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.

Post-Christmas Sales

The after-Christmas sales attract people to Pitt St Mall in the city.

On the Beach

Time for summer holidays!