Saturday 12 January 2019 Cuttagee dawn paddle

Our esteemed leader, desirous of a dawn paddle, demanded an early start – meet down at the water at 4.00am thus various alarm clocks were set for 3.00am! G&R arrived as we were collecting S&V and their boats; G&R having sensibly dropped their boats off down at the lake the previous afternoon.
Se set off at 4.35am in the pitch dark, sunrise was still 1hour and 20minutes away.



By the time we got around to the main lake dawn was breaking and we paused to take in the view down the lake toward the bridge.



After 10 or 15 minutes we turned our boats and continued paddling up the lake



And the morning mist continued to roll down the valley



Making the turn that leads to Clear Waters lagoon



Heading up the lagoon





Pulling in at 5.50am for morning tea



The rising sun lights up the trees



At 6.25am we took to our boats once again



and made our way back down the lagoon



and proceeded up the creek



The reflections were mesmerising



And beautiful



Up beyond the Back Water’s ford



Oh no, the water level had dropped quite dramatically since our venture up the creek.  On our last paddle the next pool had been full and S&V and I had been able to squirm our way through it. We made a vow that after the next time we have a rain ‘event’ we will put in the the Siltstone Track and paddle/drag the boats down the creek.



Turning around we had to renegotiate the very recently fallen Pencil Cedar



Which for L with his 17’ boat took some tricky maneuvering



We paddled back down the creek



Keeping a look out for G for whom the going had become to shallow



S&V and L&I stopped in the sun in the far distance of the above pic for a quick leg stretch and a fag whilst R paddled on to find her beloved. Who, besides a quick nap had not been wasting his time whist waiting for us and had been doing a jelly fish survey, discovering that whilst the water ahead of us was thick with them, they stopped at the bend behind us.



We followed the creek out into the lake and poddled our way home. On the way G and I stopped to chat with a kayak fisher, a nice bloke from Head of Cuttagee Road. We mutually deplored the commercial fisherman who has so depleted the fish stock in the lake, thereby allowing the jellyfish to flourish. Just as we were parting company his friend came along, his kayak powered by an electric engine causing G to suffer a severe case of engine envy.
Meanwhile the others continued to paddle on up the lake going under the bridge for a quick get out and look at the sea.
By 9.35am, we were off the water and only two boats remained to be loaded. We then retired to S&V’s who hosted us for a sumptuous breakfast – well as sumptuous as a breakfast can be without B.A.C.O.N

AND   wait for it.......
here is a short video of our paddle, with musical accompaniment, put together by clever R using her magic new phone.

After pressing play, go to big screen and press play again.

Yay, R, Thankyou