What started as a single ocean swim has grown into a full weekend of connection, celebration and community spirit, thanks to a collaboration between Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club, Milton–Ulladulla Rotary Club and the Ulladulla Rats.
On Saturday 14 February, the beach and surrounds will come alive for Splash and Dash, a run-and-swim event that blends fitness and fun. The celebrations continue on Sunday 15 February with the Mollymook Live & Local Festival, featuring live music, markets, food stalls and a car show, all designed to bring people together and showcase the best of the region.
For Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club president Rex Russell, the event builds on a long tradition of community involvement.
“The Surf Club has always run its ocean swim as a community event,” he said. “But we were also looking for something more. The Rotary Club tapped us on the shoulder and said, ‘Can we jump in here?’ Last year was the first combined event, just one run and a swim, and it was really successful. This year, we’ve expanded it quite significantly.”
That expansion didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of shared effort, trust and a willingness to work differently and together.
“There’s no secret sauce,” Rex said. “It’s the will of relationships. We all just want to do something that’s good for the community. We each do things a little differently, but it’s been smooth. At the end of the day, the whole event is centred around one collective hub.”
For the Rotary Club, the collaboration reflects a broader commitment to working alongside other groups to make big ideas possible.
“Everybody knows how good the Surf Club is on the beach, and everybody knows what the Rotary Club does in the community,’ said Geoff Johns, the President of the Milton-Ulladulla Rotary Club. “But when we come together as a team, that’s when events like this can really happen. Too often, great ideas fall over because there aren’t enough volunteers. By doubling up and tripling up, with the Ulladulla Rats involved as well, we can actually pull off something substantial.”
The Ulladulla Rats play a key role in setting up the run courses, while the Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club brings expertise in water safety and event delivery. The Milton-Ulladulla Rotary Club helps coordinate logistics, markets and broader community involvement. Together, they’ve created something bigger than any one group could have delivered alone.
The timing of Splash and Dash on Valentine’s Day adds a playful twist, with live music, food, licensed bar service, and even a vow renewal ceremony for couples wanting to mark the day in a memorable way.
“If you want to run, you can run. If you want to swim, you can swim,” Rex said. “There’s music, food, a beer if you want one, and you can stay as long as you like.”
The decision to extend the event across the weekend was also deliberate, with flow-on benefits for local businesses.
“We thought, if people are coming, why not encourage them to stay overnight?” Geoff said. “That helps the shops, pubs, clubs and accommodation providers. So we added the Live & Local Festival on the Sunday – with markets, a car show, live music and food stalls. It’s about bringing people back into Mollymook and the surrounding area.”
Behind the scenes, the teams have embraced new ways of promoting the event, sharing content across social media and community networks.
“We’re learning,” Geoff laughed. “A lot of sharing and we’re seeing the response. Likes, comments, feedback from all over the community. We know it’s getting out there, so we just keep going.”
The impact is already extending beyond the local area. Splash and Dash has now been listed on national ocean swim and running platforms, putting Mollymook on the map for participants across Australia.
“For the first time, it’s not just the ocean swim,” Rex said. “It’s the run as well – and that national exposure helps promote the whole weekend.”
As organisers look to the future, there’s a shared hope that Splash and Dash and Mollymook Live & Local will become an annual fixture – a standing example of what’s possible when community groups work together.
“With the Surf Club, the Rotary Club and the Rats – and hopefully more clubs coming on board – this can be something really special,” Geoff said. “Something that belongs to the whole community.”