to hear clapping and cheering!!!
  It was very cold but we managed to swim across the bay at Hataitai Beach and back again.  We were in such a triumphant mood as we got out.  We now have two more swims to do at the beach before the end of the month.  It's going to be tight, what with the terrible weather we're having.
Here's a pic of low-tide Hataitai Beach.

J is determined to go tomorrow to the mid-winter swim at Breaker Bay at 3 pm (Saturday23nd June).  The swim is on wet or fine.  If the weather's truly bad though I may stay home which would give J the advantage.  We're counting Breaker Bay (into our total of three) because the water there is colder than at Hataitai Beach.  If we were swimming at say, Mission Bay in Auckland, that wouldn't be counted because the water is warmer up north.   Goodness, we have so many 'rules'.!