Nelson Bay

Klaus Stiefel · Issue 79, Jul/Aug 2014 · pp. 64–67

Products mentioned: Canon 5DII, Canon L 17-40 mm, Canon 100 mm f2.8 macro lens, Hugyfot housing, Inon z-240 strobes, Olympus TG-2

“Save yourself a ticket to Indonesia and drive up to Nelson Bay” my friend Al, usually not a man of undue hyperbole, said to me with conviction. A few weeks later I indeed make the trip up north, and three hours after leaving my Sydney city home I stand on the shores overlooking the famous Fly Point, one of the prime dive sites in Nelson Bay. Located just about two kilometers west of the heads separating Nelson Bay from the open Pacific Ocean, it faces north across the tranquil, shallow bay. Gum trees and ferns grow above the ochre-brown rocks. The coastal vegetation is noticeably close to the high watermark, an indication of very calm waters. Pelicans glide above me, and cockatoos screech from the trees behind the steps leading down to the dive site. It’s a nice place, even topside. A short time later I slide into the ocean with my scuba gear on and my camera clipped to my harness. A he…