Friday, January 13, 2012

The Big Blue.....!

Although it is big and it is blue, it's not the water slide in the background that I was referring to in the title. I took this shot yesterday at Hillary's Marina when I met a friend for coffee, it was 10.30 am and the temperature was already around 35C the sky couldn't have been more blue.  Even though it's the school holidays, vacation swimming lessons were in full swing, a huge percentage of children in Australia start learning how to swim almost before they can walk, and then proceed all the way through school with the higher levels of water safety and lifesaving....
You can see from the many small tents scattered over the beach that they come very well prepared for the heat and are all wearing hats and shirts, they wouldn't be able to participate without them..... I must say this sight each year does bring back some memories, both David and Aimee did swimming lessons here, many, many years ago, how lucky are they to have such a beautiful spot to learn.....!! I hope you have a good Friday and an excellent weekend.....

42 comments:

  1. Lovely, and glad to see that you folks are sensible about the SUN. Too often I see pasty white tourists walking in midday with NO hat, glasses, turning red before me eyes, but I've given up trying to tell them (from under my 'lifeguard' straw hat). They are annoyed, or cheerfully inform me they used sunblock.
    Oh well, they can suffer and learn later that day/night, and possibly a keratosis or worse for a memento. . . . Be Smart about the sun!

    Aloha from Waikiki
    Comfort Spiral

    > < } } ( ° >

    ><}}(°>

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  2. A wondrous waterpark and a wonderful program. Learning to swim is one of life's most important tasks. It's so nice to see a community take the lead in helping children in this regard. Your photos are so beautiful - the saturated colors of summer!

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  3. Now I'm going to spend my weekend dreaming of blue skies and warm seas!

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  4. For the soul.

    Please have you all a wonderful Friday.

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  5. Looks like a lot of fun in the sun - and water! Our lakes around here are frozen and you'll see our winter activity on my blog on Saturday!

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  6. What a fantastic place for kids to learn and play!

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  7. The clarity and color in yours shots are just amazing.

    Around here most of the kids learn to swim in a pool. Back in the day, my brother and I learned in a lake...

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  8. A great place to be sharing a coffee & chat - it's so good to see the kids
    learning to swim at such a young age.

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  9. Love those blue skies and that blue water! What a terrific place and your captures are fabulous, Grace! How fun and such a great place for kids to spend time and learn to swim! Fantastic! Hope you have a great weekend!

    Sylvia

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  10. Wonderful summery shots Grace! It's hard to remember those warm temps although we were up to +5˚C today which is great for January.

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  11. That looks like a fun place. Nothing like a day at the beach.

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  12. When I was a kid, I loved swimming. These days, I go in up to my knees. What a wimp I have become!

    This series is gorgeous. That blue!!! I enjoy seeing a beach scene from across the globe.

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  13. Bonza photos. You just can't beat the great outdoors in OZ :-).

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  14. I'm like JAck, damned knees...What a beautyful place to learn to swim, and how clever to organise those lessons for kids!We have almost the same kind of blue here, though it's middle of winter..

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  15. Lomks a little too busy for me, but am sure I would cope just to get some of those sun rays!

    Chrissy at Manchester: a photo a day at Mancunian Wave

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  16. great blue!

    i love your photography/blog!


    have a nice weekend!

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  17. It feels hot. Pass me the sunblock.

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  18. I love Hillarys Marina, lovely spot for the kids to swim.

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  19. A bit crowded for me but still that's nothing compared to the overcrowded beaches here on the peak of summer. Grrrr.... :-) The blues are lovely!

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  20. and a Bon weekend a vous aussi dear pdp. ^0^
    wow, everything's really bleu in this post esp. the sky,
    that I bet the sun's pretty much up to its heat.
    glad you're enjoying the weather and your nice stroll to the beach.

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  21. just stopping by to say hi and thanks so much for following CUT AND DRY. Following your lovely blog right back!

    have a happy weekend!

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  22. Tes photos sont très intéressantes, Gracie, surtout lorsqu'on est ici, en plein hiver... Mais j'attends maintenant une photo de toi, en haut du plongeoir de 5 mètres...

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  23. Quite cold here, it is nice to see some people enjoying the sun in this lovely place...

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  24. Oh it's all so summery! Looking out fo the window I can see wet streets, grey clouds and I have my winter dressing gown on!
    Warmer next week apparently...
    Lovely shots, Grace!

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  25. Too hot for me outside yesterday, I had planed on a second beach walk, but, thought better of it!
    Another stinker today I think, already it is uncomfortably warm.....

    Great shots, it was awfully busy at Hillarys yesterday, this time of year it is difficult to find a car park, unless you are very, very early!

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  26. this time 2 years ago, I was at Water world on the Gold coast. has the same hydro slides.

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  27. Now that's what I call blue. Send some of it over to Melbourne Grace.

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  28. Here, it's just the BIG white. hahahaha

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  29. You are teasing a lot of people in cold climates.

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  30. mmmm... looks lovely and warm, cold and snowy here, -15C today!
    I spent some time in Perth a couple of years ago, staying with a cousin in Attadale, then with another cousin in Albany, and travelling to Augusta, and all around the Margaret River area sampling wines.... oooo lovely! And also visiting a friend in Riverdale, and going with her to a lovely beach, can't remember the name of the place but there was a lovely sweet shop there selling all kinds of British sweets, which I hadn't seen since I left england!

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  31. YOU advertise your area SOOOO well!

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  32. What enticing photos! Love the beach, water and especially the blue blue skies!...Janey

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  33. Not sure I like those hydro slides ... would want to knw I could get out half way down ... what if a kid has a panic attack?? Yikes ...

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  34. That sure is a lot of blue you have! I am bundled up in warm pj's right now...wish I were there basking in the sunlight! :D

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  35. Que envidia de fotos, con el frío que hace en España.

    Saludos y un abrazo.

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  36. This looks great as we don our winter coats and look at barren trees.

    Darryl and Ruth :)

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  37. Aaaaaaaah an Aussie beach - you make me dream of downunder!

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  38. Oh and I forgot to say, yes your children were very fortunate to learn to swim in such idyllic conditions!
    :)

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  39. We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.

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