Okay, I have now come to the conclusion that ‘destination swims’ are the most enjoyable for me.
On the weekend I took part in the very first Nobbys to Newcastle Ocean Swim, a 2.5km paddle from just under Nobbys Headland, out through the reefs where the Pasha Bulka spent a couple of weeks, then south past Fort Scratchley and Newcastle Ocean Baths before turning in to Newcastle Beach.
At our furtherest we were 400m off shore, and seeing the Newcastle skyline slowly creep by every time I breathed to the right was a new experience – a whole new perspective of my home town.
Now whilst I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy ocean swims that take in a set course starting and finishing from the same point such as Terrigal and Toowoon Bay, the ones I have enjoyed the most are the ones where you start here and finish there, such as the Caves Beach swim, the Across Lake Macquarie swim (even though the conditions for this were less than ideal) and now the Nobbys to Newcastle Ocean Swim. Oh, and the Newcastle Harbour Swim which kind of falls halfway between a course and a destination. Sure, we start and finish at the same point, but the fact we hoon across to Stockton before returning kind of makes it feel like a bit of a destination swim.
Admittedly, some of these ‘destination’ swims do mean that a barefooted walk or a ferry ride to get to the start is in order, but this is only a very minor inconvenience.
