Waikiki for me means swimming EVERY day. Usually snorkelling on the reef just off Fort de Russy. The reef is a bit sandy these days, having had a lot of NSW sand imported so the tourists have something to lie on. There is coral, and the fish are wonderful. Each swim includes old friends (fish don't move very far from their little spots) and some new ones. There are moray eels to be seen, and brightly coloured reef fish. The water is warm, around 26 C, so there is no shock in getting in.
Since getting home I've been hankering for more. One swim (laps) in the pool at Victoria Park didn't quite cut it. Every day I look wistfully at the sky, hoping for hot sunny weather. Today I couldn't resist. On with the togs, off to Coogee. Now Coogee is a very popular city beach, and parking is often a problem. I tried the little close parking area. No luck. Then the bigger further parking area. No luck. So up the street, and someone pulled out in a truly great spot, right on the beach, with no meter. My parking karma rarely fails me.
The water is much cooler at 19 C. There was a bit of a shock getting in. Coogee water temperature is a patchwork - you can be swimming through quite cold water, then suddenly you are in a warm patch. There are rocks at the northern end of the beach, where there is a lot of sea life. The flora was looking spectacularly lush today, with lots of kelp in bright gold and brown, some lilac coloured fronds of some other kind of weed, some neon blue flecks of smaller growths on the rocks. And quite a few fish around. Sometimes I see little groups of squid looking up at me, but not today. No blue groper today either. But lots of other fish. I am in heaven when I am snorkelling.
There was no surf to speak of, so there was no body surfing. Alas the sun disappeared behind cloud, the wind came up a bit, so I headed home. No doubt there will be more swims to come.
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