Tuesday 25 July 2017 Pambula River & Pamboola Wetlands

We had an early start this morning to catch the tide. R stayed with us the night before so she could get a little more sleep. We left home at 7.05am - five mins behind schedule. We met up with S&V and drove down to the Pambula River mouth where we unloaded the boats and while V&L did a car shuffle to the Pambula Oyster Shed on the Broadwater, R,S & I prepared the boats and got them to down to the water. We had decided to do a car shuffle to give us greater choice and flexibility for today's paddle.

Keeping to El Capitano's schedule we were on the water by 9.00am. Unlike the last time we paddled here, there was no chop and it was easy to board our kayaks.

We started paddling an hour before high tide and we were carried up the river 'poddling' along.
(the word poddling was invented by L during our morning tea break to describe our style of paddling when under tidal assistance or when just maintaining forward momentum whilst taking in the surrounds or discussing affairs of state)

The water was beautiful

After crossing the lake the 'tubbies' heading up river - still poddling - we've done 5kms in just under an hour; going with the tide makes kayaking sooo easy.

Pulling in for morning tea at 10.15am at the junction of the Yowaka River where there is a conveniently placed picnic table.

While stopped the 'tubby' paddlers tried out Bluey . R&V were converts and S found it a bit heavy for her. It now remains to be seen whether other members of the CKC have caught the kayak collecting bug off their captain (who it must be said, purchased yet another kayak - this time a sit in sea kayak, last Sunday)

At 10.55am we took to the water again, still with the tide, the decision having been made to head further up the Pambula River and into the wetlands

The water was still crystal clear

Shortly after turning left around in the point in the photo above a sea eagle flew over us and landed in a mangrove ahead of us. L got very excited and pulled out his camera - to find - no memory card. Last paddle it was a flat battery - he really needs to lift his game!

Taking off, after he allowed us to get really close

Heading into the mangrove 'forest'

After exploring the three 'arms' of open water that make up the southern end of the wetlands, at 11.50am we turned around to start our paddle back to the Oyster Shed.

El Capitano inspecting the mangroves - is he going to lose another pair of shoes?

Popping out from another path through the mangroves

With a mixture of poddling and paddling it took 40 minutes to return to the Oyster shed, where before disembarking, much discussion was held whether to end our paddle here or to paddle down to the river mouth. R decided the matter when she announced her stomach was growling and if we continued paddling we would miss out on lunch.

L & S did the car shuffle while the rest of us got the boats ready for loading and waited in the warm sun (it must have been close to 20oc) for the return of the cars. R was right, by the time we had loaded the boats, packed the cars and executed the tricky business of trying to change discretely it was 1.30pm and well and truly time to find somewhere for lunch.

After lunch at Oaklands, we headed home, with a quick stop at the kayak shop in Merimbula to look at waterproof socks - soon it will be too warm to need them, we arrived home at 4.30.

Another glorious paddle

Trip notes
Put In: Pambula River Mouth
Take out: Oyster Shed, Broadwater
Time: 3 1/2 hours
Distance: 11kms

Wednesday 12 July Dignam's Creek, Wallaga Lake

D'd wanted to do another paddle before heading home so it was decided we'd do Dignam's Creek (and take advantage of the high water level caused by the lake being closed).
Also along for the paddle we V&S and R.

We met at the Beauty Point Boat ramp, where we found S&V with boats unloaded and all ready to go. Once again we were the late ones. As this was to be a long paddle and L still convalescing the arrangement was that I would double in Big Red with him on outward leg and D'd and I would swap placed for the homeward leg. Again we had perfect winter paddling weather - nearly windless and cloudless skies.

We hit the water at about 9.50, with D'd once again proving her worth as a BG and reinforcing my desire to keep her forever. To those who desired not to get their feet wet she proved invaluable :)

The first job was to cross the lake.

A little stretching was required after the near continuous paddle across the lake.

After a couple of geographical embarrassments and a bit of toing and froing with the map, we located the correct arm to paddle up and found Snake Island and the entrance to Dignam's Creek.  Not far up the creek we found a spot in full sun for morning tea, nearly 2 hours after setting out.

Looking down on the morning tea stop, with Snake Island opposite and Gulaga looming in the background. Note L trying out our new lightweight director's chairs. Because El Capitano was so comfortable morning tea took nearly an hour!

Not our resident ter...'st, just protecting from the morning chill on the water.

Our proposed lunch spot is the cleared patch, up ahead on the left.  L and I managed to find a fire trail down to this point on a reconnoiter a couple of months ago.  A good spot for an overnight camp, we thought, if we can get permission from the landholder.

Nearing our lunch spot. Once there and only about 3kms from morning tea, discussion was held re whether to continue paddling so see how far we could get. All were in favour of continuing on except L who vetoed the idea, and a good thing too we all realised later.

After another leisurely rest - those directors chairs really do make a difference, even tho' they are a bit awkward to strap onto the back of the kayaks, we began our return journey, D'd now doubling with L. It was lovely to be back in Bluey

Back  at Snake Island, the occupants of Big Red and R decided to go left

Whilst S&V and I took the shorter R hand path

But they still beat us back onto the lake

We then had the long paddle back across the lake. D'd & L were well matched in Big Red and had to concentrate on not leaving the rest of us far behind.  Crossing the main body of the lake the water was oily with a slight swell and it was easy to become mesmerised by the shifting light play on the water in front of one's kayak. With the temperature starting to plummet, it was a long, steady paddle back to our start point, which we reached around 3.30pm and we were all grateful that L had vetoed paddling further up Dignam's Creek. This time there was no chatter about our next kayak as we neared our exit point and we wearily beached and climbed out of the kayaks and set about the task of unpacking the boats and loading them onto the trailers. As we were all too pooped to worry about dinner, and as it was D'ds last night, it was agreed we would go to our various homes, warm up and meet at Il Passagio for an early dinner.

On the drive home I mentioned that, unlike our usual outings, there had been no talk of our next kayak and we realised that we had been perhaps too ambitious in our choice of paddles and that we had made the mistake of making the return paddle in one go. L opined that in future we should make sure the return paddle be shorter than the outward one; ie for this paddle we should have skipped morning tea, had lunch where we did and then broken the return paddle with afternoon tea or had morning tea and had a late lunch half way on our return journey.

Trip Notes
Put In/Take Out: Beauty Point Boat Ramp
14.4kms
Approx 6 hours 40mins

Sunday 9 July 2017 Middle Lagoon

D'd invited us to paddle Middle Lagoon. R having returned from her trip to the north was once again a starter, as was S&V, K, L&M and of course D'd.

We met at the corner of Haighs Rd and convoyed to our launch site. Unloading the kayaks took a little time as we could only take one vehicle and trailer down to the waters edge at a time.

As L was still officially convalescing we doubled up in Big Red. Once again D'd proved herself to be a 'boat girl' extraordinaire and we all started pondering on how we could keep her down here permanently.

We hit the water at 9.50 and D&L drove down to the point to wave us off.

Waiting 'til we are all assembled.

Looking toward the closed entrance

The shoreline

We met a ranger walking along the lakeside of the dune who told he was checking cameras that had been set up in an effort to catch some people who let their hunting type dogs roam free in the National Park surrounding Middle Lagoon. So it was 'be careful where you wee'!

The headland next to the closed entrance

Walking back from the beach where we had our morning tea

Kayaks 'parked', awaiting our return

Heading off again, this time to go round the other side of the island

A couple of pelicans and swans taking flight. Middle Lagoon may be small but it has an amazing amount if bird life.

Negotiating an obstacle in Sandy Creek. D'd pushing down on a branch to try and get more clearance for the kayaks.

Returning down stream Big Red, being big and its occupants big and not very supple, had a little trouble negotiating the same obstacle.

V&S being last to unload their kayaks were the first to load on our return. As they had another engagement they couldn't accept D&L's invitation to have a cup of tea up at the house. The rest of us spent a very pleasant hour sitting in the sun in D&L's lush garden before heading home for a very late lunch.

Trip notes:
Put in/Take out: Private property
8.4kms
approx 3 1/2 hours

Friday 7 July 2017 Wallaga Lake East

Along for this easy paddle were the usual suspects - S&V, L&M and joining us this day were K and 'invited guest' and main instigator of this and the next two paddles - D'd.

We met at Payne's Island (toilets just before the bridge), Wallaga Lake at 9.30am. L, who was recovering from an operation on his back and not meant to be paddling, was a late starter - he couldn't bare to see D'd and I driving off with kayaks loaded, and like Bilbo Baggins, ran after us yelling 'wait for me'.

So to spare his back, I doubled up with L in Big Red and D'd took out Bluey.

We set off paddling and L was most disconcerted; temporarily sidelined as El Capitano, the little chicks were not following the mother hen and kayaks were going in all directions. But as the now closed entrance was the first port of call it didn't really matter.

Looking back toward the bridge

Getting close to the entrance

 At the now closed entrance

Gulaga, perfectly reflected as we rounded Honeysuckle Island

Rounding the end of Honeysuckle Island

Heading toward the bridge

Emerging out the other side

Drifting down past Akolele

Nearing the end of Wallaga Lake Road Bay

A blurry photo of an Azure Kingfisher returning to its perch during a bath. Unlike usual kingfisher encounters, this one did not flit off as soon as it saw us, instead it ignored us completely being intent of its bath, so we all had the great privilege of being able to sit and watch his ablutions.

Back under the bridge, returning to Payne's Island

Special thanks must go to D'd who proved herself to be a 'boat girl' par excellence; helping unload kayaks, pushing all her fellow paddlers off so we didn't have to get wet feet, and repeating the process at each of our stops and then helping load kayaks at the end of the paddle.  It was much appreciated.

After the paddle we met up again at Sundeck for lunch in the sun and where David B joined us.

Trip notes
Put in/take out: Payne's Island, Wallaga Lake
5.5kms
approx 2 1/2 hours