Category: East Coast Australia


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Land surrounding river is owned by a pastoral company.  Will there ever be shops, liquor store and a marina here?

It’s a wild river – inhabited by crocodiles, possibly squatters in a hut  (one surviving hermit living near the mouth of the river disappeared – possibly taken by a crocodile before these pictures were taken.  That story is elsewhere on this blog).

We’ve anchored at the Olive River several times while making marine documentary films offshore.  In the upper reaches of the river where water is brackish, grow unique palms.

Anchoring near the bank is a hazard,  many large submerged tree’s underwater.  You’d think these would make an ideal home for Barramuindi – the prize fish.   Professional fishermen always seem to have ‘cleaned them out’ before we arrive.

Currently before the Australian parliament is the Wild Rivers Legislation.

The future of this and other rivers of Cape York Peninsula rivers  is blowing in the wind.

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Entering the water was necessary from the bow.

We were anchored in the lagoon at Middleton Reef (southern Coral Sea).  Wally Muller had roped Coralita’s anchor to an antique ships anchor we’d placed on the sand in the lagoon ‘yesterday’.

Now it was time to check the anchor.  I was joining deckhand Richard Weir for the inspection and would film it.

All dinghies were either out of the water or anchored on their own elsewhere.  In other words, no rescue vessel available.

Coralita was swinging in a great arc in the very strong breeze.  Easy to miss getting back aboard as a strong current was also running.  No problems.  All went well.

It was a cyclone called Colin.  Stronger than the cyclone that had wrecked Darwin a few years before.  This was 1975.  The wreck of the Runic, (pictured above during a previous visit) nearby, was battered by the heavy seas with waves breaking over her – we saw from a distance.

Wally Muller in 1971;  Wally Muller underwater with the ship wreck  anchor which saved Coralita during a cyclone at Middleton Reef.

AROUND THE COAST PICTURES

Bondi Beach, 1981 – has much changed – apart from the higher prices since the 2000 Sydney Olympics?

MIMOSA ROCKS – NEW SOUTH WALES SOUTH COAST

It’s a national park area between Tathra and Bermagui.  Abalone on the rocks in shallow water but most are under-sized and best avoided.  Centuries of wave action has placed the brick-like rocks in a pattern than humans would find difficult to improve.  The shape of the bay is also very nice.  Live periwinkles on the rocks too – these have become rare elsewhere as they are a cheap seafood.  Eating the guts is necessary.

COOLANGATTA or GREENMOUNT BEACH

I lived across the road for a couple of years when the beach looked like this.  It’s changed considerably.  A ‘sand by-pass’ pump south of a nearby river has moved millions of tonnes of sand north in the prevailing current.  Consequently the edge of the surf is now more than one hundred meters offshore.   There would be space for a couple of streets in the area that was once water, in this picture.  A scene unlikely to be seen ever again.

Coolangatta is on the border between New South Wales and Queensland, Australia

Waving a red flag in the former police state?  Ignorance of international tourists in a rented van.



Vic Ley was filmed by me  spearing this Black Cod in 1969 at Fish Rock, South West Rocks – now a sanctuary. The sequence appeared in my first film Aquarius – People and Wildlife of the Sea but was dropped from later editions.  Today it should be of interest to environmentalists.  Vic Ley remembers how prolific marine life use to be at this now famous scuba location.  New South Wales mid north coast.
Brian Davies was a professional fisherman, surfer and free diver who lived is a cabin at Seal Rocks, New South Wales.  His father was a local pioneer professional fisherman – a true man of the sea as was Brian.  Brian took a job in Japan which involved working with toxic chemicals.  A few years later, back in Australia his liver packed up and Brian passed away – just a short time after his father.

The young fellow takes a Rock Blackfish ashore for his father, Geoff ‘Boots’ Towner, our long term friend.

Conditions for ‘rock hopping’ are not ideal, as the picture illustrates.  A strong NE sea breeze has made the water choppy.

Early morning’s are a better bet for calm conditions although during bthe summer, the NE breeze starts early too.


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