NB Aqualife: Tuesday 3rd April 2018 Bermagui River

L had suggested that we launch on the river side of the Bermagui Marina to take advantage of the incoming tide so that we could 'woosh' up the river. G & R arrived at 9.10am to unload and set up for a planned on the water start of 9:30am. L & M and V & S arrived shortly thereafter and we managed to get out onto the water by 9:45am after the necessary trailer shuffle and parking.

We followed L out into the channel, turning right to head out toward the ocean to take a look and needless to say M was nowhere in sight. We rode the swell back into the river channel (that was fun) to head up river on the 'wooshing' tide (we found M tucked up behind the Marina groin waiting for us to return. There was no way M was going to paddle close to open ocean!)

With the Bermi Bridge in sight and the sleeker, faster boats making a faster start we headed up river in the beautiful clear blue waters of the Bermagui River.

With not a lot of paddling required it was an easy ride over the oyster beds and into the River proper.

The Mangroves were beckoning and S and R decided to take a little side tripin the hopes of finding a shortcut through the Mangroves and popping back out into the river in front of the gang.

Alas it was a dead end with no way through and S & R were forced to double back out of the Mangroves and into the main river channel. On our way out V & L had come in to take a look with V following us back out and L continuing on to have a poke around in another lagoon.

An early lunch break (11.20am) was agreed upon as we drew close to our Nutleys Creek Rd/River Rd put in point of the previous Bermi River paddle.

Here we enjoyed a leisurely lunch for an hour and a quarter finishing with a group crossword challenge, and with an eye on the river to determine the change of tide, 2 sticks were tossed into the river and a paddle, by way of measurement, stuck in the river bank, it was determined at 12.53pm that return tide assist had kicked in.

A reversing pile up!!

Some of us heard Icecream! Some of us didn't!

Homeward bound we had tide assist but were hampered just a little by a breeze that had kicked up. With the tide receding we had to watch for oyster beds just breaking the surface of the water with El Capitan warning us and steering us in the right direction.

Some of the 'locals' venturing out to dinner in Bermi.