THE Narooma Numnutz winter swimmers had their best swim ever when they all headed out to Montague Island on Sunday.
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This was the inaugural Numnutz Montague Swim, but all agreed it was so much fun that it should become an annual event.
The idea for the swim came two weeks ago when club member and swim course director Jason Hextell had a sudden brainwave while climbing out after one of the regular Sunday swims down the inlet.
“Let’s take your boat out and swim the island,” he said to this fellow swimmer, but then after a few moments this quickly transformed into a plan of going out on a charter boat and taking the whole club.
So early on Sunday morning, the winter swimmers gathered on the deck of the Dreamtime, Narooma’s biggest charter boater, being driven by capable skipper Norm Ingersole.
Norm had sought permission from National Parks to allow drinks man Ray Hirst and his table deposited on the island, so that the swimmers could have their traditional warm drinks on land after the swim.
The swimmers about half way to the island were treated to a brief whale sighting of a small pod of humpbacks migrating north.
Once at the island, the first job was to drop off drinks man Ray and resident field officer Danny Shilling was there to lend a helping hand.
The Dreamtime then headed out across the bay to the NZ fur seal haul out rocks where the 26 swimmers all jumped in and quickly headed off back in the direction of the wharf.
There was lots of talk of sharks in the days, hours and minutes leading up to the swim, but fortunately for the swimmers, the only creature of the deep seen was a friendly Port Jackson shark mooching on the bottom.
The water was a pleasant 19 degrees for the 500-metre-or-so dash across the bay to the wharf, although some swimmers reported having to swim against some current and wash off the rocks.
The swimmers hauled themselves out like the resident seals and shivered together on the island wharf until Norm and the Dreamtime returned with towels and dry clothes.
A change and the hot drinks soon had the swimmers warmed up enough for a group photo.
Then it was back on the boat and into Narooma for the swimmers, who continued drinks and a delicious spicy veggie and ham soup back at O’Briens Hotel.
The Narooma winter swimmers have another trip planned this Sunday, this time down the highway to swim at Bermagui with sister club the Bermagui Blue Balls.
There were in fact five Bermagui Blue Balls along for the Montague Island swim and they had a great time too.
We’re not sure what the hosts have planned, but no doubt it will be fun, not too strenuous and with some good drinks, soup and company afterwards.
The Narooma Numnutz would like to thank Norm Ingersole and Narooma Charters for taking us out to Montague at minimal cost, as well as Preston Cope at National Parks for allowing us the land on the island.
We will be back at Montague Island, and judging by interest around town and in winter swimming circles around Australia, we may be needing a bigger boat as the old saying goes!