January. A shallow 4 metre shore dive in the Breckenridge Channel, my first dive after surgery in late 2012 to both my right foot and right hand, did not go well. I was terribly unfit and had difficulty using both my right hand and foot. In particular the big toe of my right foot really hurt whenever I finned. It is rather difficult to avoid finning when diving!
February. John Duggan and I dived the Ehlefeldt Reserve Pool in the Breckenridge Channel where it is sometimes possible to see Sea Horses. We didn’t but it was a pleasant dive, albeit in poor visibility.
April. I dived The Pinnacle from Dive Forster’s Avanti and this was my best dive yet on this site with underwater visibility of 10 to 15 metres. Afterwards Ron Hunter and Gary Hodgkinson motored Avanti to Spot A, north of Cape Hawke. This is a site with beautiful sponges, occasional Grey Nurse sharks and plenty of large Wobbegong sharks. Next I enjoyed a solo dive in the Breckenridge Channel and then three dives in one day from Avanti at The Pinnacle, Spot A and then Latitude Rock. On the latter dive, the visibility was 15 to 20 metres - such good visibility makes a huge difference to enjoying a dive and I was torn between visiting a “Port Jackson hole” full of Port Jacksons sharks and a Wobbegong there or hunting around the reef for the chance of encounters with Eagle Rays. I opted for the “PJ Hole” and lowered my camera into it, tilting the camera at what I hoped would be the best angle. Then blindly fired off some shots. I lifted the camera out, reviewed the images and repeated the process again. And then again. And again. And again. The next day diving conditions were not so good as Avanti took us to Spot A and The Saddle. Mick Todd came up from Sydney to join me for my final two April dives, both at The Pinnacle off Avanti.
May. Avanti took us to The Pinnacle where there was a strong current at the surface. Ron Hunter suggested that I look for a Mosaic Moray Eel near the bottom of the mooring line. It was at home! Afterwards Ron Hunter and Gary Hodgkinson took us to Idol Bay where I was fortunate to spend some time with an unconcerned Port Jackson shark. Five days later Avanti took us out for three dives at The Pinnacle, Latitude Rock and One Mile Gutters. Some Grey Nurse Sharks circled the bottom of the mooring line at The Pinnacle, one with a large hook in its mouth. A 5 metre long fishing line trailed behind it complete with all sorts of hooks. My final two local dives of the month were also from Avanti at The Pinnacle and Spot A. In fact these were my last two dives in Forster. Nine days later, Mary and I bade Forster farewell and moved south down the NSW coastline, to our new home in Corlette near Nelson Bay.