Wednesday 17 July 2019 Cuttagee Lake

Although G&R are away and L is ailing, V,S and I decided we could wait no longer to paddle Cuttagee, the lake having being beckoning us lately.

Collecting V&S on the way through we drove down to the lake and were soon on the water

 Lots of birdlife today: Coots, Swans, Greater Egrets, Kingfishers, Pied Cormorants, big black Cormorants, Yellow Tailed Cockatoos were just some that come to mind, seen but not photographed.

Here, at the end of Little Cuttagee a group of Spoonbills and a lone Greater Egret,

taking to the air

 flying across the lake in front of us

Up the straight another group of Spoonbills

 We paddled down Cuttagee lake and into the creek where we espied this young eagle

The jury is out: I say a young Sea Eagle - V&S, a young Wedgie

Which way shall we go - up the creek or into Back Lagoon?

Up the creek it was and still the water was crystal clear, as it had been for the whole of the paddle

Once beyond the bend after the Brown's ford the water seethed with masses of mullet we disturbed as we paddle over them

We stopped for some morning tea on a little beach on the right hand side of the creek that had a tiny patch of sunlight at one end. After the break and some seat adjusting on my part we set off again, heading further up the creek

Hmm, don't think we will get much further in these precious boats much further

Sure enough we've reached the limit of where these boats will go. And boy, does the extra length make them difficult to turn in tight spaces

 Beautiful reflections on the way back down the creek

Just cruising down the wide straight stretch of the creek

We paddled back down Cuttagee with slight breeze just rippling the water but once we turned into Little Cuttagee the water was mirror like again.

Nearly home

It was one of those lovely, good for the soul paddles.

Without R, we have no times for the paddle.

Sunday 7 July 2019: Bermagui River

With drizzle on Saturday and drizzle on Monday, Bermagui pulled out the stops, and on Sunday the sun shone down. Perfect to take KT&G (who were staying for a couple of nights on their way home from a jaunt to Noosa) for a paddle and show them the delight of the Bermi River.

We met up with G&R, who were kindly lending Ady to KT (she being used to a rudder) and unloaded the boats and got ourselves ready.

With adjustments to Ady and Dany made

we were ready to start and were all on the water by 11.15am - only 15mins behind schedule :)

The water was lovely and clear, a bit of a change from the canals of England!

Heading up toward the bridge

Only being a low high tide (1.1m), once we were under the bridge and around the first bend the water was fairly shallow - all the better for spotting large stingrays.

 Greater Egrets leaving one of their favourite roosts

Royal Spoonbill

The water stayed remarkably clear all the way up the river

Young sea eagle that circled over us and obligingly landed in a nearby tree so KT could take this photo

Fish spotting up near the 5th bend. Lots and lots of fish

We whiled away many minutes watching them

 Having set off again we have only one more bend to go

With the incoming tide it was a delightfully cruisey paddle

KT doing a great job in Ady, normally she peddles and paddles

KT coming in for lunch at 12.35pm

With what looks like a permanent camp set up on our normal spot and another a bit further along we restricted ourselves to the little beach

We ate and yacked and yarned and did some stick watching (a very pleasurable passtime according to the blokes!) until the tide turned. With G (of KT&G) opting to try out the delta, I got him adjusted and off  he went.

And after a bit more adjusting for the other G this time, and then some for myself

we were back on the water at 1.40pm going past the 'permanent' camp.

Oh Dany boy, Oh Dany boy, how comfy is thy seat?

Well, I'll tell you. Old and worn as it is, it is bliss.
I'm going to have to do something about the seat in the Delta - V and I need to put our heads together on this one.

The boys, in their speed machines, took off for home whilst R stayed back with the sit-ons as we chatted and poddled our way back home on the outgoing tide.

We finished our paddle at 3.00pm under a mostly cloudy sky. It was soooo good to be back in a kayak :) :)

Trip Notes:
Put In/Take Out: Slipway Beach
High Tide: Bermi Bridge 1.04pm 1.1m
10.6kms
3hrs 45mins

Saturday 22 June 2019 Day 57: Barton Turns Marina to Colton

Coming out onto the stern for my last gasper before bed on Friday, I was greeted with a beautiful night sky reflected in the waters of the marina.

And on Saturday morning this was our view

Reflections, gotta love them

Even though, having done the pump out yesterday arvo and so Lynden allowing us extra time to vacate Aqua Beatha, it was a mad scramble for the four of us to pack up, clean up and get off the boat by 9.00am.

Having done so and said our goodbyes to Lynden we retreated to the cafe for a leisurely breakfast before catching a taxi to the special destination Mike and Tim were treating us to.  We arrived somewhat later than the lads, having had to wait for the taxi, finding them waiting anxiously outside Colton House, Colton wondering if we had got lost.

The stunning and magnificent  Duchess Room, where we were to reside for our stay at this wonderful B&B in an attractive little village not far from Rugeley. A very special treat, thank you Mike and Tim.

The spa bath which had a bewildering amount of knobs and sprays and even a foot massager. It was indeed a pleasure to have room to move while showering and for the first time in two months to scrub the long neglected bits of me existing below my knees :)

We spent a very idle afternoon;  exploring and sitting in the Colton House 1 1/2 acre garden before strolling up to the local pub for lunch. L then spent the rest of the afternoon watching Geelong play while I undertook a total repack hoping to ease my bulging suitcase interspersed with a bit more lounging around in the warm - YES WARM sun in the lovely garden.

Our taxi driver from the day before arrived promptly at 11.00am on Sunday morning to drive us to the Airport. Having said our sad farewells to Tim and Mike we piled in to a car and had a very scenic drive to Birmingham International.

After a coffee we checked in and went through the usual departure and security and headed for the lounge, thinking we could sit back and relax. Having found the lounge and secured a table I was at the bar getting our drinks when the alarm went off. Hoping the waitress would ignore it long enough to give me the second drink I waited while she hesitated. But no, her training kicked in and she took back the drink that was ready and said you must evacuate :(

So gathering up Lawrence and our packs we followed the herd out an unmarked door and down innumerable flights of stairs to outside and under the building. With fuel trucks continuously driving  by within 12 feet of us it didn't feel a particularly safe place to be! Over the next hour more and more people were escorted out of the building till we were jammed in like sardines. Luckily being amongst the earliest ones out L and I managed to stay on the outside edge of the crowd so we had a breeze and fresh air to breath (discounting the smell of the fuel trucks) and some room to move.

So much for relaxing and hoeing into the food and drink on offer.  As time went on L, having forgotten about his fat reserves,  thought he was going to expire, neither of us having had anything other than a coffee since 9.00am. As people behind us started bewailing missed flights, we waited and waited, eventually starting to get slightly anxious ourselves.

After around 3 hours they started letting us back in, through a different door which turned out to be in our favour as it spat us out not too far from our departure gate. With no time to spare, other than a very necessary loo stop we made it onto our plane with 10 minutes to spare.

Arriving back in Sydney we strolled across to Rydges where G & R had spent the night. Up to their room where L had a shower then down to a yumbo breakfast after which G retrieved the car and we loaded up to begin the last leg of our trip as we headed, via a scenic route for home.  It was heaven to be back in the sunburnt country.  Which, I might add, wasn't looking too sunburnt on the coast, and it drizzled, just like old blighty most of the way home.

But the further south we drove, the sunnier it got.
Afternoon at Ulladulla Harbour

And the next morning at Cuttagee Beach, which left us wondering, for a short while, why we left home at all!!