Monday 25 November 2019 Nullica River Estuary: A Day for Reflection

To fully enjoy the delights Nullica estuary has to offer a high, high tide is necessary so it was an obscenely early start for us this morning.  We left home just after 5.30am and had a nerve wracking  drive for the 1st hour dodging live and dead wallabies and kangaroos on the road - it was very sad - why do people have to drive so fast and with so little care?

Anyway, we got our two vehicles down to the Nullica River without causing any further carnage and set about getting ready for the paddle.  The forecast wind had not yet appeared and the water was glassy

By around 7.45am we were all on the water

and headed upstream to the bridge carrying the Princes Highway across the river

Under the bridge,  still getting a good tidal assist

 Beautiful glassy water, though it was necessary to keep an eagle eye out for the odd oyster bommie

Mount Imlay in the distance

Up through the partially submerged mangrove gardens

 The reflections were amazing

and were everywhere one looked

 Shortly after the above photo was taken we reached a fork in the river and we turned left onto Leos Creek

 Coming up to the ruins of an old road bridge

 Soon after the bridge the creek narrowed and became riddled with snags

 However, intrepid paddlers that we are we pushed on

until S finally called a halt up around the next bend.

We turned and started retracing our steps, around

and over various snags

Reaching the bridge ruins once more.

They look too substantial to be the remains of a farm bridge - I wonder where it led?

Shortly after reaching the confluence with the Nullica River we spotted this little bird on the middle of the log.

I think it is a immature Hooded Plover and would be interested if someone could confirm this or tell me what bird it is.

Then it was back through the mangroves with R weaving her way through practicing her newly learnt stroke - the bow rudder.

 Back under the bridge, the outgoing tide and light breeze were in competition with each other

Riding the outgoing tide toward the mouth

Looking back to the bridge and Mount Imlay

 Having gathered in an eddy for a 'do we or don't we' chat, L decided the conditions in the bay were too choppy for us to venture out and dip a toe, or in this case, a paddle in Nullica Bay so it was time to head back to where we had started the paddle.
Crossing the outgoing current

L ventured up to the eddy on the left for a final look see at the entrance

With the water fast disappearing out of the estuary we had to paddle nearly all the way back to the bridge and then back up the right hand side of the estuary to return to where we launched.

A short, but very attractive paddle, we finished about 10.20am.

Notes:
Put In/Take Out:  Nullica Mouth Road off the Princes Highway
6.86km
High tide at Boydtown:  7.57am 1.8m
Approx 2hrs 30mins

Thursday 14 November 2019: Corringle Creek, Newmeralla

Departure day today but S was keen for a paddle before we headed home. And it just so happened that yesterday afternoon, a bloke upon seeing our kayaks on the trailer introduced himself to L & I as we were parked outside IGA in Orbost. This chap goes by the facebook moniker of East Gippsland Outdoors and he told us about  an interesting little paddle on Corringle Creek upstream of the bridge. As it was only about 10minutes drive from the Loft House it seemed like an ideal last paddle.

Accordingly we rose early, packed up and cleared out of the Loft House and arrived at the Corringle Creek bridge at 9.00am.

After unloading the boats and getting ready we took to the water one by one. With L and I already on the water, R with S's help was next

If we had gone under the bridge we would have ended up in Lake Corringle.



Next was V



And, as happens when you are the youngest and most nimble of the bunch, S was left to launch herself :(  which she did most ably.
By 9.25am we were all safely on the water and heading upstream



to where L was waiting patiently




For the first bit we had cleared farmland on our right









Can anyone identify this bird? Where is S's camera when its needed????




And the left profile.  All I can think of is one of the cormorants with a full crop



A very different outlook from the previous two paddles




The vegetation started to close in




and banjo music started to play softly in one's head




growing somewhat more insistent as the surrounds grew more swamplike.  Occasional signs of hidden human habitation were creepy rather than welcoming




Just as the imagination started to really run away




there was one more narrow section to navigate




and then creek




opened up into a long skinny, moon shaped lake running along the sand dunes that bordered the ocean.




With all thoughts of duelling banjo's banished :) we enjoyed the sunshine, although the breeze was rather cold




The only thing marring this lovely bit of creek was the gas plant being built right on the shore of the creek!




Up past the gas refinery the creek narrowed once more




We paddled on till we hit this old bridge. V&S managed to slide through in their boats to continue on - which wasn't far around the next bend.
V sliding back over the bridge



And here comes S whose further progress was scuppered by fallen timber




We retraced our steps




down toward




and past the gas plant. It is going to 'refine'? the gas from 2 wells 63 kms out to sea!




Back on down the widest part of the creek




The sand dune barrier to the ocean




The trio rafting to see if their combined bulk will give them greater wind assistance




back down through the 'black bayou'









and out




into farmland once more




Back at the bridge, I was the last out of the water around 11.15am.




After packing up, loading the boats and changing, with three excellent paddles under our belts, we went our separate ways.





Notes:
Put In/Take Out: Bridge over Corringle Creek on Corringle Road (to beach)
5.35kms