Over lunch (at The Tilbury) my good friend and I chatted about swimming. She’s quite a serious ocean swimmer whereas I’m more of a casual paddler. As a child, I was actually a little scared of the water, and was never a good swimmer at all. Getting my 50m medal was a major achievement, and the idea of the 1500m was well beyond my dreams. In the last few years, however, I’ve taken up swimming again, though noting it’s more “recreational” “pleasurable” than anything to do with fitness, for example. And it’s all in the “safe” environment of a swimming pool. But as I looked down at the water at Woolloomooloo, I contemplated something more adventurous : swimming in the harbour. The water was looked so clean. Gorgeous weather. Lovely day.