Rise. Rinse. Repeat.

Bracing for the cold, East Gippsland's Gabby Moore shares why she swims in the pre-dawn glow.

Jan 29, 2023

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Gabby Moore is a dreamer, doer and dawn-open-water-swimmer.

As I scroll through Gabby’s grid, post after post of sunrises with location tags oscillating between the Yeerung River outlet and Salmon Rocks in Cape Conran, I notice the times: 5:45am, 5:30am, 5:00am, 5:25am.

From the portrait I have already pieced together of Gabby – an East Gippsland resident and artist and one-half of Sailor’s Grave Brewery – it does not strike me that the dawn swims are about productivity goals or stacking life into a Tetris grid of optimised time. As someone who appears to live a life deeply connected to space and community, I had a hunch there’d be more to this part of her story.

Here it is.

“I have the same thoughts most mornings. Why? Why do I do this?! But I brace myself and just get in the water.”
—

Mostly, it’s just me and my dog, Scout, with the occasional interruption of commercial and recreational fishermen.

My alarm is usually set for 5:30, but I’m mostly awake by 4:30. It’s all about the first light – when all the magic happens. It’s a moment in time and space that sometimes brings me to tears. It’s my church. By sunrise, it’s all over.

The first thing I do is look towards the horizon to see what’s in store. Scout is usually ready. She says ‘hi’ to Chris and we’re out the door. I have a series of songs that I listen to as we head towards Cape Conran. I catch a glimpse of the ocean and make the call – is it an ocean or lake day?

West Cape boat ramp is my preference when the ocean is flat. My dad and some other locals built the boat ramp back in the ’60s. They all just went ahead and did it – didn’t get permission!

When the sea is rough, I head to Yeerung River, which pools into a tea-like lake next to the ocean. It is a truly magical place full of bird life. Most mornings I’m treated to swans cutting across the sky, flocks of fairy martins dancing across the water, or an eagle checking me out. There is a gulp of cormorants, which I refer to as the ‘bikers of the sky’.

Uncle Bruce Pascoe once told me that ‘Yeerung’ means emu wren. It’s pretty apt that it shares its name with the most precious of the birds, in my opinion.

We get to our spot and take a photo. I have the same thoughts most mornings. Why? Why do I do this?! But I brace myself and just get in the water.

Depending on the time of year, the ocean can get as low as 11°C. In the Yeerung, it has been as low as 7°C. But the colder, the better. I try to stay in for at least 15 minutes to get the full effect – total clarity.

Mostly, I’m just in awe of my surroundings. If I have something to work through, I will use that time to process my thoughts, which is also why I prefer to go alone.

After I get out of the water and journey home, I plan the day in my head. ‘Hyperballad’ by Björk sums up why I dawn swim; it’s my way of processing life.

“We live on a mountain right at the top
There's a beautiful view from the top of the mountain
Every morning I walk towards the edge

I go through all this before you wake up
So I can feel happier to be safe up here with you”

— Björk, ‘Hyperballad’

On my birthday this year, I decided to take a photo of dawn every day. I wanted to see a year of dawns. The grid is public, but really it’s just for me.