Join the Wello Pointers Team
Sunday, 10 March – 9:30am
We are inviting you to be either a swimmer or supporter for the Environmental Defenders Office Qld’s (EDO Qld) fundraising effort called SWIM for the REEF. Ian Curr, Peter Harker, Susan Phillips and I are the Wello Pointers Team members so far. You can be either:
a Swimmer with us – in which case you have to register and join our team, Wello Pointers –go to http://swimforthereef.org.au/ . Please read the How to Register section first and then go to Register Now. There is a small registration fee of $10 per person. You can also make a donation and ask friends to donate to yourself as part of our team, or directly to the team.
or
a Supporter and donate to the Wello Pointers Team – to donate to our team, go to http://swimforthereef.org.au/ and then to Sponsor a Friend > Support a friend and type in “Wello Pointers”. As a supporter you are most welcome to come along on the day and assist wherever possible or just enjoy a swim on the high tide. You can also join us on a kayak or stand-up paddle-board.
Please forward this email to your friends and networks. You can see my Facebook posts as well at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010167728056
Details of the Swim
Date and Time – The proposed date is Sunday, 10 March, 2019, 9.30am for a briefing and then swim. This may change due to weather conditions.
Each year now a group of swimmers supported by kayakers and stand-up paddle boards swim from Wellington Point Reserve beach area to King Is (Yerra-bin), along the western side of the sandbank. It is 1.2km one way.
The sand bank is partially made up of coral from an ancient coral reef about 1 kilometre to the east of the bank. Check it out on Google Earth. You will be able to stand up all the way, as it is reasonably shallow water, and walk back to the mainland along the sand bank if you don’t wish to swim both ways.
The tide is highest at 2.19metres at about 11:20am on this day. This is a relatively moderate tide. At high tide, the sand bank will be covered with water to about waist deep in some places. Please note this is not a race, it’s about having a good time and raising some worthwhile funds to support EDO Qld.
We will set up chairs, table and a Swim of the Reef banner under a fig tree to the east of the beach steps early on the morning of the swim. Please bring a plate for food to share when swimmers return to shore.
Please note that you will be swimming at your own risk. Safety is of the highest importance to us, but you are personally responsible for your safety in the water and insurance will not be provided.
We plan to have kayakers in support of the swimmers with a first aid kit and water. A lifeguard is present on the week-ends and will be notified of our event.
What to Bring
For your own protection as a swimmer, we recommend:
Wearing sun screen and a sun shirt (rashie) to cover torso and arms. You can also wear sun pants for leg protection if you wish.
Wearing flippers or booties. Flippers help if you are a slower swimmer as there can be some current across the top of the sand bank as the tide comes and goes. Flippers and booties also help protect your feet from the bottom which can be rough in places.
Wearing googles
A bright swimming cap for head sun protection if you a balding like me.
Be aware that there can be jelly fish stingers, stingrays, stonefish and bull sharks in the area. Having said that, we don’t swim at dawn or dusk (shark time) and in my 34 years of wind surfing there, and swimming and kayaking there for the past 18 years, I have seldom seen sharks. As well, there have been only two reported serious stinger injuries in that time. We will scan the area by kayak beforehand to check for jelly fish. At present this summer, jelly fish have not been a problem swimming at the reserve and to the island.
On the very positive side, you may well see turtles, sea eagles, and occasionally a dugong or dolphins.
Please let me know via my email or phone (below) if you are a swimmer or supporter, and plan to kayak or paddle-board. Also, can you swim on the alternative day mentioned above when the tide is suitable? Make sure you register as above. Donors can just turn up on the day as supporters.
If you have any difficulties registering, please call the EDO Qld team on 07 3211 4466 or email swimforthereef@edoqld.org.au.
Look forward to seeing you on the day.
Trevor Berrill
Team Leader, Wello Pointers
Sustainable Energy Systems Consultant & Educator
http://www.trevolution.com.au
tberrill@powerup.com.au
Phone 61 7 3207 5077 or Mobile 0400 177 283