Wednesday 25 September 2019 Bega River: Blackfellows' Lagoon to Mogareeka Inlet

An earlyish start was called for - to beat the forecast wind AND to make it to the Tathra pub in time for lunch :)
Having loaded the boats the previous arvo,  we had time for a 2nd cuppa before our 7.45am departure and I got to take these pics of a mother kangaroo outside the kitchen window while I waited for the kettle to boil

Uh Oh, they have heard the kettle and I've been sprung, and the joey disappears back into the pouch

We met up with S&V at Mogareeka where we left their car and proceeded on to the launch site at Blackfellow's Lagoon. Soon after our arrival another car and trailer pulled up to unload 3 kayaks. I think it is the first time we have ever had to share a launch site, anywhere, with other kayakers.
The unpleasant aroma of a dead kangaroo beside the launch ramp meant we didn't dilly dally and by
9.10am we were all on the water and ready to paddle.

Paddling up the lagoon the trees burnt in the Tathra bushfires and now regenerating looked, from a distance like fir trees giving us the illusion we were paddling somewhere in North America or Canada.

Weaving our way through the reed beds near the entrance to the lagoon.

From the entrance to the lagoon we headed across the Bega River

And snuck down 'the inside passage' which, when the mouth is open is sometimes too shallow to paddle.

The water was gorgeously clear

 Just before the end of the 'inside passage' we stopped at 10.10am (without our keeper of time, R, I'm just guesstimating)  at this lovely sunny little beach.

10.25am and we are just waiting for L to embark after our break

For the last 3rd of our trip we paddled into a 16kmph average head wind

Not wanting to scratch the precious new boats on the concrete boat ramp or the rocks, we paddled on under the bridge, keeping to the left and about 11.35am landed on the sandy beach adjacent to the park. While S & L went to retrieve the car and trailer, V&I got the boats up to car park and then discussed and tried out possible seating solutions.

About 35mins later S&L returned and it was time to load the boats. Replacing the chocks  - Jeez, L, this new numbering system is a bit hard to work out!!!

Boats loaded and the gear all packed away, all that was left to do was change our clothes. After which we headed to the Tathra Pub for lunch. We sat on the verandah with the ocean as a backdrop and with an occasional whale ffoofing or splashing about to add interest.

Trip notes:
Mouth Closed
Put in: Blackfellows' Lagoon, Kalaru
Take Out: Mogareeka Inlet (there are several choices)
7.7kms
2hrs 25mins

Tuesday 24 September 2019 2nd outing for the Tammie Norrie on Wallaga Lake

L leapt out of bed very early this morning only to have his excitement dashed when he realised all was still and calm outside - a perfect paddling morning, in fact :). Having studied the wind forecast and then waited until a civilised hour to ring his fellow Swallow or is it Amazon to delay the launch time, L eventually set off with the Tammie Norrie in tow, heading to Wallaga Lake.

Wednesday 18 September 2019 Bermagui River

It was only 3 of us taking to the water this morning; G&R having headed north earlier in the week and L out with a skiing injury :(

We met up at the slipway beach about 9.30am  and we were soon ready for the off

at 10.05am. S had her camera today so we have some decent bird pics -  they would have been perfect if the camera had been on the right setting :)

Terns

 Cormorants and a sleeping pelican

After we gone under the bridge and drifted round the first bend: the best my little camera can do

and S's pic of the same Oyster Catchers

Up around the next bend, on the edge of the salt marsh S managed to snap this pic of  one of a group of  Eastern Curlew as they disappeared into the mangroves

Not many fish spotted today even though the water was crystal clear

And shallow, because of the low high tide

Roosting cormorants

We had morning tea at our usual spot over looked by the two seemingly permanent campsites that have been set up - they were there when we last paddled the Bermi in early July.

After a brief break we set off back down stream at 11.45am.  With the thought of lunch at Octopi looming large in our minds we continuously poddled our way back downstream,

arriving back at our launch site at 12.40pm, giving us plenty of time to unpack the boats, load them on the cars, change and get to Octopi in good time for a 1.30pm booking.  L joined us there for a delicious lunch in the sun (yes the clouds cleared toward the very end of our paddle).

Note: I noticed the commercial fisherman in Little Cuttagee just before it got dark. He was coming from the vicinity of  the caravan , stopped close of the boundary of Tranquility and Far End, seemed to do something quickly with a net (but not pull it in) and then left.

Trip notes:
(for map see reports of previous paddles)
High tide at Bermagui Bridge: 11.30am 1.2m
10kms
2 hrs 35mins

Friday 13 September 2019 The Murrah

Loooong time no paddle. So it was with great anticipation and pleasure that we prepared for today's venture. The meet time was 9.00am at the Murrah Bridge, but with no blokes to hold us up (they were variously and otherwise occupied) we were all early.

and by 9.10am we were on our way downstream. S&V were finally able to solve the puzzle of tide being seemingly high at the Murrah Bridge when ever we crossed; having just heard on the grapevine that the mouth was closed - for only the second time in 90 odd years! (it was open when they last paddled the Murrah on the 7th May)

By 9.10am we were on our way downstream.

A couple of pelicans stretching in the morning sun

 Checking us out as we paddle past

We paddled into a bit of a head breeze

from which we were sheltered when we turned into the right hand branch. We were nearly turned back by the shallow stretch about 50 metres into the branch, however we (mainly me) managed with a lot of jerking and poling to scrape our way into deeper water.

Nearly back to the main branch

Back on the river proper

 S&V looking for the perfect spot to stop for morning tea

Just after 10.00am we pulled in to stretch our legs and chew the fat - and the odd sanga and museli bar.

After launching again we decided to see if we could find a way through the shallows and oyster mounds to the sand plug closing the mouth of the Murrah.

And there it is

It will take a major rain event (the likes of which we haven't had for the past three years, but which used to occur at least once a year) to open again.

We retraced our steps and once more picked our path through the rock garden and shallows

to deeper water

We disturbed a whole lots of birds who took to the sky from the sand spit on the right

A pelican flying down the river as we paddle up

I don't know what time we made it back to the bridge, but we packed up, loaded the boats, changed our clothes and made it to Tathra in good time for our 1.00pm booking at the pub for lunch :)
One puzzling occurrence; while we were loading the boats and as a red toyota landcruiser ute crossed the bridge heading towards Bermagui  the male driver yelled out something  along the lines of 'fuck off alla yous'. I'd like to meet him in Bermi one day to ask him why he feels that way about kayakers. On second thoughts, maybe not, knowing my predilection for 'foot in mouth'  it would probably turn out he suffers from Touretts!

Whatever, it was heavenly to be back on the water again.

7.31 kms