Friday 14 September 2018 Bermagui River & Coolagolite Creek

We squeezed another paddle this week, to take advantage of the tides. So we decided to whoosh up Bermagui Creek with the full force of the tide. High tide at the Bermi Bridge was at 12.19, so we took to the water at 9.10am.

A new method of launching. Mount your kayak on dry land and wait for the incoming tide to float you off

Heading up the river

George enjoying speeding along with the aid of his new fins

Stunning water as usual

 Checking out a 'high tide' arm

What does one call this - a cluster of kayaks?

At 10.25 we stopped at our usual spot for morning tea

G&R's account of their trip to Canberra was cut short when G's kayak was spotted floating past where we were sitting, heading upstream at a rather rapid rate.

R leapt into her kayak and took off in pursuit.

G's kayak proved difficult to catch and S&V went to the rescue. We watched them all disappearing upstream as L finished his tea. He then took to the water and casually paddled after them. Meanwhile G and I were entertained watching this octopus swim leisurely upstream.

L reached the recalcitrant boat

lassoed it and paddled back to shore with it meekly in tow. Looking supercool in his new found sunglasses

So that was morning tea finished and about 11.05 we were all back on the water and heading upstream once more.  Once the junction of the Coolagolite and Nutley's Creek was reached, a brief discussion took place and it was decided to paddle up Coolagolite Creek as we had never chosen to explore it before.

It soon became quite shallow and G had to pull up his fins and paddle.

We paddled a little over a kilometre up its length, negotiating a barbwire fence enroute, before turning around and heading back to the junction.

Nearly back to the junction

At 12.20pm G, R&I rounded the corner into the Bermi River to find the 'speedy' boats already beached and their occupants awaiting lunch

 Toward the end of the break R road tested first, V's Perception and then swapped to S's Tsunami only to find the rudder on it hanging at an odd angle.  Upon inspection running repairs were impossible so it was hoiked up out of the way and we packed up and took to the water at 1.25pm, about halfway through slack water.

The 'speedy boats' waiting for the 'slowboats' to get on the water

And we head back downstream

One doesn't realise how big pelicans are until you paddle past one standing in the shallows and you look up at it.

Our paddle ended at 3.00pm.

After packing up the boats and some of us donning less revealing clothing we met up in the Gelati cafe for a well deserved icecream.

Trip notes:
Put in/Take out: SlipWay Beach
17.4kms
5hrs 50 mins (includes 40mins morning tea and 65mins for lunch)
which means we averaged a little over 4kms per hours actual paddling.