AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1645, 11 January 1913, Page 6

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

THE SURF BATHERS.

(Br Will Lawbon.)

On the. level, far-stretching beaches, soft and fine as light, brown sugar, something like two thousand bathers wore splashing in the waves that, breaking twenty yards away dashed, creamy, .up till thoy trickled in littlo rivulets into the holes the children had dug, and then slipped quietly back to tho roaring surf. It was Manly on a holiday, and as a study of young Australian manhood and womanhood it was interesting. Burned and browned till their skins were the colour of a Kanaka's, the young men swam and dived among the breakers; some even ventured beyond, though this is foolishness, and rightly earns for them' the soubriquet; of "shark-baiters." 'Some adept surf-shooters would, ever antl anon, come surging in on tho crest of a breaker without tho aid of surfing boards, whioh ore forbidden on the crowded beach because of the danger of collisions with other bathers.

; On the beach at Manly tho'Surfing Club have two iron tripods 6et, each carrying a red flag, and these mark tho limits of the safe beach for that day's bathing. Also, they keep ready three life-saving lines on reels, and a certain number of the members of tho club we on look-out duty all tho time. ■ .

' When a swimmer is seen to be in trouble the rescuers act with amazing .promptitude. One man straps a belt round his own waist to which the life-line is fastened. Then ho and a companion dash into tho surf. As they do so, the others form a line, and with hands extended as high as possible, they lift the line dear of much broken water. The two rescuers, usually get the drowning man out in quick time, and carry.him ashore, where restoratives are applied. Sometimes the Surfing Club rescues as many as a dozen' swimmers in a day, and still the-fool-hardy ones go out beyond their reasonable capabilities, braving sharks and eurf with a casualness that is still an Australian characteristic:

The most casual thing of all, though, is the "shark-heel" at Coogee. There, the water is very deep beyond the beach, and from the high ground at the points of the bay, a watcher can easily see a shark approaching. It is the custom, therefore, to send a youth with a bell to i watch ' for sharks. If he «es them, away in-deep' water, ho does nothing.' Bui should the shark or sharks approach the surf, he' rings his bell-furiously, whciiitho bathere tumble into the shallow water—until- the .•hark goes past. Sometimes a huge IG-foot shark will do sentry-go along the lino of surf aJI day, and tho bellman rings his bell whenever the shark comes near tho end where the bathers are; when tho .shark passes on, the surfers rush in again, just as though there were no sharks in tho world. ' I i '' ■' ■ At : first glance/ondiookingat tho pastime from a hygienic point of view, surfbathing appears to- bo one of tho best forms,of exercise and enjoyment. But when ono seos, day after day, hundreds of young men basking for hours in tho sands intent on nothing at all but the browning of their-skins, many doubts arise. In New Zealand .tho bathing is restricted, the sun-bathing limited by the chill of tho water, the shivery touch of the wind. But here iri\ Australia. one ~ niny bathe and burn for note, for days, and, if desired, for weeks. 1 It is the simple life; the-idling of leisure hours, no doubt; yet in a young country it is tho wasting of brains'and bodies which should bo endeavouring by somo special study or other to fit thansalyes to meet'and beat their world-com-petitors. For Australians have a stupendous task before thehi—to develop and hold Australia—a land of empty spaces that others-are itching to fill. ■■-." ,n ■»:/-; -~;, .Another point of'interest isthat"while tlw Australian shows such.a keenness-for' the surf, he has not shown such an inclination . for the'sea as the' Now ,'Zea.lander—of ..yachting and. such /pastimes; here : in,•Porij Jackson it is surprising how little , one 'sees. There certainly aro.no more sailing yachts hero'than in., Auckland; and not so many motor launches as in the Marlborough Sounds. ■Against this it may be argued that with Australia so eagerly employed in building and_ fitting out hor fleet, 'there must bean inclination among her young men;to go to sea, else how does she man her warships? .'. , ', Strange as it sounds, the-greater part of the lkta who join tho training ships are from inland places, or are boys,who have never had opportunity to spend any time in aquatic sports. So that the pastime of surfing, gloriously refreshing , though it be, is, after all,' only a pleasure from ■which certainly spring, health and cool nerves. But, carried out to the extent that .this climate permits, it must certainly have'an'anti-uisciplining effect on, its devotees. ■, . • .\> .

Yet the: happy abandon ■of jt all, the casual way men, who can only swjm a little, ,go out beyond the breakers, the comedy of the ''shark-bell,'' and the joyrides on the crests of the foaming seas— they make-a charming picture. But— listen! There's 'someone snouting on tho beach; there's a man in trouble beyond the roaring surf. Swift and lithe, brown glistening skin Tippling •< on 6plendid muscles, tho rescuers are off on their hard, fast, heroic swim. In an instant thore is silence among the rioting bathers—only the roaring surf roars on. They are nearly out to him. My word! hoV nearly done. Now they've got him and are bringing.him in. Good men! These arelsome of the remarks we hear. : And there.is no doubt that the swift, sure' dash seaward of the rescuers',at. Manly or elsowhcre is young Australia at his very best; it is really, fine, and just shows what he can do when ho trains mind' and body to some special service, instead .of riding idly on creamy wave of lolling-on-the burning sand.■-.-.-

.Mr. J. M. Franklin, tho well-known Wairaato footballer, has been transferred from the Manaia to the Palmcrston North staff of tho Bank of New Zealand. ■ Our Masterton correspondent states that ho trace has yet been found of .the four .'men who lost their lives in. the launch disaster at Aohanga' on January l. ' :'..-' '■ Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Wellington, will hold their usual stook sale at Pihaiitanui on Thursday, January IG.