The water is never as cold as you think it is. But the only way to find out is to jump on in. This is a philosophy that the Early Risers Crew embraces headfirst. The group, run by Keira Hill alongside her friend Jess Flemming, meet up at St. Kilda Beach every Thursday morning for a sunrise swim followed by a coffee mish to The Long Dog Cafe. Tis’ never a good day to be a small flat white.
Keira recounts that a delayed flight from a Wellington weekend session for the Whanake o Te Kōpara leadership course brought the idea for the club to fruition. While stranded together in October 2023, the original group of four decided on using sunrise swimming as a way to form new relationships with people that "you wouldn't usually cross paths with," while creating a safe space to "slow down and appreciate the small things in life."
Rumour has it that a polar plunge gives you more dopamine than a line of cocaine (I know which one I'd rather do). While some will call it psychopathic, Keira will tell you that the swim is the best way to start your day.
Every Thursday, the group meets just before sunrise on the beachfront of the St Kilda Surf Life Saving Club. Sometimes Jess and Keira will play a game to get everyone warmed up before heading into the water, but it’s also common for people to come and not swim – either because they got cold feet or just turned up for the vibes. Keira laughs saying she’s not exactly parked up on shore "yelling [...] 'Get in the water!'" at everyone. "If you don't wanna swim that's so fine," she says; everyone's more than welcome to "come and have a coffee afterwards."
Collabing with larger clubs and organisations helped the Early Risers to gain traction, such as working with Te Oraka (the sustainability office) last year to provide hot drinks and baking on the beach for an event series called Break Bites. Their Sunrise Yoga collab with the Otago University Nutrition Association was also a big hit. The group also featured on TVNZ’s Breakfast show, with a live broadcast of over 70 attendees sprinting into the sharp swells of the ocean.
Keira says her biggest challenge now is to "keep it engaging and fresh," while still maintaining the "essence of the club.”
Keira says she’s keen to “do something with Oranga Saunas,” a company which takes their wood-fired ‘hot box’ to beachfront spots across Ōtepoti. She also alludes that “a run club collab is probably in the works.” These collabs would complete the holy trinity of self-torture, combining endurance, hypothermia, and heatstroke all under one umbrella.
Joining the Early Risers Crew is a great way to take a break from the concrete jungle of North Dunedin. Keira explains that "connection to environmental and physical spaces can be a really good contributor to our wellbeing." Now’s your chance to trade in your freezing cold flat for the freezing cold ocean, to kickstart your day with the beauty of the beach and the beauty of meeting new people.
If you want to be part of the Early Risers Crew all you have to do is turn up. Even in the dark depths of winter they meet every Thursday but check their Instagram @theearlyriserscrew for updates.