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| A ferry transports people between Days Bay and Queens Wharf. |
Wharf Users
A diverse group of people use the wharf.
1. Ferry users
2. Swimmers
3. Fishermen
4. General public
5. Boats sometimes use it to moor.
6. People rent kayaks and small boats and explore under the wharf.
Is improvement possible?
We have thought about this with our friends and, with encouragement from the Days Bay Residents Association, have now decided to ask everyone else. Please respond by commenting on this blog and maybe we can transform good ideas into real improvement.
There is an obvious safety issue. If you fall or jump into the sea, there are only two exit points: one at each end of the wharf area. If you fall off the middle of the wharf you could have to swim 40 m to the nearest exit point, and you would have to know where that was. For a weak swimmer this is a considerable distance.
The wharf is busy in summer and pressure comes on different users to respect each other, but in our view there is clear room for improvement.
There are numerous issues related to people jumping off the wharf. It is one of our favourite summer activities, but the sheer volume of people that congregate around the entrance to the wharf can cause problems. Little kids and large adults all share the same jumping and exit spots. Teenagers and adults looking for a thrill may splash commuters in suits, or jump into the wake of the ferry. If they climb onto the handrails to get more height, they endanger themselves by the combination of extra height, shallow water, and hazards in the water (timber supports). Kayaks and swimmers drift underneath and risk being landed on. Jumpers that shift to the end of the wharf scare the fish and upset fishermen.
Proposal for improvement
We suggest that improvements to the wharf could address all the issues identified above. What do you think? We'd like to run our ideas past you and get your input.
Fishermen and ferry passengers have fixed areas that they occupy, so the plan for improvement has to focus on better use of space that is currently not heavily utilised. Specifically, this refers to the south side of the wharf facing the diving platform.
Wharf jumpers are looking for a thrill, and they make up the majority of wharf users on a sunny afternoon in summer. The greatest potential for improvement is to provide those swimmers with the facilities and challenge that they need. This would encourage compatible use by voluntary segregation of different types of user.
Our proposal is to provide:
(1) A new jumping platform and water egress points on the centre of the wharf, opposite where the ferry docks.
(2) New benches and bait tables for fishermen at the end of the wharf.
This would address issues raised above.
(A) Social issues are addressed: wharf jumpers looking for a greater thrill will have a focal point that is away from steps appropriate for younger (or older or more nervous) jumpers, and would avoid splashing commuters, and is also sufficiently far from the fishermen to keep them happy. It is a carrot strategy rather than a stick.
(B) New water egress points would substantially reduce the maximum swim to a ladder.
(C) Jumpers would now be away from more frail swimmers and in deep enough water for it to be safe. We would also introduce timbers to keep jumpers away from kayaks, etc.
(D) Jumpers may be sufficiently distracted by activity at the jumping platform to not bother with jumping into the ferry wake.
In addition, we suggest that the new jumping platform could be made into a work of art and enhance the visual appeal of the wharf.
