When I see something like this I always have a bit of trepidation. For them, not me, as I was in a safe spot using a zoom lens. I watched these two blokes for about 20 minutes and wondered if they’d survive the constant breaking waves. Eventually I gave up. My final observation was, ‘appeared to have survived’ and ‘no fish caught’.
Ok, that just makes me shiver! Just one slip and a fall on those rocks could mean a fatal head injury, and there's also the chance of being swept away. On rare occasions I accompany my avid fisherman brother, but for me that usually involves casually sitting on the sand with a rod in one hand and a book in the other. Not that this technique catches me anything apart from toad fish or guppy sized specimens though. Perhaps I am just a wimp! Nice action caught on camera by you. I can feel the rough conditions and the danger! The cloudy sky adds to the misery. Not my idea of a fun day out! 🙂
It happens everywhere I guess, but I've spent years down along that bit of coast. Even on calm days like this one, the water might lap metres below the rock shelf, before suddenly a swell will rise up quickly, like an elevator of water and before you know it, it's right across the rock shelf. There's not even a semblance of a breaking wave. One second it's down there and the next, you've got wet feet 🙂
I guess it's one of those things. These blokes might say they're experienced and can read the water, never had a problem etc, but graves are full of people who only ever had one accident 🙂
This photo reminds me of something my husband would do…..
No problem. As long as he knows what he's doing 🙂
The Munmorah area of the NSW central coast has had about a dozen deaths over the last few years http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/14-die-on-deadly-threekilometre-stretch-of-central-coast-20140429-zr13p.html Unfortunately due to our recent migrants, the rate seems to be increasing. Just wearing a life jacket and some swimming ability to enable swimming away from the rocks would save many peoples lives, also wearing rock fisherman's shoes.
Great shot Greg! I have enjoyed reading your blog and especially your fiascos for the last month. Don't give up on hiking. South Australia, Flinders Rangers, Heysen Trail, Fleurieu Peninsula, Barrosa Valley are great in winter and waiting for your fiascos. Looking forward to you daily photo
Hi Ken, thanks for the article. That's a pretty amazing number, isn't it? At a guess, the Victorian equivalent would be Punchbowl Rocks near San Remo down Phillip Island way. I know a few have gone into the sea there. You know what the water is like around rock shelves as well. It can really churn around and having kelp and other crap would make things even trickier. it would be hard to keep from being battered.
I see you mentioned migrants. Years ago I found a piece of spine on a beach at Phillip Island and apparently it came from two Pakistani students who were swept off rocks nearby and never seen again.
Hi ATW, thanks! I don't think I'll give up on the hiking. The writing is another thing altogether 🙂
A few injuries have stopped me from tackling week long affairs, but I always hope to get back out for something really major. AAWT or the Bibblumum maybe? I do know I'd like to do the Cape to Cape next winter. Oh yeah, I've pondered the Flinders Ranges a few times! As you said, the way our country is, quite a few of these hikes are off limits in summer. I reckon I can almost handle the heat, but it's the lack of water and how much I'd have to carry which puts me off! Maybe next winter I can sneak into the Flinders Ranges…
Hi Greg,
Were you in Crib Point On 4/12/14?, thought I saw someone that could've been you old mate
Hi Karl, no, I wasn't down there on that day. Maybe it was my stunt double? He's got me into trouble before. Actually, every stupid thing I'm blamed for, it's actually him and not me. I'm at home in bed most of the time 🙂
Hope you're well mate!
Love the beach, love the rocks, and definitely love the waves, as for standing like a shag on a rock well that is another matter.
Yeah, I'm all things coastal as well. Always wanted to live near the ocean and spend some time pottering around on rocks. Not like in this photo of course!