The weather was fine and Tanis was going a bit stir crazy so we decided to head down to the beach for a dip. This beach is pretty cool. Not many people know about it. The entrance to the road looks more like a private driveway which probably stops a lot of people exploring down that way. Ive been coming here to "Yamala" beach since I was a teenager and have had some great times here.
Some ships heading out from port Melbourne. They could be going anywhere in the world.
They have always got to wreck someones fun with their shitty rules. Cool sign though!
It is a long way down to the beach. I bet these stairs have defeated many people.
Thses cliffs have been eroding for years. I remember a friend climbing this cliff and getting stuck. He was spread eagled on the cliff face for over an hour. That was an hour of hysterics for us but I bet he was shitting bricks! He eventually plucked up the courage to move and got down. What a hoot!
Looks like fun, although, there is a reef out there. He would want to be careful of where he lands when he falls of.
Tanis is going in! He wants to catch a seagull. Good luck with that mate!
I might see what I can find amongst the rocks!
A sea snail on a rock. There are heaps of these guys around. Pretty much everywhere I look I can see one.
Sea lice! I'm not sure about the bigger one. it looks like a baby horseshoe crab. The other things are sea lice though. You'll know when you've come across these fellas. If you swim through a patch they will swarm you and give you a nasty rash from their bites. They will munch on your bait to if you are fishing.
Luna has spotted something! I wonder what it could be!
A rock! Good one Luna, you can keep it if you want!
An old shell stuck in the sand. Nature is an artist!
Jaqi is taking Tanis for a ride while Luna and I hunt sea crawlies!
A pretty shell. You know, I mention in most of my walk posts how dangerous the wildlife in Australia can be. We even have pretty shells that will kill you. Luckily we don't have them down my way. CLICK HERE to read about "Cone shells".
This snail is harmless. You can eat these guys. These are one of the shells you can find in "Middens". These are piles of shells Aboriginals have left behind from meals. Some Middens are enormous. Read about Middens here.
Whats that in the water?
I don't think we have any poisonous star fish in Australia. it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if we did have though.
This is the eight armed cushion star. It's a star fish and is really common around here.
Sarlacc pit!
These two fish have probably got a nest of eggs in the weed they are protecting. One was really curious to see what I was doing, the other hung back in weed. You can see it's fins if you look closely.
Stuck in the shallows waiting for the tide to come in. It knows I see it but is thankful I'm not a seagull.
This sea sponge would look cool in someones fish tank.
Snails and barnacles!
Some people think these are jellyfish. They wash up on the beach every spring. They are actually sea snail egg clusters and are the perfect thing to throw at your friends.
I love the patterns on these sea stars. Its so alien. These are all over the place, although, I do remember there being a lot more when I was a kid.
That is the match club over there. Around the point from there is an awesome reef to go snorkling on. I spent hours out there when I was a lad. Just swimming around with friends looking at stuff. I wouldn't come in until I started getting cramps. There is some amazing stuff out there. I might grab Tanis and head down that way.
Another star hanging out with some snails.
I've always wondered what this is for. Maybe it was for lifeguards but I have never seen it in use.
Woofprints in the sand.
We used to put blankets under these trees and chill in shade when we came here years ago. That was our spot. It is overgrown now.
Tanis beat me up there.
Good view from up here. I've chilled up here a few times with mates and a bottle of whiskey or two.
Oh. I wonder if they get much mail.
The cliffs right along here are all like this. They cop a battering from the ocean. You do have to be careful around them. Definitely not for climbing!
Poor Cliff. Maybe he just needs a hug.
This arch has been there since I can remember. Its a little bit dodgy though. Tanis wanted to go through it, I had to say no. He understood when I pointed at all the rock on the ground around it.
Hey dog! Do you know what time it is? It's good to see even the dogs want to "stick it to the man".
Woof. Fuck your rules!
The view from the other side of the arch. This is a good spot to swing the metal detector. I have found a bit of old Aussie silver around here. It could be a spot where the tide pushes stuff or someone was pretty unlucky here and lost a pocket full of shillings and sixpence.
Time to head back the way we came.
You find heaps of broken glass around the rocks. Thankfully the sea has smoothed the majority of it. I had a friend that made jewellery out of it. Her stuff looked pretty nice to be honest.
There is a creek that we pass on the way. We passed it on the way up but i thought I would save it for now. I would like to say it is a natural creek but i don't know. It is most likely a stormwater outlet.
It isn't running today. It does when it is raining though.
Luna is tired and shivery. Daddy is going to carry her the rest of the way. She will warm up in a minute, the sun temperature is still in the twenties.
We passed a cranky seagull on the way. I think its mates bailed on it.
Oh damn!
We were all hungry after climbing those steps so we stopped off at the fish and chippo on the way home. I scoffed down all of this. Good times!
Thanks for coming with us on our mission to the beach. Lots of fun was had! I did have a dip once I put the camera down, the water was great! Cheers!
