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03/07/2008: "SOUTH WEST ROCKS ...... Dive shop museum (1981)"
When gathering underwater movie scenes for Sea Safari I called at the South West Rocks dive shop on the mid north coast of New South Wales, about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane.
My friend Noel Hitchins had started the business some years before. He was having a not-so-friendly war with club spear fishermen who saw nothing wrong with shooting competition fish (i.e. almost anything that swam) from the offshore island-rock which contained a specular cave and tunnel than ran right through it. A perfect future destination for scuba diving groups.
So incredible was this 'cavern' that a whole episode of Innerspace (a 1970's TV series) was filmed there with 240V bright filming lights designed and used by Ron Taylor. The contents of the cave were tropical and unique. It may not be quite the same today as thousands have since visited.
Originally several giant Queensland groper (each over 400 pounds) and huge black cod were common residents.
So the battle to protect the site known as Fish Rock Cave began. In the end Noel and the new 2nd dive shop seemed to have won. Line fishermen also fancied the location so there has been more problems, especially as their fish hooks invariably find a hungry (protected) grey nurse shark ready to take the bait.
In 1981 the grey nurse were back - some said from the brink of extinction. There was no doubt the species had suffered a setback. Many factors should be considered who they became rare - the east coast had been in the grip of a prolonged drought which some say has an effect on coastal marine life and therefore fish (and shark) food supplies.
At the time I reckoned the JAWS movie of 1975 was to blame for the sudden increased popularity collecting of shark jaws. Jaws were selling for suddenly ridiculous figures.
So in 1981 we arrived in town and Noel suggested a dive. The result was recorded on movie film and edited into a 90 minute video released as Sea Safari a documentary in 1983., not shown on TV.
Also featured was a brief look at Noel's personal maritime museum, shown here.
Double-hose US Divers regulators (still considered the best reg design as the bubbles escape from behind your head not under your face with all the resulting noise) and an especially ancient and fully imported outboard motor from about 1960 which still ran.
Noel passed away a few years ago. His sons now run the dive shop business and will be delighted to see this picture of their Dad after all many years, taken at a time when they were just little kids.
