Due to a forecast of 30oC and a rising breeze the paddle organiser decided to provide plenty of options. Therefore the plan was as follows. Meet at the slipway beach at 7.30am to unload the boats. G&L would then do a car & trailer shuffle up to the camp area off Nutley’s Creek Road from whence they would return and be on the water ready to paddle by 8.40am.
All went smoothly and we were on the water by 8.25am, well before schedule
We were whooshed under the bridge
and up the river
And with the high tide we were able to really cut the first corner and we were swept over the oyster bommies and back out into the river proper
A lone Pied Oyster Catcher turns his back on us as we drift past.
We hardly had to paddle, just stuck a blade in occasionally to correct direction
The wake left by our boats as the tide took us upstream
Shortly before the next pic was taken G was almost scalped by a Sea Eagle he had startled as it took off upstream from its hidden low perch beside the river. The water was lovely again today.
The high high tide allowed for some exploration of the mangroves. V, S & R were first in and quickly disappeared from view.
The little lake at the end of the channel leading into the mangrove forest.
Having managed to call R back, we two made our way back to the river.
And proceeded up it looking for the boys.
However S&V were on a mission – to find another exit from from the mangrove forest – at least that is what they told us! I think they might have got discombobulated! There was a lot of calling and cooeeing going on in there as the rest of us continued our poddle up the river. Whilst waiting for them to reappear L took the opportunity to have a leg stretch at the corner of the last bend before the camp site. Not so unfortunately, as it turned out, L decided to sit on the front of my boat as I floated nearby. Predictably we both end up in the drink with Bluey upside down and various bits of paraphernalia bobbing gently away upstream.
After retrieving all my bits and bobs and putting them back in Bluey I decided to try a deep water remount. Needless to say I failed and ended up going out the other side of the kayak head first and I surfaced to find Bluey once more had turned turtle. This time everything came out of the boat to variously sink or bob off upstream. R fortuitously paddling back to find out what all the commotion was about, was able to retrieve my bobbing bits while I fished around for the sunken bobs. It was as I turned away from putting the sodden cool bag with our lunch in it in the back of R’s kayak that she calmly informed me not to panic but there was a big huntsman on the brim of my had, rapidly heading for my face! So yet another minor panic ensued to rid my self of hat and huntsman after which a huntsman rescue had to be performed – thankfully no resuscitation was required.
By now I was lovely and cool and had just got back into my boat when the intrepid mangrove explorers returned to the group. They’d had to resort to a portage to escape the forest. We then paddled a few hundred metres further upstream to where we had left the car and disembarked for morning tea and to decide who was going to do what next.
After a rest and refuelling only 4 of us took to the water at 10.36 to paddle u Nutley’s Creek. We left the menfolk reclining to await our return.
Heading further up river and it was getting hot
The sandy beach just before Coolagolite Creek is nearly submerged by the very high tide
Heading up Nutley’s Creek there were lots of these eucalypts in heavy flower
The further up the creek we went that narrower it got and the dappled shade was very welcome
By the time we had reached this point the tide started to turn and no one had the desire to bush bash.
A bit of mayhem as its discovered the creek is to narrow to turn so some backstroking was required
S – a 10 point turn in progress
Back down the creek we went
Going carefully, with the falling tide snags were beginning to make themselves felt
V, stranded on a submerged tree trunk that we had paddled over on the way up
Through the last of the obstacles
About 10mins after the above pic R called for a welcome leg stretch. It was a very quick break as we were conscious of the outgoing tide for those who wanted to paddle all the way back.
Not long after returning to the water we passed the biggest wombat I have ever seen, he was huge. Unfortunately he had gone into camouflage mode by the time I got the camera out.
His big brown bum disappearing down his hole
The small flock of Dollar Birds were still in residence as we returned. Back on the Bermagui River the sandy beach was more exposed than we we had gone by and hour and 25mins earlier.
We got back to the ‘boys’, who had spent the last 2+hours chasing shade and chewing the fat, about 12.50pm. There followed some more discussion re who was doing what with the result that R&G and V&S would paddle back down the river while L&I would call it quits for the day
The intrepid paddlers heading off downstream at 1.15pm
Meanwhile L&I unpacked and loaded the boats and drove back to Bermagui for a gelati whilst we awaited arrival of the paddlers. The gelati shop was doing a roaring trade so we decided an icecream from bridge motors was the next best thing. As I was coming out of the garage with the booty I looked up to see V&S whizzing under the bridge. I had just enough time to run to the car and grab the camera to get this shot of G&R getting whooshed under the bridge. Time: 2.04pm. So it had taken them 50mins to paddle 5km – that’s tidal assist at its best
Also sighted by R&M near the mouth of Nutley’s Creek was a Striated Heron (I think)
So for those who paddled the whole distance: 18.5km
plus another 500metres of so for those farting about in the mangroves.
5hrs.40mins including lots of breaks
Trip Notes:
High tide: 10.41am, 2.07m at Bermagui Bridge
Reaching the camp ground 2 hours later (noted by G&L as they lazed around, mulling over world affairs)
