Indeed, it is ridiculous to suggest pools are the preserve of cold climate towns and besides, as a displaced kiwi in Sydney, even I'd say Auckland's actually pretty cool,?

In happier news, the?

Probably. But being Herald employees they likely could afford to send their children to swimming lessons, so it would've never been an issue. Being too poor to learn to swim is a problem for those brown types in South Auckland, not the "proper" citizens?

Bernard Orsman's cost analysis needs some work. The cost is not likely to be $3.76 per visit. More likely it is $3.76?

I suspect a more significant problem with making all council pools free is likely to be that a model that fits a basic open-air pool would be difficult to apply to the Mt Albert Aquatic Centre, with its hydroslide, wave machine, spas and saunas.

Having taken a couple of free?

fees for hydroslides and saunas can easily work side-by side with free entry to the pool?. you just need to pay for the brightly coloured bracelet that allows you entry to those sections.

During the last term break, Lloyd Elsmore pool (Howick/Highland Park) even had a large obstacle course?

It's all about allocation of resources. Orsman pointed this out in his article yesterday: some $9m went to mainly white suburbs in re-sanding their beaches -?

Edendale Primary has one, but not open after hours. They do rotational lessons during term, but it is too infrequent, and the pool?

I certainly remember when a pay-gate was installed at Papatoetoe and, on reflection, entry must have been twenty cents or such – a coin or combination of coins anyway. Perhaps Manurewa was free. I wasn't particularly disagreeing with you but thought a?

My experience is only at Auckland City facilities which as I understand it are?

Another point I make concerns the dreaded "E" word – education.

I make my daughter watch Piha Surf Rescue on?

I saw mine about ten years ago somewhere, now most likely recycled.

there's no sand on them because there are no waves to carry sand to them. it's a waste of money they also operate here for Oriental Parade.

if you don't like the idea of your non-sandy beach actually being a freaking?

There is an important point here about school pools – I haven't seen the?

a correlation between the removal of complusory swimming lessons and drownings.

Are we that wedded to utilitarian rogernomics that everything must be justified by its ability to conform to rigid economic analysis and fit onto a spreadsheet? Sure, there are other reasons, and they might be important ones. But can we not, as a society, also go: the?

However, having benefited, like Russell, from Pt Chev's 'nourishing' effect,?

I'll give you my address, you can post me a cheque. This is worth paying for.

Thanks.

If you don't want to pay yourself, I'm sure fellow PA?

precisely. it's not "nourishment", it's beautification. a bit like spray-painting one's grass greener.

all that sand just washes out into your estuary, then out to sea somewhere.

Where? Up and down your drive?

That's an awful analogy. Coloured grass has no utility over uncoloured grass. What's happened at our local beach represents a massive increase in utility.

all that sand just washes out into your estuary, then out to sea?

From Orsman's story, though no breakdown by school level:

School swimming pools are disappearing as trustees sacrifice the expense of water safety to meet tight budgets. Since 1999, school?

Part of the justification (by Council engineers, naturally) for resanding the eastie beaches was protecting Tamaki Drive from erosion after the protective sand had been swept?

Bah humbug!! (this comes to you on behalf of Mainlanders) :-)

It's one kilometre of a long harbour shore, and has always had?

Oddly enough, ours has been stable for three summers now. Your chances of me conceding your point are basically zero

It's disappearing before your eyes (slowly). I think I read at the time it would need to be done again in 15-20 years.

I love the large scallop shells from?

As much as I love the beach's new look, that's my impression too – it's definitely dropped off a bit since the work was done. I doubt it'd make much difference to me if it became more of a mudflat again, but then I've?

Sounds like a decent investment to me, then. Waitangi Day last year was amazing — they staged a local regatta and there must have been 1500 Aucklanders?

Most of it in the first summer, actually. I was a bit worried it was going to slide away, but it stabilised, so I presume?

The awesome Project Twin Streams probably had some impact on the upper reaches too.

From the headline "Give the kids a bus to our big free pool", I assumed the Herald editorial was going to suggest investing in removing those transport barriers, but then it didn't really.

In?

How about children free and same for an adult accompanying a child? And yes, free lessons as it's in the public interest.

This is what they have at Pt Erin, I've been going for a couple of weeks. My wife got in free, because she was a "non-swimming guardian", meaning?

Lilith, I lived in Sumner for?

I was thinking more that the adult would be swimming. My 18 month old?

I learnt to swim last year, after being given a voucher for lessons by a friend. I do remember having lessons at school, and I also remember staying in the "kickers" class for some years and getting?

And that's what has been missing here – any agency taking responsiblity for?

good thing i was merely expressing dismay. a point would have had more substance that, "i'm agin it!"

i will however concede your argument about the public utility of the?

to echo someone else, amazed we survived that.

Avondale along with Otahuhu were the suburbs most notably shafted by previous Auckland City Councils refusing to fund public pools with solid business cases while readily sanding aforementioned beaches.

In a natural state, beaches are subject to sediment movement on various scales of time and?

Damned Parisians :)

Hey, Alastair's ever so politely calling you out Mr Brown... but'srriously, thanks for the very helpful post Alastair.

It appears that you can count Pt Chevalier beach out of that, then. I've read Keith Sinclair waxing lyrical about his childhood days there.

And I did an image?

The Dixieland cabaret from the sea. Calling Chris Bourke!

And people taking camping holidays there.

It certainly looks that way.

Are you talking about the Balina Bay experience? The residents imported some fine white sand for their little cove, but when last sighted, it was out in the channel somewhere. All this happened many years ago,?

Snap. Couldn't do overarm to save myself, but won races with my backstroke. I could also do breaststroke quite well, but wasn't?

What well-dressed beachgoers in that picture! Especially that chap centre left who appears to be both wearing a bowtie and carrying a handbag.

Popular spot – and some of Ben's uninterrupted mangroves in the distance

Aren't they simply beautiful? You could travel the length and breadth of NZ and not see or smell finer.

Ben W ? I have had a totally irrational love for mangrove swamps, & baobabs, since I was very young. No reason for it ? I just loved the pikkies I saw on sight. And yes, I dont believe in reincarnation! One brain-body complex,?

For sure, on your own as an adult, living only?

I vaguely recall reading once that the original sand in Oriental Bay, at least, came from sailing ships?

Anecdotally, I can back you up. Whilst visiting the New Zealand Correspondence School, circa 1978, my?

No, it was more that I was startled to see quite how sandy it once was.

West-wave, where there is never any actual swimming going on

Slander! Our family spends lots of time at West Wave. There are also big, well-utilised lap pools in that complex AND a little warmer pool for the babies and kiddies to do their lessons. (And the wave pool – which?

Ben Austin – for small North Otago schools, the story ending is not good – but there is an excellent aquatic centre in Oamaru itself-

I also notice that the lifeguards at those beaches work harder than just?

I taught myself to swim aged?

The house I grew up in got turned into a childcare facility. Apparently my old bedroom is used for changing nappies or something.

A few days after Christmas we went with a few others to Muriwai, and it was surprising to me that the beach was open for?

Yes, having been guilty of this in other areas myself, I shouldn't complain too much. Unfortunately the?

Hope this doesn't come across as smug, but one of the most joyous memories this summer, which has otherwise been a bastard, all things being treacle, was catching a wave alongside my child and body surfing into the beach. This was on Waiheke and?

Before kids can swim they should be within an arm?s reach and?

True dat. The one with a broken arm recently learnt how to ride a [[BenWilson, in reply to recordari, 8 minutes ago

Man, I wish I knew you were going there, we were probably?

Hearing you 100%. I've had really golden moments of fatherhood when?

Seriously? We were at the same market, same beach, but stayed another night, having fish and chips from the Palm Beach store. Where the playlist had me on a nostalgic trip;

The English Beat – __Mirror?

I?m getting too old for it, frankly ? every time I get dumped I think, not without cause, that I?ve hurt my back or something.

It?s not your age, it?s the surf Russell. If you get separated from your boogie board, it dumps you on the top of your head?

However, in the case of Muriwai, Piha, and the other usual suspects, the life guards would really much rather that you coddled your children to within an inch of being publicly disowned. "We're not here to be your babysitters"?

It amazes me to?

someone who can technically swim, but is not really safe in the ocean

That is a perfect description of me. It?s also why I?ve started our little dude on swimming lessons already. (?Swimming lessons? currently means ?holding the baby in the pool and singing nursery rhymes, with occasional judicious head-dunking?,?

Escaped? I've visited Mairangi Bay a couple of times on return visits over Christmas and been stunned by how easy it is to get to and how lovely it is for young kids. I'd happily escape from Sydney to Mairangi?

Interesting. Don't know how valid it is but this brief study mentions very high alcohol abuse in Latvia, which almost literally flows into terrifying accident rates of many kinds – that and being a coastal nation with a?

I know I became a lot more cautious at surf beaches in general after Dad got bowled at Waihi and came out of the water holding one shoulder at a decidedly odd angle.

Exactly like one of the many, many surf injuries my physio husband sees in his practice a?

Fair enough. I suppose it was that they were otherwise basically unoccupied and very slow?

Maybe you didn't have quite enough??

I love love love Christchurch beaches, they are a huge asset for the city: full of natural sand and great waves. Sadly, they?re only swimable without a wetsuit in the hottest part of summer.

That bloody Easterly ....

Looks spookily like Freddie Krueger standing at back row centre.

...or a?

Agreed on the drugs. I have a glaring one-hour blank spot in my memory, commencing with "If that's pain relief, it's not working" to the nurse as they were drugging me up before the reduction and ending?

Ah, Fentanyl – that would be what they give to US soldiers in lollipop form when they get hit? Not sure if it comes more powerful than?

Estonia?s statistics for 2010 seem to bear this hypothesis out.

Flys like a brick
sinks like Estonia...

I've only been caught once also, on a boogie?

Sure would. Interesting article generally about how rough it is as airborne rescue in Afghanistan.

The beach is quite sweet. It's the... culture of that particular part of the Shore I don't really care for. (East Coast Bays is a very safe seat for National.)

midazolam

My?

Yup, rather like how some kids are bum-shufflers, and don't ever really master crawling. Eventually, they can do?

Makes me sound like a hot-house Mum but honestly, I'm not!!

Quite the opposite, from my understanding of the term. A hot-house Mum would protect their child from ever needing to crawl, in just the way hot-house flowers are protected from pests and plant competition

@Jackie, it was interesting?

Yep. Try briskly walking/running up a relatively steep slope without swinging your arms.

Anyway, I was inspired by this thread to take my 14-month old on her first sea swim last night. The surf was pretty fierce down at Narrowneck – a good 4-5?

The founder of Aikido is in a lot of old films doing his thing in his 80s.

Ben, do you mean Gozo Shioda? Have you read 'Angry white pyjamas'? If not, then I recommend it.

Sure would. Interesting article generally about how rough it is as airborne rescue in Afghanistan.

Sam, the guys in that article are described as pararescue jumpers, or PJs. We talked about?

Wonderful. Some kiddies scream and shy away from waves. Perhaps it's the sudden coldness of the water, and of course, it's incredibly noisy sometimes.

I was born near the?

Yes, good point. We have built her up to it fairly slowly. She used to be pretty frightened of surf noise, for example. But there's been enough?

It's called just "War" in Australia and, as I missed the earlier conversation, I thought it was a compelling book.

Ben, do you mean Gozo Shioda? Have you read 'Angry white pyjamas'? If not, then I recommend it.

No, I meant Morihei Ueshiba, also known as O Sensei, under whom Shioda learned Aikido in the very early days of the school. It was considerably rougher in the early period, since?

Oh yes. Read that one many, many times?

Crispin has to work hard and is often the last kid to grasp a new move but he gets there and is so proud when he does

That's great. It's the instructor that makes a great dojo, not the art.

That wasn't a "real" PJ. The guys in USAF Pararescue, who go in behind enemy lines – swim, walk, jump – to effect rescue of military personnel, would likely be quite offended?

I would imagine that any form of martial arts would be tremendous for making those body/brain connections....

I hear Ballroom Dancing
or becoming a cunning
linguist helps too...
...I saw Wellington Councillor,
John Morrison on telly, reacting to
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown's suggestions
– he can drop the Mystery nickname
and?

In a word, no. But this league of extraordinary gentleman just might.

Britannic Bedlam Morris Gentlemen.

It's bedlam, I tells ya.

PMP operates at most/all of the Auckland schools I relief teach in.

Me too, I discontinued partially because of their grading system, in the end, despite being only a few months from black belt. The belt means nothing to me, never did,?

And it's always a decision even if just to continue doing what has been done.

Heh, was thinking the same thing this morning... Point Chev will probably have been sheltered enough from the worst of it, but the resanded eastern beaches may not be so fortunate.

Most Aucklanders can get to Mission Bay within an hour or so. Having got there they are all free to swim there.

Up until then, maybe, but as I think Russell has covered, it's not just the rich benefiting from the resanding. Why they even let people from Sandringham use it. Who knew?

Sure our beaches are public places (and it's no surprise that wealthier residents tend to live closer what with property prices and all), but you are familiar with reports of young people from South Auckland who have never?

On the upside, there is now a lot more 'Waterfront property! Only meters from the beach!' available along Tamaki Drive.