From near and far, people came in droves to Illawarra beaches over the Christmas weekend, determined to claim their spot in the sand to soak up the sorely-missed summer heat.
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Local beaches were packed with families on Christmas and Boxing Day, and at some locations, barely a metre of sand and grass was uncovered by towels, surfboards, sandcastles and deck chairs.
Reddall Reserve at Lake Illawarra was a popular spot for visitors on Boxing Day, where more than a hundred people lounged, swam and ate by the calm water.
Dipak Shah, a 67-year-old grandfather, was among the crowds soaking up the sun, and his family had driven more than an hour and a half from Stanhope Gardens near Blacktown to enjoy the cool water at Reddall Reserve.
A wade in to the knee-deep water didn't go quite as planned for Mr Shah, who was drenched from head to toe, courtesy of a water fight with his two cheeky grandsons.
"I loved it with the grandkids - it's a nice place for the citizens of any other country to visit," Mr Shah said.
Mr Shah is visiting Australia from the Gujarat state in India for the fifth time, and now that he's retired, the former banker is happy to splash around in the sun for as long he can.
Families took advantage of Reddall Reserve's shallow, calm waters, which make it a great place for kids and parents alike to run amok.
Among them were visitors Danjela, Louis, Joey and Alex Kaca, who piled into a blow-up boat together to float around in the sun.
The Illawarra's 22 patrolled beaches across the Wollongong and Shellharbour regions were also flooded with people frolicking in the surf, but beach goers are urged enjoy the Summer conditions while they can - they may not stick around for much longer.
The warm temperature is expected to linger into Wednesday, but after that ... the mercury drops to pre-Christmas levels.
Weather gurus say the cloud will clear on Wednesday and the Illawarra will enjoy temperatures between 19 and 28 degrees.
They also have issued an extreme UV warning, so keep that sunscreen handy, and beware the 25 to 40 km/h winds that will kick in from the north.
On Thursday there's a chance of rain and the expected top of 23 will be more comfortable for many.
Friday is partly cloudy with showers expected in the morning.
The mercury will range from 18 to 24.
That's precisely the case on New Year's Eve, when the chance of showers hits 60 per cent, which might rain on the parade of those with plans to send off 2022 outside.
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Rosie Bensley
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
