Celia Craig

A gorgeous sunny day so wanted to do another Dip (& swim!!). SOOO grateful for all the donations I have received to date…. and to my wonderful husband for taking all the photos as proof of Dips / swims!

Doing extra Dips even though I’ve reached my goal of 20 dips! Hoping it will encourage others to continue to donate to the Cancer Council…. Every dollar helps and I appreciate what they do…

Today - I have achieved my fundraising goal- to swim 5 times per week for the month of August!!! YAY!!! 🥳 And, I’ve also well exceeded the fundraising target I was aiming to achieve thanks to all who have supported my cause!!! This afternoon, I had a lovely swim at the Merewether Baths as the sun was setting and then a full moon came up… a magnificent and memorable swim!! And I am planning to do AT LEAST one more Dip before August ends as I have been enjoying them so much and I am also hoping that I can DOUBLE my fundraising goal of $1000 and reach $2000 (currently I need less than $400 as I will also be making another donation to include the cash I’ve received while doing my swims!)…🎉🎊🥳 🏊‍♀️🐬

My second last dip! Just ONE more to do! A rainy start to the day, so decided to just use a backyard pool. Thinking of all those who are going through the process of diagnosis and treatment… and all the special people in my life who sadly didn’t survive this terrible illness… SOOO grateful to everyone who has supported my cause to raise $1000, and can’t believe the contributions have well exceeded my target…. Thank you sooo much to all my friends and family who have contributed to this cause…

Had a Dip (& 30 minute swim!) at the Newcastle Canoe Pool (next to the Ocean Baths). Steve chauffeured me down & I went for a fantastic Dip/swim! Can’t believe I was in the water for about 30 minutes and had the pool entirely to myself (except for a few seagulls and fingerling fish!). Just TWO more dips and I will have accomplished my fundraising aim: to go for a Dip - 5 times per week - during the month of August 2026 to raise money for the Cancer Council!! 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🌻🌻🌻🌻 I am blown away by the generous donations I have already received… Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated… 💖

Firstly A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO THE ANONYMOUS PERSON WHO DONATED A VERY GENEROUS $100 to my fundraising campaign on Saturday!! (And - of course to EVERYONE who has also donated to date!!). This morning, we awoke to a beautiful sunny day, & although I would have loved to go for a Dip & swim at the ocean, we have a busy day. So we decided to today’s dip in a backyard pool!! I actually managed to swim FIVE laps!! 🏊‍♀️ Don’t think I could have done that at the start of this challenge!! Water felt (initially!) very cold… but then it started to feel invigorating! I stood in the sun afterwards to get my dose of Vitamin Sea & chill out a bit!! Steve then made me another scrumptious breakfast - a tropical mango & lime porridge!! YUMMY 🥰

Today, I actually did a Double Dip at both Soldiers Baths & Nobbys Beach! It’s my MOST FAVOURITE dip & swim experience so far!!! Perfect weather and a calm sea…. LOVE it when the waves are so gentle! That’s the first time (probably since I was a teenager!) since I’ve been swimming at a beach between the flags at this time of year!! Steve said that he thought I had turned into a mermaid (& then took a photo of me!!😂🤣) Came out of the water on an ABSOLUTE high!! And… then, Steve bought me a coffee afterwards!!! I am such a lucky and fortunate woman!!! ALSO - I am blown away by the fantastic donations I’ve been receiving for my fundraising campaign… It has helped me to exceed my target of raising $1000!!! I have now received $1518!! WOW!! THANK YOU SO SOOO MUCH to everyone who has helped me achieve this… it means a LOT … 🏊‍♀️🐬💖🌻

Today, it’s Daffodil Day!! I did my LONGEST Dip & swim yet!! Went to the Newcastle Ocean Baths… I started swimming at 11.30am and finished at 11.57am! So I got a VERY good dose of Vitamin Sea!!! ;-D I think I was able to stay in the water so long because Steve made me a very yummy coconut & fresh mango porridge for breakfast!!! It was the first mango of the season & I LOVE mangoes!!! Also, the sky was amazing… hardly a cloud to be seen!! After the dip/swim, we had coffee at a nearby cafe, and a lovely lady donated $5 cash to my cause…

At 4.30pm, we walked down to the rock pools next to Merewether Baths. Sun was starting to go down… & I got into the water in one of the rock pools. It was shallow, but lovely and clear! I could see anemones in the rock crevices! Then, as I was enjoying being in the water, I decided to go in the baths and do a couple of laps too! A man swimming there said he was visiting from Hong Kong. He told me he could see a dolphin in the waves! I saw it too!!! How lucky am I !!! So it was a dolphin daffodil dip & a swim today!! Very refreshing!!

At 3.30pm today, I decided to do a backyard pool Dip, as weather not so good to go down to the pools at the beach… We have a couple of busy days coming up, so didn’t want miss any opportunities to get a Dip in.  The pool felt very cold today and I would love to know what the water temperature was, but sadly, I don’t have a thermometer!! But it felt good & uplifting once I managed to get in!!! 🤪

Didn’t expect to see the sun shining today (forecast was cloud & possibly rain!!), but when the clouds cleared and it was a blue sky without any clouds, I decided to make a dash to another spot to do my 12th Dip. We went to Grannies Pool over near Blacksmiths Beach!  It is a beautiful place!  I didn’t just do a dip, I did a decent swim!  I also had the wonderful company of Jonathan Livingston Seagull while in the water too!!! ;-D.  Steve is such a good man & I sooo appreciate his support for this fundraising challenge!  Not only did he chauffeur me everywhere, he also made me a wonderful hot coffee and lunch when we got back to our place!  Also, can’t believe I have almost exceeded my fundraising target by another 50%!!! Thanks to EVERYONE who has helped me achieve this incredible result!!  

A bit overcast today, but the air temperature was quite nice at 18 degrees.  Decided to go for a dip at the Belmont Baths. Steve kindly chauffeured me there!  When we arrived, the sun was shining and, I had the pool completely to myself!!  I have been wanting to swim in these Baths for some time now since we moved up to Lake Macquarie, but hadn’t managed to until today! So, at last, my dream came true!  We had a cuppa and bite to eat in a lovely cafe (appropriately called “Good One” !!  ;-D ) across the road after I’d done my dip, and a lovely lady there gave me $5 cash donation!! VERY Happy Girl!! I sincerely thank everyone who has donated to this cause so far and helped me to exceed my goal to raise $1000… It gives me hope that one day,  with the help of the Cancer Council, we will be free of cancer…🤞🤞🤞

Yay!!! I’m ahead of my target at the moment, having completed 10 dips before the middle of August!  It’s a beautiful sunny day today, and I had a lovely swim (did 4 laps of  the 50m pool, plus swam across the children’s pool!! ). Pool temperature was 16 degrees!  Sooo grateful to everyone who has made a donation - I have achieved more than my target of  raising $1000!!  

What a lovely  sunny 🌞 day and a pleasant 20 degrees temperature outside!! Perfect for doing another dip!! I’m ALMOST halfway with my commitment to doing four or five swims per week in the month of August!!! 🥳 AND - I’m really enjoying it!!! Love my husband’s idea that I try to swim in different locations … as we are new to this area and it is fun to try different sites!! Still got time to find some new locations in the coming weeks!  MANY THANKS to everyone who has made a donation to the Cancer Council…. I like their work as their aim is one day - as they are so supportive and with the research that they do, hopefully soon - we will be cancer free….🤞🤞💖

Wild windy and cold weather…. Did a polar plunge in a pool this morning!!

Woke at 6.30am to a beautiful sunny sunrise, so thought I’d do my next dip while the sun is shining… Air temperature, only 6 degrees.  A gentleman also swimming at the Baths said his watch could tell the water temperature… it was 14 degrees!  Definitely felt more like a polar plunge today!  Thanks so much to my wonderful husband for taking photos and making me a delicious & warming breakfast!!  A MASSIVE thanks too,  to everyone who has very kindly donated to this cause and helped me to EXCEED my goal to raise $1000!! 😲 WOW!! 💖🙋🏻‍♀️

Woke to a beautiful sunny day and after doing a Landcare session and seeing the beautiful Lake coming back home, decided I should jump in and swim a couple of laps!  A gentleman in front of Tinto’s Cafe told me that he had swum there earlier this morning and that he had a thermometer & that the water temperature was 14 degrees!!  It was an invigorating & uplifting swim!!

We were up early to get to the Bogey Hole by 7.15am. Saw a whale and a pelican! This pool was created by convicts, so is a very special place to swim….. A very uplifting experience… 

My 4th Dip at Newcastle Ocean Baths in Lane 4!!

A chilly dip but feeling very happy to be doing this…. Love what the Can er Council does!! (& my wonderful husband who has taken the photos to prove I did it!!) 🏊‍♂️💖🙋🏻‍♀️