Clean Up Australia at Congwong Bay and Cape Banks

43 children and 42 adults turned up  to clean up Congwong Bay and Cape Banks at La Perouse. Males outnumbered females by 49 to 36, with the best represented age group the 10-14s (22). There was a strong show from cubs and scouts of the Kensington, Kingsford-Smith, and Little Bay groups,Woollahra Pathfinders, Fishcare, Streamwatch, the La Perouse Precinct Committee, Randwick Residents and visitors. Successive cleanups over the past few years have resulted in fewer bulky items but there were still thousands of cigarette butts, plastics in a variety of configurations and abandoned clothes. The cleanup started at 8am and the early group of cubs scored some treasures amongst the rubbish – $30 and an unopened bottle of wine!, perhaps the result of a ‘rave party’ the previous night.

The large group were ably assisted by Steve from National Parks who provided a marquee, table and chairs and ferried bags from collection points. Randwick Council provided additional bags and collected the rubbish piled in Cann Park.

(Photos top left-bottom right: Kensington cubs getting ready; early starters at Little Congwong; Fishcare and Scouting leader at work; rubbish bigger than the cubs; historic backdrop; early fishing and cleaning; moving the rubbish off Little Congwong; onto Big Congwong; Pathfinders)

Congwong Bay – the cleanest for swimming in Botany Bay & Lower Georges

The Department of Environment and Climate Change tests the water quality at 131 sites in Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra and then ranks the beaches 1 to 41 with 1 being the cleanest.  Full Report  for Botany Bay and General Summary.

 The rankings show that water quality for Yarra Bay and particularly Frenchman’s is very poor at 22 and 37 respectively.

  Congwong Bay 1/1/09

The rankings for swimming sites for Summer 2007-8 in Botany Bay and the Lower Georges.

SITE	OVERALL RANK
Congwong Bay	4
Brighton-Le-Sands Baths	6
Monterey Baths	6
Silver Beach	6
Ramsgate Baths	7
Sandringham Baths	9
Dolls Point Baths	12
Jew Fish Bay Baths	15
Como Baths	18
Yarra Bay	22
Kyeemagh Baths	25
Oatley Bay Baths	27
Carss Point Baths	35
Frenchman’s Bay	37
Foreshore Beach	40

Clean Up Australia 1 March 2009

Join with the La Perouse Coastcare Alliance on March 1, 2009 in cleaning up Congwong Bay.  Come between 0800 and 1200 to the Snake Pit, Cann Park, La Perouse (opposite the bus terminus on Anzac Parade).

Register at http://events.cleanup.org.au/?Congwong+Bay  

On the day please wear a hat, sunscreen and protective clothing – long sleeve shirts, long pants, gardening gloves, sturdy shoes – and bring water.  All children must be accompanied by an adult.

CONGRATULATIONS LITTLE BAY CUBS

Little Bay Cubs were given a Highly Commended Youth Legends Award for their work at Little Congwong Beach at the recent Clean Beaches Challenge Awards.  More information..(Photo of Cub Leader with Sponsor Remondis and Peter McLean, CEO of Keep Australia Beautiful)

Blast from the Past – 2000 OLYMPICS at CONGWONG

 NOTE:  This report has come from the ABC website at:  http://www.abc.net.au/arts/olympics/18082000.htm

 Friday, August 18, 2000:  OPENING OF THE OLYMPICS ARTS FESTIVAL 

 

 The largest ever Olympic Arts Festival was launched in Sydney today with the Tubowgule Ceremony – “the Meeting of the Waters”.

Based on traditional indigenous celebrations, Tubowgule involved three events throughout the day at different locations across Sydney.

At dawn, over a thousand people gathered in the winter cold on the beach at Congwong Bay, a small inlet from the more infamous Botany Bay. The sky was clouded, adding to the intense excitement of the early morning.

Stephen Page, the Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Company, choreographed the event which involved a traditional welcoming ceremony with a modern twist. Three dancers braved the cold in traditional paint, dancing to a didgeridoo and clapping sticks. They were surrounded by other dancers which were first hidden in grey blankets and then revealed in striking red, and a group of boys providing a link though the generations.

Aboriginal opera singer Deborah Cheetham sang, while traditional dancers set sail to a flaming raft that was launched out into the bay. The crowd of all ages stood in enthralled silence, finally erupting as the ceremony drew to a close.

Tubowgule continued at noon with another ceremony in the grounds of Sydney’s Botanical Gardens, adjacent to the harbour.

The day finished with a Dusk ceremony in the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House.

 Simon Nicholas
Photographs: (top right, middle and above right) Performers at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival’s dawn opening ceremony at Botany Bay, NSW.

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY March 2

 

Wet weather didn’t deter volunteers from cleaning up at Little Congwong.  The usual cigarette butts, polystyrene, syringes and various plastics were collected along with planks of wood and two bags of beers bottles, recovered for recycling.  National Parks were well represented along with Kingsford-Smith scouts, Little Bay Cubs, Fishcare, Kooloora Community Centre and the La Perouse Precinct Committee.

Dedication:  Jodie from National Parks before her ‘working day’ began at the Laperouse Museum

Clean Up Australia 2008: Sunday March 2: 0800-1200

Join with the La Perouse Headland Alliance on March 2, 2008 in cleaning up Congwong Bay.  Come between 0800 and 1200 to the Snake Pit, Cann Park, La Perouse (opposite the bus terminus on Anzac Parade).

Register at http://events.cleanup.org.au/?Congwong+Bay  

On the day please wear a hat, sunscreen and protective clothing – long sleeve shirts, long pants, gardening gloves, sturdy shoes – and bring water.  All children must be accompanied by an adult.