Although still technically winter here, spring is close. Not that the season matters; you'll generally see rock fishermen on the coast in all seasons.

The sea can of course be treacherous, as I keep saying which is why I do my shooting quite a ways away from it. These wave splashes seem to have a bit of a punch behind them, but we're not talking tsunami power. Nonetheless, that can change quickly. You would THINK that rock fishermen would be obligated to wear life vests in case a large wave sweeps them out to sea. (Neither of these guys appear to be but they may have them under their outer jacket.)

Welll... yes and no. In NSW the law demands that you wear a life jacket while rock fishing in "Declared Areas". ( https://www.watersafety.nsw.gov.au/Pages/rock-fishing/lifejacket-law.aspx ) Those areas are from the southern suburbs of Sydney all the way UP the coast... but nowhere south of Sydney's Sutherland Shire. And, incidentally, if you fail to... well, you could be in for a whopping $100 fine.

According to the Surf Lifesaving Association, between 2004 and 2017 (they did a study in 2018), 19 people died rock fishing in the Illawarra. 95% were males, 68% were aged from 40-60, 68% occurred in Autumn and Winter (told you...), 95% were Australian residents, but... 74% were born in Asia. Australia is safer than many places in the world, which may lull some immigrants into a false sense of security. But the thing about mother nature is... when she turns on you, she's a REAL mother. Surf, snakes, spiders, bushfires, heatwaves, storms, cyclones up north...

I think I'll stick to getting my fish from Tasmanian salmon farms, thanks.

Incidentally, I see that they've refurbished the salt water inlet pipes for the swimming pool which is behind me. I knew that there was a plan to do that last year because the old pipes were about 75 years old, but I didn't know that they had done it. I must PESO more often...