Kris Smith

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported this journey, in so many different ways. I appreciate your generosity - be it the sharing of your stories, your moral support and encouragement, or your financial contribution to cancer research.  

THANK YOU!

A beautiful river dip! 

 #daffodilday @cancercouncil  @cancercouncilnsw     

Personal (unofficial) Daffodil Day Dips page (with videos):https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599

Sunny morning swim (raining now!) followed by great conviviality!  

P.S. Thanks for the panettone and tea!

#daffodilday @cancercouncil  @cancercouncilnsw     

Personal (unofficial) Daffodil Day Dips page (with videos): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599

A crisp, bracing sunrise with occasional Daffodil Day swimming caps seen bobbing in the morning surf.

A big thank you to a fellow dipper (celebrating an impressive number of dips achieved this month!) who volunteered to catch an extra wave for a video record of today's dip

We had to emerge from our vehicles in heavy rain early this morning. The temperature in the water was okay, and we caught the occasional good wave, but of course the best bit was the lovingly made hot coffee (and stimulating chat) at a fellow “BOLD BODY SURFERS” home (I’m glad we all agreed on skipping our usual beachside outdoor option). 

Four and a half hours later the sun is shining (where were you when we needed you most, warm luminous friend?)!  

Instagram links: #daffodilday @cancercouncil  @cancercouncilnsw     

Personal (unofficial) Daffodil Day Dips page (with videos): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599

A friend kindly documented today’s dip (and may even produce an artwork based on it - stay tuned!). 

#daffodilday @cancercouncil  @cancercouncilnsw 

Personal (unofficial) Daffodil Day Dips page (with videos): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599

Raining, but not too cold, and enthusiasm unscathed!

Very grateful to the dedication of my volunteer videographer today.  A bonus waiting for us after a long walk, was a perfectly rectangular shaped rock pool roughly the size and depth of a regular bath tub! This was to be found in an otherwise ankle-deep body of water on large a rock platform located at the northern end of the beach.

Today’s ‘dip into art’ was even more literal than my last gallery excursion!  

Who could have ever predicted that it would be possible to have a cold shower in a public exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW? And then, after being doused with a bucket of cold water, to have a sauna while sitting on a church pew beside fellow strangers also visiting the exhibition? Unheard of! 

After such an experience, if you have a borrowed towel that needs drying, simply place it in the dryer that is hanging on a clothesline near the shower. While you are doing this a DJ is playing disco music, and sausages are sizzling on a barbecue catering for the children’s birthday party that is happening nearby.  

This is a description of one of the many joyous activities that could be undertaken in the Mike Hewson exhibition “The Key is Under the Mat” held in ‘The Tank’ basement space of the Art Gallery of NSW.  We were very lucky to have experienced this outrageous and courageous show.

Spotted in a luxurious pool, this Daffodil dipping support person alerted me to the benefits of a post cold dip sauna and spa! 

On a more sober note: the young person we shared the spa with this morning has lost 5 members of her extended family to cancer, including her aunt’s two children.

Fantastic! I finally managed to have a dip with fellow Daffodil Day Dippers, the BOLD BODY SURFERS. The surf was flat, but crystal clear water and very large fish!  

As an added life-giving bonus, we were able to tune into our local ABC radio station and listen to one of our regular swimming buddies in conversation with Scott Bevan on Saturday Breakfast. A wonderful interview that was essentially about the importance of integrating creativity into your life: whatever that may mean for you. In this particular instance the conversation was about guitar making and boat building, but there was also a broader discussion on the benefits of engaging with materials directly using your hands (instead of machines), and the value of working on such projects with others. 

In relation to guitar making, note was made of the number of people who signed up to build an instrument knowing that they would probably never actually learn how to play it!  A very moving moment in the interview occurred when a person phoned in to tell the story of her partner building a guitar when he knew he didn’t have long to live. 

It was a last gift to his family.  

#daffodilday @cancercouncil  @cancercouncilnsw   

Personal (unofficial) Daffodil Day Dips page (with videos): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599

A very late dip today! The sun had just gone down, and it was starting to rain. It was however, very beautiful - with the sky of the horizon backlit and reflecting on the water as the rain clouds gathered.  

My volunteer for this evening tried my swimming cap on for size, and took it for a dip! P.S. There are more photos to be found in the gallery below.

I was greeted by a truely wonderful sight this morning when I arrived at a local beach a little earlier than normal. This swimming group (with matching swimsuits) were in the surf, all decked out in their striking Daffodil Day swimming caps, caught beautifully in the dawn light!  

A suitably celebratory 40th anniversary of the ‘Daffodil Day’ fundraiser.

N.B. More images from today may be found in the image gallery below the donation tiles at the bottom of this web page. If you would like to support Cancer Council research, please use the donation button at the top of this page. Thanks for your support!

As tomorrow (20th August 2026) is officially Daffodil Day, expect see a lot of people wearing bright yellow swimming caps during their morning (or afternoon or late night) dip at beaches and swimming holes around the country!  

P.S. I’m very appreciative of the incredible support that I have seen for this fundraiser, and I’m not just talking about financial support. Numerous people I have never met have approached me to give moral support, and also to let me know that they feel supported. Thanks also to the many strangers who have taken time out of their morning or afternoon private reverie to video a random old bloke in a funny hat!  [By the way, thanks Madi for “giving a cheer” and helping out this morning]  

N.B. Personal (unofficial) Daffodil Day Dips page (with videos): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599

The blog image today is a pensive shot taken pre-swim on a cold cloudy afternoon. The water was invigorating, and the dip enjoyable, but it took longer than usual to get back to a reasonable body temperature!

Following on from yesterday’s blog post, today I had to abandon my idea of a beach swim as a shark alarm went off! My solution was to have a dip in a rock pool, and then rinse off with the assistance of a very willing volunteer who threw a bucket of water on me (image in the gallery at the bottom of the page).

P.S. My volunteer photographer today thanked me for my efforts, and told me that she had “lost too many family members to cancer”.

After a deep dive into an architectural journey, we found a beautiful but wild beach just down the road.  

P.S. I don’t believe that I didn’t see this large, colourful SHARK sign until after my swim!!  

A huge thanks to my support team for taking a detour to this relatively unknown beach. Note to self: “How come they didn’t see the shark sign …or did they??”  

ALSO, just as a side note: if you would like to donate to myself, or the “Bold Body Surfers” use the “Donate” link at the very top of this page, NOT the bottom of the page (or your donation won’t appear on this page). A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to this fundraiser (through us or other friends that you know who are also taking dips this month).  

N.B. Personal (unofficial) Daffodil Day Dips page (with videos): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599

After an invigorating ocean dip this morning I decided to also have a dip into art. At Newcastle Art Gallery I immersed myself (literally!) into Dani Marti’s work “Looking for Felix” [Medium: plastic beads + polyester thread]. I did’t find Felix, but had a great time searching! Photographs courtesy of a very generous bystander.

A great swim with fellow supporters, followed by some dipping into art! In today's blog image you will see me contemplating the location of my next dip.

Photo credit: Shannon Hartigan. Wave image appearing in the photograph: "Breakwall Bomb" - Copyright Shannon Hartigan [Web: shannonhartigan.com.au, Instagram: @shannonhartiganimages]

P.S. A few people have asked me how I stay warm after my dips, particularly at venues with only cold showers. Please see below a photo in the gallery at the bottom of this post showing one of my methods (hint: it involves a buff and a lined, full length hoodie). 

ALSO, just as a side note: if you would like to donate to myself, or the “Bold Body Surfers” use the “Donate” link at the very top of this page, NOT the bottom of the page (or your donation won’t appear on this page). A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to this fundraiser (through us or other friends that you know who are also taking dips this month).

Personal “Daffodil Day Dips Blog” Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599

A fabulous surf on a bodyboard borrowed from some fellow daffodil dippers I ran into on the beach.

A joyful and spontaneous interaction with an innocent bystander as we approached the water this morning. A stunning winter's day, and crystal clear water.

Fortunately the storm passed, and some willing volunteers appeared on the beach - and kindly agreed to video my latest cold dip.

A bracing sunset dip in a rock pool with an excellent view of some very competent local surfers! 

Another river dip today (Monday 10th August), after a great couple of catchups with some longstanding friends that I haven’t seen in many years. The river temperature was as cold as you would expect, but the wind took it to the next level! 

A much appreciated in kind contribution from Lisa and Craig, and some extremely generous donations from others. This extra support meant that my initial fundraising goal was met today! 

A river dip today, after a trip to a cafe, an IGA supermarket and an art gallery: dressed in my swimming gear and accompanied by a team (of one) drumming up support! 

After the swim we visited a running event, where I was encouraged to do a victory lap over the finishing line (after the legitimate runners had finished their race)! 

P.S. Thanks for the photo, Richard

Fantastic morning with our Bold Body Surfers team (apart from some car key dramas - which were resolved!)

The person that got changed beside me as I was about to do my swim today, came up to me afterwards to tell me that he had lost his wife to cancer only last Saturday, and that he has had cancer, but has now been in remission for 7 years.

After my plunge today a grandfather (building towers out of driftwood with his grandson) kindly offered to film me emerging from the ocean, and wished us “all the best for Daffodil Day!” 

P.S. And an unexpected wave doused my phone (it survived)!

Given the number people I know that are on a challenging cancer journey, a dip is my time to reflect on what they’re going through, and be thankful for current good health. Nice to be able to help out with some research dollars (thanks to everyone’s support!) while taking some wonderfully invigorating plunges!

A late afternoon dip (just before sundown) in an ocean baths 

After an extremely cloudy day the sun finally came out!

Another beautiful winter afternoon! The person I approached on the beach to take today’s photo is someone who in remission after the removal of a lymphoma. It was very encouraging to hear his story, and I’m very appreciative of his willingness to take a snap of my dip.

It's my first day of the Daffodil Day Dip challenge to help fund life-saving cancer research!

Personal Facebook Blog:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592776869599