Going for a swim, surf or walk on the beach was a lockdown reprieve for many Illawarra residents.
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Our beaches are also popular with Western Sydney residents, some of whom are closer to Wollongong than Sydney beaches.
Pre-lockdown Campbelltown man Shamiel Kirsten and his wife would go to Wollongong lighthouse each week to soak in the sights and sounds of the ocean.
A keen fisherman who grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, the NSW TAFE teacher spent four months away from the coast, staying within a five-kilometre radius of his home.
I told my wife, I'm going to wash that COVID lockdown off me
- Shamiel Kirsten
The closest he could get was the local river, in the one hour a day allowed for outdoor exercise.
Adding to the stress, some of his extended family contracted COVID, with one family member seriously unwell for a time.
When travel within the Greater Sydney region opened up last week, the first place Mr Kirsten went was the ocean - and it welcomed him with open arms.
"I told my wife, I'm going to wash that COVID lockdown off me, but when we arrived it was a bit windy and cold," he said.
"Then this huge wave came and hit the rock and I was soaked. It was a beautiful soak, I welcomed it."
Mr Kirsten said he loves the ocean for the peace it offers.
Being able to go for his usual weekend drive to Wollongong with his wife was one of life's little pleasures that tasted especially sweet after four months of stress.
"I love that spot, it's beautiful with the lighthouse, and the fishing is great," he said.
"We got great fish and chips for lunch and walked about. It was just a nice day."
Mr Kirsten's wife is immunocompromised.
They've both been vaccinated, and the high vaccination rates across NSW helped give them the confidence they needed to know she could leave home with as little risk as possible.
After the hardships of the past months, Mr Kirsten said he just appreciated the good things in life all the more.
"I grew up in South Africa, in Johannesburg, until we ran away from the apartheid," he said.
"We've been in Sydney ever since - it's beautiful here, we're only a 40-minute drive to the beach.
"When you have it there every day you just take it for granted, and we can take the freedom we have in this country for granted a bit."
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