We were unprepared for the plague of mozzies that accompanied us. Even lathered in repellant, they swarmed us. I had them in my ears and up my nose. It's a pity, because the gardens were intriguing, especially the cacti and succulents.

These weren't the "Hexham greys" of my youth, when even repellant failed to deter them while watching the speedway action somewhere near Tomago. Apparently Hexham greys are on the endangered list.

The discomfort of being covered in repellent led us down the highway a bit further to Newcastle ocean baths, which have been undergoing renovation for a couple of years now. Although there's still work to do, the baths look magnificent. Free to enter, free parking outside and so much room to enjoy. The exterior is art deco and the interior is reminiscent of Max Dupain's Sunbaker.

We followed this up the next day with a swim at Black Head ocean baths (thanks to the pool's Dad's Army) and the Tuncurry rock pool where a dolphin was keeping swimmers entertained before returning to his/her mates in the channel.

The visitnsw website tells me that in Australia, ocean pools took off in the late 19th century. "Competitive swimming was becoming popular and people wanted a place where they would be protected from the pounding surf and unpredictable currents."

And on the subject of swimming, don't tell the boss but I snuck off for a swim at the river entrance near Mud Bishops at lunchtime yesterday. The tide was coming in, pushing the slightly muddier water back up the river and providing a crystal clear and surprising warm bathing opportunity. No bull sharks to report.

So I hope this weekend you can do something that brings you joy, as swimming does for me.

Have a good one,

Toni Bell

ACM editor, Manning River Times