Boat on slip

The joys of boating! Most of the time sailing is fun, but there is always the inevitable day each year one must pay attention below the water line. This means slipping the boat, cleaning off the slime and growth and applying new anti-fouling. Today was the day!

Photo by Matt

Patawalonga weir

The Patawalonga Basin was successfully created with the building of this weir and a lock in 1960. In the redevelopment several years ago, the basin was dredged to create the fine marina we have now. A new larger lock was built to accommodate larger vessels. I took this photo this morning; we do have some beautiful weather at this time of the year!

Australian fur seal

Like a fish out of water, this seal has found a "rock" in the marina so that he can bask in the sun. (I am not really sure whether this is a fur seal or a sea lion; both are similar. It is unusual to see these mammals near Adelaide as their colonies are further south. It is certainly rare to see one in the marina.)

Holdfast Shores Marina

My second home! I spend quite a lot of time here, maintaining my yacht or preparing for a sail. This is the inner Holdfast Shores marina in the Pat (Patawalonga). To go out to sea we need to go through a lock, which is operated with a remote controller; a bit like a garage roller door.

Sailing

Sailing is one of the many popular activities on the water along our coast. It is one of my passions and I take to the water as often as possible. This photo was taken off West Beach; with the Adelaide hills (Mt Lofty Ranges) as a backdrop.

Dune preservation

As part of Adelaide's coastal protection plan, the remaining dunes along the suburban coast are being preserved. These dunes are at West Beach, a few kilometres north of Glenelg.

Moving sand

We love our white sandy beaches, but sadly they now come at a price. There is a natural drift of sand northward along the coast. For many years now sand has been trucked from our northern beaches and dumped on southern beaches.

Additionally sand is trapped due to man made features like the Holdfast Bay Marina at Glenelg. This photo shows sand being scooped up ready for transportation to the beach at North Glenelg or to one of the southern beaches.

Glenelg Beach

The first European settlers went ashore at this spot. Now the beach is playground to many beach goers; today there was a schools' beach volleyball competition. The first settlers climbed over the sandhills to the Patawalonga Creek where they pitched tents and erected temporary shelters. They lived there until they were allocated land in Adelaide; 12 km inland. Things have certainly changed in 170 years; the sandhills are gone, but the beach is the same ...... or is it?

Buffalo Restaurant

Where to start? I have chosen to post this picture of a replica of the Buffalo; the ship that brought South Australia's new colonists here in 1836. The boat shown is actually a restaurant and is located on the east bank of the Patawalonga at Glenelg.