Sometimes one needs to escape from Robertson

Sometimes one needs to escape from Robertson, and especially from the Computer.
So it was yesterday afternoon.

Fortunately the weather was pleasant for an afternoon drive, and Kiama is just a short (albeit slow) drive down Jamberoo Mountain Road. So I decided to go and check out the famous Kiama Blowhole, which there was still some residue of the heavy swell from the East Coast Low and the recent King Tide (remember the Full Moon?).

The heavy swell had been running for a few days, and I knew from previous trips to the Blowhole that it works best with south-easterly running swells. So I figured it was worth a look.
Besides, it is always a pleasant afternoon drive from Robertson.

The very first pulse I saw.

about the 4th one

Then a nice loud "whomp" produced this

Sometimes the noise
does not always produce a large "Blow".

That's more like it.

And finally a Big One
Unfortunately, the spray went so high it got
over-exposed by the late afternoon light.
But by comparison with previous shots
you can see how high this one was.
The rocky headland beyond is obliterated.

 For the academically minded, here are some notes on the Geology of the Kiama district from C A Süssmilch: An introduction to the geology of New South Wales

• Blowhole Flow. This outcrops at sea-level at Kiama, and
  extends southwards as far as Gerringong. This flow is a typical
  basalt, and is about 140 feet in thickness. 
•  Kiama Tuffs. These overly the Blowhole flow, and have a
  thickness of 120 feet. They are basic in composition, are fine-
  grained and well stratified. Bands of lapilli*** occur at intervals.
  Their basic composition results in a rich reddish-brown colour on
  weathering
• ***Lapilli are spheroid, teardrop, dumbbell or button-shaped droplets of molten or semi-molten lava ejected from a volcanic eruption that fall to earth while still at least partially molten.

 There was just enough light left for a few scenic shots.

Looking south from the Blowhole point

Looking west, Kiama is dominated by Saddleback Mountain

 

Sunset over Kiama harbour, with the township on the far side.

Sea Gulls (Silver Gulls) on the roof of the take-away fish shop
at the Kiama Harbour.

A Pelican waiting for yummy "Fish heads" and "frames"
Most likely waiting for a fishing boat
to come to the harbour and
for the fishermen*** to clean their catch.
For the Gender Specific Linguists amongst you, I double-checked!
"The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen
and may be used to describe both men and women."

Shot taken, more for the Norfolk Island Pines
than the Palm Tree, or the Sea Gulls.

The wire devices on top of the lights are
to keep the Pelicans and Sea Gulls
from landing on the lights.
Seems to work.

I can also report that the local Take-away Fish Shop at the Kiama Harbour (there is another one which sells only fresh fish, not cooked fish) sold me a very acceptable serve of Snapper and Chips. Coming from Canberra (originally) a visit to the seaside is not complete without a feed of freshly cooked fish and chips (with lemon).
However, my Victorian origins still reveal themselves in my desire to spell it "Schnapper".

Its coming to get us.

This is the Wednesday evening Radar Picture 

of rain heading our way. 

It has already started in Robertson 

and it is heading to Sydney and the Hunter.

This is the result of the fabled "East Coast Low" 

which the Weather Bureau has been promising us for days.

This is current, as at 8:30PM (more or less) 7 March 2012
The yellow indicated intense rainfall.
The rain is heading back in off the coast.

This is a picture of Alex, the Weatherzone guy, on Sunday, explaining to the Victorians and southern NSW people where all their rain had come from - straight down from the Tropics.

The Bureau has been predicting that that weather pattern would intensify and move back north, up the coast.

That is exactly what the first image shows is happening outside my Study window, right now.

There is a big High Pressure cell east of Tasmania.
It is holding the "front" - a line of low pressure air, right along the NSW Coast.
That air circulates in an anti-clockwise pattern, bringing moist air and rain in onto us.

Bureau's Barometric chart 7 March 2012

I would like to acknowledge the interesting reporting by Joy, when writing about Spiders in the Wagga Wagga area. She provided the basic links which I have subsequently followed and expanded upon.

Her story is more interesting than mine - I love a quirky weather and spider story.
But what I have written now is more pertinent to what is happening outside my window, as I write.

Incidentally, the Robbo Show is on this Friday and Saturday, and even if it stops raining now, it is is going to be wet underfoot. If it keep raining (as the Bureau is suggesting), we will all be like drowned rats.

But the show will go on - it always does.

And we will all have a good time - we always do.