Winter Solstice

It's usually a dreary affair, the shortest day of the year. Waterproof jackets, scarves, and beanies coordinated with matching rain, wind, and cold. In 2022 the part of Adelaide I was in achieved a maximum of 12℃ on the day of the winter solstice and it was bucketing with rain.

It's no secret that I like to buck trends, usually opting for a challenge, adventure, or challenging adventure over easy comfort. Ranking swimming spots from hell to heaven, we start with a busy public indoor pool, move to outdoor pools, private pools, busy beaches and lakes, quiet beaches, quiet lakes (we're getting close to heaven now), then finally a lake that takes effort to get to. Chances are that a lake that is difficult to get to is going to be quiet, but if there are other people there, they are probably people like me - and I don't mind hanging out with people like me.

The Quarry, which I've written about before, is getting more difficult for people to get to. People balk at the 5 km round-trip, and since the property owners put up the new enormous gate, it's more difficult to get in with a car. The gate by-pass trail while short, is steep and rutted. 2WD cars and soft-roaders need not apply - especially if it's been raining a bit. So - the Quarry is, to me, nearly perfect. There are some things I'd like to improve, like getting rid of a lot of the rubbish, flotsam, and jetsam. But all in all, when you think about proximity, scenery, emptiness, and the unusualness, it's hard to beat.

I try to organise a skinnydip for the Winter Solstice every year. With moderate success. There are usually three or four of us, braving the weather. This year, there were three of us. But there was no weather to brave, really. 22℃. Sunny. Calm. Not a single cloud in the sky. It was nearly disappointingly good weather. The adventure and challenge was knocked out of the whole thing. Hopefully the weather turns soon, and I can have a cold-cold swim.

I'm @wildlyswim.com over on Bluesky. There will be more swims organised. Get in touch if you want to join in.