The Murrah is one of those tricky paddles against the tide where, if you get the timing wrong, you end up dragging boats. Today we timed it perfectly, no doubt helped by the big high tide - 1.9m, 9.23am (Tathra)
S&V arrived to load their boats early and after admiring the new acquisition and bemoaning their rush of blood to the head we had a coffee before the power went out and so of course we were late and arrived down at the Murrah to find R&G already afloat.We unloaded the boats in record time and joined R&G on the water at 10.20am.
You may have noticed that it isn't Bluey's bow in the pic above. That is because I also had had a rush of blood to the head earlier in the week when L and I were in Canberra and visited Wetspot, a fantastic kayak shop, and discovered it was having a closing down sale :( :( :(. To make a long story short, having gone there to enquire about thigh straps for Bluey, and under the influence of L, we walked out with a Delta 15.5 GT which is nothing like the type of boat I had in mind for myself!!!
While we were at the shop I sent out a txt msg to the regular CKC members informing them of the sad news re Wetspot's demise. Over the next 24 hours a flurry of text msgs flew back and forth, some containing pics of boats and price tags. The result of which was S&V also purchased new boats. They will see their's for the first time this coming Sunday when they go up to Moruya to collect them.
Anyway, before we had paddled the first kilometre L had taken the camera from me and I apologise in advance for all the pics of me and the new boat that follow. Before we proceed further I would just like it noted that I managed to get into the boat without falling out :)
Here is proof from R:
It's a bit more tricky on water than the shop floor
I'm still a bit nervous, she is a very different beastie from Bluey
Another beautiful day for paddling
Heading up the right hand fork
And into Murrah lagoon, which we have never been able to get into before, the water being too shallow
Yabba, yabba, yabba
The lagoon narrowed
Then widened out again
Having circumnavigated the Murrah lagoon we popped back out into the right hand fork, collected G and paddled back to the main channel and proceeded on down toward the mouth.
One of the delights of paddling the Murrah is the variety of shore side terrain one encounters on a relatively short paddle
R, having tried hard to scout a route to a better lunch spot, returns, her shoulders slumped in defeat :)
We stopped for lunch at 12.15pm. (having backed in, I managed to extract myself from that tiny cockpit! But it did take a couple of attempts).
L gave me a choice, falling in and remounting drill - before or after lunch. Naturally I chose to delay the inevitable as long as possible and the old saladas stuck in the throat somewhat. But we did have a lovely view back up the inlet to Mumbulla Mountain. And naturally the rest of the CKC were looking forward to the forthcoming spectacle with some glee.
Luckily no-one thought to take photos of my falling in drill and the 'orrible heaving and floundering that went on each time I re-entered the boat remains happily undocumented. In fact once the initial hilarity wore off and they were all sure I would survive the ordeal, V, S & G took to the water for a swim.
And survive I did, thanks to L's patient tuition and making me feel safe at all times. Plus, the most important factor, I came easily out of the boat when upside down.
Breaking news - I lied, bloody R went snap happy with her phone and I think it is only fair I share some of the less embarrassing pics with you :( (Just you wait S&V!)
The u tube practitioners make it look so easy:
Reach across the boat and hold the safety line or cockpit rim and just pop your left leg in !
Slide your torso up onto the boat (ha ha) then right leg in
Roll your body around as you slide down into the cockpit, keeping low at all times (ha ha ha)
And sit up (that's the only easy bit)
Needless to say my technique needs much improvement and practice.
At 1.20pm, after a fag and a quick rest, we took to the water again and picked our way across the inlet to deeper water and headed down toward the entrance. Following the leader through the rocks and oyster bommes.
Having discovered I wasn't going to be stuck upside down in the boat, like a cork in a bottle, and slowly drowning, the anxiety disappeared and the beginnings of a beautiful boatmance began to blossom :)
However the water was getting progressively more shallow and
G and I turned back not long after the above pic was taken, followed very shortly by the others who caught up with us before we had finished traversing the underwater rock garden.
We headed back up the inlet
With a slight breeze at our backs, paddling against the outgoing tide was relatively easy
Rounding the last bend
we only had a few hundred metres to go and we ended our paddle at 2.15pm. This time my exit was most ungainly and it was only with R's help that I didn't end up in the drink.
Not much birdlife today, but we did see numerous kangaroos hopping and swimming across the water and lots of fish jumping
Loading the boats at the end of another lovely paddle.
Trip Notes:
Put In/Take Out: Murrah Bridge
High Tide at Tathra: 9.23am 1.9m
Start time: 10.20am
Finish: 2.15 No boat dragging required.
9.43kms
