Salmon Holes rescue: Emergency services head to Torndirrup National Park where person is in trouble in water
Emergency services have been called to Salmon Holes, a notoriously dangerous fishing spot on the south coast, where a person is in trouble in the water.
Crews from Albany SES, Albany Career Fire and Rescue Service, Albany Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service and St John WA are responding to the incident, which was reported at 1.35pm on Friday.
The beach is a popular fishing spot 10km south of Albany and notoriously dangerous — a 29-year-old woman was swept out to sea while fishing on the rocks in March last year with a bystander swimming to her rescue.
It is the second time this week emergency services have been called to Torndirrup National Park after a female hiker fell down a ravine at Stony Hill on Easter Monday.
More to come.
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West Australian
7 days ago
- West Australian
Nat Locke: as the bitter Perth winter sets in, the key to coping with the cold is to complain vociferously
I can't tell you how surprised I am to discover that it's the first day of winter today. Especially as in my mind, I was quite certain it was roughly mid-March. But in news that will shock absolutely no one, I can confirm that I have already started complaining about the cold. Part of the problem is that we were spoiled with lovely sunny weather for way too long and now the harsh reality of a bitter Perth winter has already started to impact. And by bitter Perth winter, I mean now I have to put a cardigan on. I went to university in Melbourne, so I am well acquainted with how miserable an actual winter can be. On my first day of classes, which fell on February 23, when I went to drive off in my 1979 Corolla, the windscreen was iced over. IN FEBRUARY. From May to September of that year, I wore two jumpers every single day. I felt the cold in the core of my bones. Most of my cardio came from shivering. And the drizzle. Oh, so much drizzle. Everything was permanently damp for months on end. It was grim. So yes, I know how to suffer through a cold winter. And the way to do it is to complain vociferously. To be fair, I was ready for a change in the weather this year. That lingering summer had me looking longingly at my drawer full of jumpers, wondering if I was going to get to them before the moths did. I had picked my favourites to take to Melbourne for the Easter break, but it was unseasonably warm there, too. I dined outside in balmy warmth. My jumpers came home again, unworn. Same for the trench coat that I optimistically packed. Melbourne's changed, evidently. So, my wardrobe is ready for winter. But it turns out that the very first time it was a bit brisk at the dog park about a week ago, I instantly regretted wanting winter to arrive. The bitter winds whipped up and I had to dip into the extensive puffer jacket collection. Some people like to talk about wind chill factor or degrees when it comes to the temperature. But my metric is the Puffer Jacket Index. The range varies from a light weight short puffer (Level 1) to a light weight long puffer, to a heavy weight short puffer, to a heavy weight long puffer (Level 4) to full on waterproof rain gear (Level 4W). Now, I don't want to alarm you but we are already at Defcon 3. Maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age. Or maybe they don't make puffer jackets like they used to. But I'm wearing them everywhere. I'm starting to think I wouldn't do very well on a trip to Antarctica. Which is a shame, because I think I'd really like to go to Antarctica. If it wasn't so cold. I shouldn't be so reactive because at least my house is better prepared for the cold these days. Up until a few years ago, my only source of heat was an open fireplace in the loungeroom. I would have to either light a fire every night, or huddle under so many blankets that I would be pinned to the couch. Which is a dreadful outcome. No, really. Sometimes I would just have to lie there for hours, gathering the strength to tell Netflix that yes, I'm still watching. Ducted air con and heating has changed all of that, of course. Now, I can just press a button on my phone and warm air is blasted into whichever room I want it. And I don't need a bottle of methylated spirits and half a newspaper to get it going. This means that I don't wake up with the tip of my nose feeling so cold it's gone numb, which is a nice change. Even the cat is not quite as dependent on my body heat for her survival, which is also a pleasant outcome, considering she can get a bit snarly if I have the audacity to move in my own bed. I know. The nerve of me. There is a silver lining this winter, and that's the fact that in the last six months or so, I have embraced my naturally curly hair. So I can wander about in rain without being worried that my straightened hair is going to turn into an abominable frizz ball. So there's that. In the meantime, I'm going to cook up a 44-gallon drum of pumpkin soup and count down the days to my next warm holiday.
The Advertiser
08-05-2025
- The Advertiser
The extreme weather event that changed Port Stephens forever
The effects of one of the most extreme weather events recorded in the Hunter almost a century ago are still being felt. Maps dating back to 1795 show a significant land mass jutting from the mouth of the Myall River into Port Stephens. Known as Myall Point, the landmark, which functioned as a natural breakwall, protected the river mouth from sand inundation. It also supported a small community and a lighthouse. But the point was literally wiped off the map by an east coast low that struck during Easter 1927. The extreme weather event, described as a category 5 cyclone, brought 500 millimetres of rain from April 15 to April 24. It is thought that a combination of extreme flooding and hydraulic pressure destabilised the point. The only record of the site is a reference to lot number DP1056904, which is still registered as a valid holding with the NSW Office of Lands. Over the past century, the buildup of sand near the river entrance has been a scourge for mariners and locals alike. "I can remember visiting here in the 60s and 70s when there was a deep water channel still there but it was gradually starting to close over," Myall River Action Group spokesman Gordon Grainger said. The Newcastle Herald reported on Tuesday that a dredging project is removing thousands of tonnes of sand deposited between the river mouth and the Singing Bridge. While the much-needed project will help revitalise the estuary, locals believe the reconstruction of Myall Point would help protect the channel and its environment in the long term. Such a project, which would essentially involve building a kilometre-long breakwall, would not come cheap. But the Myall River Action Group argues that it would deliver a higher return through increased tourism and maritime activity. It will also mean the river would not need to be dredged as often. It would also mean the man-made navigational channel to the west would no longer be required to be maintained. 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The effects of one of the most extreme weather events recorded in the Hunter almost a century ago are still being felt. Maps dating back to 1795 show a significant land mass jutting from the mouth of the Myall River into Port Stephens. Known as Myall Point, the landmark, which functioned as a natural breakwall, protected the river mouth from sand inundation. It also supported a small community and a lighthouse. But the point was literally wiped off the map by an east coast low that struck during Easter 1927. The extreme weather event, described as a category 5 cyclone, brought 500 millimetres of rain from April 15 to April 24. It is thought that a combination of extreme flooding and hydraulic pressure destabilised the point. The only record of the site is a reference to lot number DP1056904, which is still registered as a valid holding with the NSW Office of Lands. Over the past century, the buildup of sand near the river entrance has been a scourge for mariners and locals alike. "I can remember visiting here in the 60s and 70s when there was a deep water channel still there but it was gradually starting to close over," Myall River Action Group spokesman Gordon Grainger said. The Newcastle Herald reported on Tuesday that a dredging project is removing thousands of tonnes of sand deposited between the river mouth and the Singing Bridge. While the much-needed project will help revitalise the estuary, locals believe the reconstruction of Myall Point would help protect the channel and its environment in the long term. Such a project, which would essentially involve building a kilometre-long breakwall, would not come cheap. But the Myall River Action Group argues that it would deliver a higher return through increased tourism and maritime activity. It will also mean the river would not need to be dredged as often. It would also mean the man-made navigational channel to the west would no longer be required to be maintained. "We would very much want the state government to authorise it (the natural entrance) as an official navigation channel," group spokesman Gordon Grainger said. "That would allow the false channel to close over." The estuary's three lake systems originally entered the ocean at different points up to about 1000 years ago. Over time, the three entrances were blocked through sand movement, and the narrow stream (the Myall River) that exists today was formed. "The Myall River has a very narrow entrance. That means that the water coming down from the mountains actually flows backwards into the lakes, which means we don't flood down here," Mr Grainger said. "The top lake is fresh, the middle lake is brackish, and the bottom lake is tidal. But it's all mixed with water coming down. That means the water coming out of the river is very brackish. Because the eastern entrance is closed, it gets recycled in the lakes and we lose the salt content, which, in turn, affects marine life." The effects of one of the most extreme weather events recorded in the Hunter almost a century ago are still being felt. Maps dating back to 1795 show a significant land mass jutting from the mouth of the Myall River into Port Stephens. Known as Myall Point, the landmark, which functioned as a natural breakwall, protected the river mouth from sand inundation. It also supported a small community and a lighthouse. But the point was literally wiped off the map by an east coast low that struck during Easter 1927. The extreme weather event, described as a category 5 cyclone, brought 500 millimetres of rain from April 15 to April 24. It is thought that a combination of extreme flooding and hydraulic pressure destabilised the point. The only record of the site is a reference to lot number DP1056904, which is still registered as a valid holding with the NSW Office of Lands. Over the past century, the buildup of sand near the river entrance has been a scourge for mariners and locals alike. "I can remember visiting here in the 60s and 70s when there was a deep water channel still there but it was gradually starting to close over," Myall River Action Group spokesman Gordon Grainger said. The Newcastle Herald reported on Tuesday that a dredging project is removing thousands of tonnes of sand deposited between the river mouth and the Singing Bridge. While the much-needed project will help revitalise the estuary, locals believe the reconstruction of Myall Point would help protect the channel and its environment in the long term. Such a project, which would essentially involve building a kilometre-long breakwall, would not come cheap. But the Myall River Action Group argues that it would deliver a higher return through increased tourism and maritime activity. It will also mean the river would not need to be dredged as often. It would also mean the man-made navigational channel to the west would no longer be required to be maintained. "We would very much want the state government to authorise it (the natural entrance) as an official navigation channel," group spokesman Gordon Grainger said. "That would allow the false channel to close over." The estuary's three lake systems originally entered the ocean at different points up to about 1000 years ago. Over time, the three entrances were blocked through sand movement, and the narrow stream (the Myall River) that exists today was formed. "The Myall River has a very narrow entrance. That means that the water coming down from the mountains actually flows backwards into the lakes, which means we don't flood down here," Mr Grainger said. "The top lake is fresh, the middle lake is brackish, and the bottom lake is tidal. But it's all mixed with water coming down. That means the water coming out of the river is very brackish. Because the eastern entrance is closed, it gets recycled in the lakes and we lose the salt content, which, in turn, affects marine life." The effects of one of the most extreme weather events recorded in the Hunter almost a century ago are still being felt. Maps dating back to 1795 show a significant land mass jutting from the mouth of the Myall River into Port Stephens. Known as Myall Point, the landmark, which functioned as a natural breakwall, protected the river mouth from sand inundation. It also supported a small community and a lighthouse. But the point was literally wiped off the map by an east coast low that struck during Easter 1927. The extreme weather event, described as a category 5 cyclone, brought 500 millimetres of rain from April 15 to April 24. It is thought that a combination of extreme flooding and hydraulic pressure destabilised the point. The only record of the site is a reference to lot number DP1056904, which is still registered as a valid holding with the NSW Office of Lands. Over the past century, the buildup of sand near the river entrance has been a scourge for mariners and locals alike. "I can remember visiting here in the 60s and 70s when there was a deep water channel still there but it was gradually starting to close over," Myall River Action Group spokesman Gordon Grainger said. The Newcastle Herald reported on Tuesday that a dredging project is removing thousands of tonnes of sand deposited between the river mouth and the Singing Bridge. While the much-needed project will help revitalise the estuary, locals believe the reconstruction of Myall Point would help protect the channel and its environment in the long term. Such a project, which would essentially involve building a kilometre-long breakwall, would not come cheap. But the Myall River Action Group argues that it would deliver a higher return through increased tourism and maritime activity. It will also mean the river would not need to be dredged as often. It would also mean the man-made navigational channel to the west would no longer be required to be maintained. "We would very much want the state government to authorise it (the natural entrance) as an official navigation channel," group spokesman Gordon Grainger said. "That would allow the false channel to close over." The estuary's three lake systems originally entered the ocean at different points up to about 1000 years ago. Over time, the three entrances were blocked through sand movement, and the narrow stream (the Myall River) that exists today was formed. "The Myall River has a very narrow entrance. That means that the water coming down from the mountains actually flows backwards into the lakes, which means we don't flood down here," Mr Grainger said. "The top lake is fresh, the middle lake is brackish, and the bottom lake is tidal. But it's all mixed with water coming down. That means the water coming out of the river is very brackish. Because the eastern entrance is closed, it gets recycled in the lakes and we lose the salt content, which, in turn, affects marine life."
West Australian
25-04-2025
- West Australian
Salmon Holes rescue: Emergency services head to Torndirrup National Park where person is in trouble in water
Emergency services have been called to Salmon Holes, a notoriously dangerous fishing spot on the south coast, where a person is in trouble in the water. Crews from Albany SES, Albany Career Fire and Rescue Service, Albany Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service and St John WA are responding to the incident, which was reported at 1.35pm on Friday. The beach is a popular fishing spot 10km south of Albany and notoriously dangerous — a 29-year-old woman was swept out to sea while fishing on the rocks in March last year with a bystander swimming to her rescue. It is the second time this week emergency services have been called to Torndirrup National Park after a female hiker fell down a ravine at Stony Hill on Easter Monday. More to come.
