Thursday 22 October 2026 Ocean Grange Day 3: Waddy & Cooinda Islands

 Early breakfast as usual before heading down to the water. GS had decided to walk instead of paddling this day so her backrest in the Big Yellow Beastie was dismantled so the two old buddies could paddle together.

Taking to the water R had a mishap, the beginnings of which you will see on the video footage. She emerged from the water boots overflowing with a mixture of sand and mud and dripping a mixture of mud, sand, rotting weed and water from the rest of her.  This pelican fishing completely ignored the splashings and brouhaha going on nearby.

Needless to say R called it a day and headed straight for the shower so we were down to 5 for the mornings foray.

Another pair of swans with five somewhat older cygnets swam by as we headed toward the Cresent Island Point.

 

A Pelican Conclave in full swing?

Thanks to KT and her camera we can now confirm the identification of those brownish birds we saw in the distance on Cresent Island on Tuesday - Bar Tailed Godwits.

According to the Birdlife Australia website Bar-tailed Godwits are the world record holders for non-stop flight: they have been recorded travelling 13,500km from Alaska to Tasmania in only 11 days flying at an average of more than 50kmph, losing almost half their body weight along the way. Amazing!

The Godwits arrive in Australia in August and while most birds leave in April and May, to return to their breeding grounds, some, mostly young birds, remain all year round.

A pair of mature Sea Eagles, one watching us glide by.

The old buddies - one of the few times they weren't yacking away.

No go this way.

Its not only us old farts that need a big stretch now and then!

Coming out of the channel bisecting Waddy Island we get a distant view of part of the approx 3,500km long Great Dividing Range than runs down the east coast from far nothern Queenland and into Victoria before turning and heading west.

The other half of the view.

Heading toward the northern tip of Waddy Island we began looking for a suitable landing, passing one of my favourite shore birds - a Pied Oyster Catcher.

A suitable stretch of vacant beach having been spotted we paddled in.

And in comes GT in his Delta, also a GT :)

Looking across Lake Victoria toward Paynesville (I think!)

L doing a bit of 'droning' whilst the rest of us relax in the sun.

We were then roused by the persistent buzz of a helicopter hovering above the water to the northwest across the lake. After a period of concentrated staring we saw that something or someone - all we could see was a tiny black blob - was being lowered to the water and then, a little later, winched up again. And then repeated twice more. KT then zoomed in with her camera and pronounced it was the rescue helicopter, the crew probably practicing. 

 It must be said that the one drawback of paddling in this part of the world is the man made noise. If its not the motor boats going by its the airforce planes from Sale flying over and around several times a day, and like the planes you can hear the motor boats coming and going for ages. One day we had the Roulettes practicing high overhead as we paddled; you could hardly see them but boy, could you hear them. It must be a god awful continuous cacophony of engine noise during the summer holidays.

Winge over. We set off again paddling to and round the tip of Waddy Island and then headed toward Cooinda Island to try the narrow channel on the western side of that island with the boys in the Yellow Beastie leading the way. It started off okay and then got narrower and more and more shallow with the mud been churned up the YB obscuring any view of the bottom. I pushed my paddle into the mud and it went deeper, deeper and deeper  - uuugh there would be no getting out if one of us stuck fast. So GT and I waited for KT to catch up so we could travel bunched up to help each other if needed. Although the boys, now way ahead in YB, said at times they were ploughing a channel - for us (which couldn't be seen through the mud they stirred up) they at least had clear water to see the best path to take). 

We paddled slowly and cautiously on, occasionally having to avoid big lumps of mud breaking out of the water. It was with heartfelt relief that we rounded a bend and saw, not far ahead, the occupants of YB looking at a jetty - we'd made it through.

From there we paddled steadily back to Ocean Grange and the end of another very pleasant and interesting paddle.

GT hauls in the Yellow Beastie so the old buds don't have to get wet feet.

Relaxing back at the house we caught up on the doings of the non paddlers. GS & R had taken a walk along the beach and had come across hundreds and hundreds of dead large sardine sized fish washed up along the tide line, all of which had holes in the same place on their sides. We pondered the possible causes until GS, our resident tech guru, took the photo R had taken and asked AI. The answer - Australian Mackerel that either had, as individuals in a bait ball, been driven ashore when being pursued by predator fish and then had their swim bladders and some other organ (which I can't remember) pecked out; both organs considered delicacies by gulls and such like. The other - members of a bait ball that had been pushed by predators up so fast from the deep that their swim bladders had burst, blowing a hole in their side.  The same most likely possibilities, I'm pleased to say, that we mere mortals came up with when pondering. 

Once again the afternoon was spent swimming, reading, snoozing, chatting or doing one of the two jigsaws we had going at the far half of the huge dining table. 

Someone had decorated the table for dinner.

And later that evening, celebrating a 70th and an 80th, our excuse for a most enjoyable holiday together in this very special and unique place.

It was then early to bed as a dawn paddle had been decided upon for our last paddle.

6.65km

Wednesday 21 October 2026 Ocean Grange Day 2: Rotten Island circumnavigation

With the wind forecast to kick in mid morning every day, morning paddles were scheduled so it was another sumptious breakfast at 7.30am.

After some inventive thinking was undertaken by the blokes, an addition was added to the big yellow beastie to give G a decent backrest. We then launched and headed west from the jetty to

 head up yet another channel toward Rotten Island. KT had her camera with her this day so we've got some fabulous pics.

 

5 cygnets - I wonder it this is the same family group we disturbed in the channel between Barton and Cresent Islands on Monday?

Just mooching along, taking it all in.

Having rounded the southern end of Rotten Island we crossed over the channel and headed down the side of Rotamah Island; on glassy water,

which gave some lovely reflections. Here you can see the addition to enable G to have a backrest. Great when there was so breeze, terrible when there was as we were to discover on Friday.

Squadrons of pelicans regularly flew overhead, other times we would watch them circling, riding thermals high into the sky.

The reason for the side trip - to inspect the Rotamah Island footbridge - a favourite perching rail for a bunch of Little Pied Cormorants.

And here it is.

Returning to the lake 

We crossed back over the channel to Rotten Island to

continue our circumnavigation and look for a suitable site for morning tea. Having found it we once more enjoyed the view whilst we had a break.

About to turn into the main channel back to Ocean Grange we and the pelicans waited and watched this yacht sail passed.

In the distance we watched an aerial dog fight between two immature sea eagles, one of whom had something in its talon which it dropped before they disappeared from view.  A few minutes later we espied one of them looking rather forlorn - at its loss?.

However it came to attention on our approach.

Now for L's video. Unfortunately the GoPro slumped until it was almost navel gazing.

Back home before the breeze fully picked up, there was time for a cuppa before climbing the tower to take in the view.

Another cold buffet for lunch and then it was time to relax in the pool.

A few more sunset photographs. This was the perfect spot for lounging from mid morning to early afternoon.

This being a public jetty there were comings and goings all day and boats moored here overnight.

A delicious beef curry for dinner followed by warmed Lemon Drizzle Cake and whipped cream - we were eating like kings AND queens! :)

 

6.74km