Was it a drug deal gone wrong or a counterfeit drop? One thing is certain, the water at Kendalls Beach has never drawn quite so many swimmers.

Kendalls Beach, a favourite with locals, was anything but quiet last Wednesday.

Local residents arrived to find a scene more suited to a Hollywood thriller than a standard autumn afternoon: strangers swimming just beyond the break, a deep-sea fishing boat suspiciously close to shore, and whispers spreading like ripples. A bag of cash had washed ashore.

Anna Tydd, a regular at Kendalls, described the day as “eerie,” sensing from the moment she arrived that something wasn’t right.

“There were people in the water I didn’t recognise,” she told The Bugle, “and they didn’t really look like they were strong swimmers. Then there was this boat, hovering close in, with people leaning over the side.”

Then came the clincher. “My friend Ian returned with goggles on and said, ‘They’re swimming for money’.”

Ian had been told that police had already recovered a sealed bag of cash, but that loose $100 notes were still floating in the surf. One swimmer, he said, came out of the water with a rolled wad of $100 bills, about $1000 worth.

By the next morning, three more boats had appeared, eyes scanning the surface, hopeful for another soggy note or two. And the mystery just grew from there.

“Two young surfers came skidding into the car park, throwing on wetsuits. I asked if they’d heard about the cash. ‘Yep’, they shouted, and took off with their boards,” Anna laughed. “It was hilarious.”

Rumours flew. Was it counterfeit? Was it dumped by smugglers dodging a patrol? Was it connected to the gold bars that washed up on a Sydney beach last year?

Everyone had a theory.

NSW Police issued a statement to say: "About 1.20pm on Thursday 20 March 2025, police were contacted following reports of money located washed up on Kendalls Beach, Kiama.

"Officers attached to Lake Illawarra Police District responded and spoke to a woman at the scene. Inquiries are continuing and anyone with information is urged to come forward and contact Lake Illawarra Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000."

The intrigue grows.

“I tried every search term,” Anna said. “Cash, crime, Kendalls, Kiama, ocean - nothing. The silence is deafening.”

Locals, however, are anything but silent. One resident claimed her mum found a $100 note while swimming.

The mystery has hit the headlines Australia wide with national media outlets picking up the story after The Bugle broke the news.

Whether real or rumour, the Kendalls Beach cash caper has given our town a fresh reason to chat at the café, glance out to sea, and wonder.

And if you happen to see someone swimming just a little too enthusiastically near the break, don’t be surprised. The tide may yet have more secrets to spill.

Kendalls Beach