EACH morning a handful of Port Macquarie residents venture to Town Beach and take an ocean dip as the sun emerges over the horizon.
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They are locally known as the Sunrise Swimmers group, and have not missed a beat since the 1980s.
And now their early morning dips, regardless of the chill factor, smiles and love of life is being celebrated beyond the sand’s edge thanks to stunning photographs posted to Instagram by Ruth Goodwin. Regardless of their growing social media following, Sunrise Swimmers are a bunch of mates supporting each other.
After their morning swim, the friends gather at the kiosk for a cuppa and a yarn – sometimes more enthralling than the swim itself.
Take Ned McInherney for example. He is one of the longest serving members whose great-grandmother’s brother started the Port Macquarie News, and whose great-great-grandfather arrived in Port Macquarie in 1833. Ted always ensures he has plenty of stories to tell.
“It keeps me going, especially the walk before the swim. A bit of good company is what it’s all about,” he said.
“When it’s cold in the winter time I pull the pin on the swimming but I still do a big walk. It’s been a part of my life for a long time.”
When Ms Goodwin’s partner, Bill, suffered a stroke, they moved to Port Macquarie from the Blue Mountains. After connecting with the group she began documenting their outings each day.
It’s been very therapeutic for him too, to bring him down and look at the water on some days. I think there is a lot to be said of the healing power of the sea.
- Ruth Goodwin
“I needed time out from my fulltime carer role,” she said.
“I was walking every morning and noticed the people swimming all the time. I use to say hi as they got in and out of the water, and I got chatting with one of the older members.”
Her beautifully pensive images have attracted a loyal following, and she uses the photos as a way of showing her husband the sunrise each day when he is unable to due to his health.
“We were always going to have a sea change but his stroke brought that forward. Sometimes a fresh start is a good start,” she said.
“It’s been very therapeutic for him too, to bring him down and look at the water on some days. I think there is a lot to be said of the healing power of the sea.
“There’s nothing like a dip in the sea to start the day. It’s therapeutic for me. While you’re actually in the sea, nothing else matters.”
Sunrise Swimmers was a way to create new, diverse friendships and also learn about the town, according to Ms Goodwin.
“In the last 12 months younger people have started to come, which is nice for them to have some fresh faces. The camaraderie that is with these people, and the support they give each other, is amazing.”
Julie Constable has been swimming with the group since 1985, saying it was the friendly nature of the swimmers that enticed her to become a regular.
“Being quite a bit younger and working full time back then, it suited me to go for a swim with them before work,” she said.
“We brave the beach rain, hail and shine, and cold winter mornings. The original group swam all year round up to seven days a week.
“One of the original group members, Pat Duffey, turned out to be a whiz at making great cakes for our gatherings. John Oldfield became our official photographer for record keeping.”
Both have passed on, but a line up of memorial plaques adorns a panel on the steps leading to the beach.
The older surviving member of the group is 104 year old Keith Dawson, who was still swimming at 99 years old.
“Many who are here today, like Ted Adams, Ned, Keith and Alan Uptin, Frank Godfrey and Fay Martin have been part of this group for many years,” Julie said.
“We are glad to have a lot of new and younger starters, and all of us enjoy our morning swim together.”
You can follow Ruth Goodwin’s online ‘documentary’ style series of photos on Instagram: @sunriseswimmers.