Sunday 13 August 2017 Lake Tuross

S&V decided to do this paddle in Big Red and our aim was to depart home at 9.30am, collecting R and her boat enroute.  All went according to plan until it was time to add R's tubby to the load. After quite a bit of experimentation by G and L the tubby was strapped on and we were off - but not very far. The tubby proved to be a slippery little sucker and she made a bid for freedom just as we reached Fairhaven. L managed to pull up just before she hit the road and some time was spent lashing her back on.

We made it to the highway before next escape attempt. Once more she was tied back on and extra rope employed. The back seat drivers suggested we might paddle Wallaga Lake and Narira Creek instead, but L was not going to let a recalcitrant boat beat him. With the extra rope employed it took the tubby longer to wriggle free and we made it to Narooma before having to stop again. This time she was turned right way up and even more lashing employed and we made it to Lavender Bay, our start point, without further interruption.

Our 11.30am start time was now long past, and high tide nearly upon us. We untied the boats - lots of ropes and tie downs to deal with and got ready to paddle.

At our launch site at Lavender Bay getting Big Red ready for S&V

We got onto the water at 12.20 - only 50minutes later than scheduled. S&V spent the first 10minutes of the trip wondering whether, as they bickered, if they had made a huge mistake in taking out Big Red.  Heading up the lake

We paddled up the main lake for 3kms before making a left hand turn at Brobothalle Point into Brown's Creek . Up the creek and approaching the remains of an old bridge.

S&V still working on their synchronisation

A few hundred metres after the bridge, under directions from El Capitano we took another left turn around Deuaumba Island into a branch of the Tuross River. After paddling past the southern end of the Island we turned right into the main branch of the Tuross River and at yet another junction, one we didn't take, was an egret standing guard

another egret taking flight not long before we stopped for lunch

 

Around 1.40pm we stopped at a sunny beach for our lunch

After a leisurely lunch we set off again at 2.30pm.

Shortly after the previous pic we hung a leftie around the end of Cambathin Island onto another branch of the Tuross. L in Marty, now dubbed 'Precious'

By George, They've got it! And now they are Big Red converts

The Slippery Little Sucker

Taking it all in

Going past an Oyster Shed

A right hand turn into another channel of the river led us under the bridge to Horse Island, around the southern end of the island and to the last channel to be negotiated before crossing the lake to return to our start point.

We ended our paddle, back where we began and were all out of the water at 3.45pm

For our return journey we removed the front gate of the trailer and banished our escape artist to the bottom of the trailer where she remained quiescent for the journey home. BUT our travelling troubles were not over. Just before we hit the highway L realised that the electrics in the car were kaput, which meant, among other things, no indicators or stop lights, so it was a race home before darkness overtook us. G watched us drive past with R still onboard and was left wondering what had happened to her until she rang and explained. Once home we dropped S&V off, got home, got R's stuff out of the cruiser and into the Kia and it was back to pick up S&V and back into town where we met G at the club for a well deserved dinner.

Trip notes:

Put in/Take out: Lavender Bay, Tuross Heads
11 kms
3hrs 30mins