Hello Fish at The Farm

It’s been some time since I was in the water and wrote about it for the Illawarra Flame. Months of heavy rain created lousy conditions in the first part of the year, then a mix of work travel and big seas accounted for the rest. It was great to jump in at a new spot a month back.

I remember going to The Farm when I was very young. It cost 20c to get through the gate and cross the farmer’s land. Now part of Killalea Regional Park, it is managed by National Parks and access is free. You can follow the road down to the parking area near the beach where surfers access waves at the national surfing reserve known as The Farm.

Some freediving friends and I jumped in at the beach and swam west towards Mystics. Beach access was easy but it’s worth noting that the area is exposed to southerly swells, which can make all of the southern side of Bass Point undiveable.

The first part of the journey was near gently sloping rocky reef, but this gives way to a series of cliffs and gullies, dropping down the sand in depths of 6m or more. The reefs are covered with a mix of seaweeds (kelp and cray weed) plus cunjevoi. Some of the drop-offs have carpets of the colourful red jewel anemone.

It was winter so fish life was not overly abundant but we did see schools of black drummer, yellowtail and the occasional luderick and red morwong.

We also saw a Port Jackson shark, a wobbegong and two grey nurse sharks. The grey nurses of nearby Bushrangers Bay have become a major attraction for divers, but they are also seen in other parts of Bass Point, including The Farm.

To watch Duncan’s video, follow his YouTube channel, Illawarra Underwater