Friday 5 June 2020 Tuross River: Snake Flat to Tuross Heads

The plan for today was a one way paddle down river to Tuross Heads. A 7.45am, 1.5m high tide at Tuross Heads (9.20am at Tuross River West) necessitated an early start to enable us to do the car shuffle and get onto the water around 9.45,  about an hour before high tide reached Snake Flat.

We arrived at Snake Flat in record time and unloaded the boats and gear into the still shaded, frosty hollow beside the river.

L, left R &me to stow the gear and get the boats down to the water over burn't debris and through ashy boot deep mud while he drove to Tuross Heads to leave the car and trailer and to be collected by S&V.

Having completed our tasks without going A over T on the frosty grass or the slippery ash mud, R&I then huddled in whatever little patches of sun we could find while awaiting the arrival of S,V&L.

At 9.51am L, the first to take to the water heads straight for the sun

As did I, basking as I began to thaw.

One guess who's the Queen of Clean?

Facing downstream

At 9.57 we are away.

It is a perfect day for a paddle.

 Here you can see how close to the water the fire came.

Another day for reflections.

Approaching the highway bridge at 10.12am.

Where is everyone?

Paddling on,

 we reached our morning tea site 5.86kms downstream of Snake Flat at 11.10am.  Here you can see the thick layer of ashy mud deposited by the flood caused by the rain which finally extinguished the Badja Forest Rd (Countegany) Fire.




Thankfully, the low lying areas of the beach had been washed clean and we could enjoy a relaxing sit in the sun, and a good natter as we watched the now outgoing tide pick up in strength.

Our idle idyll was broken by V, who without a word suddenly took to the water again and the rest of us were left to scramble to catch up. We found out later this was a deliberate ploy by V, who, concerned that we had a look of settling in, leapt into action to get us to move so we would not miss out on lunch at Tuross Heads.

Scramble we did, and by 12.00noon the last of us were crossing the river

to enter the channel that leads to Horse Island

A not very good photo of a pelican who flew low over the water towards us, banking and swerving at the last minute to avoid what seemed at the time to be an imminent collision. The pic is included because this paddle was noticeably bereft of bird life.

 We paddled past the channel the leads around the back of Horse Island.

At 12.35 we exited the river 'delta' and entered the lake for the last part of the paddle down to Tuross Heads.  Having reached out take out point  just before 1.00pm we set about the laborious task of

unpacking the boats,

carrying them across the soft sand, loading them onto the trailer. Only L's boat left to load, then it's just a matter to tying them down and stowing the gear.

By the time we were done we were more than ready for lunch.  Having eaten a few times at the Pickled Octopus it was decided the should try the Boat Shed next door, a renowned purveyor of fish and chips.  Unfortunately, due to the social distancing rules still in force we couldn't get a table, so once again we descended upon the Pickled Octopus. Awaiting our lunch.

While the others stuck to the fish and chips theme, I had a most delicious Thai Beef Salad which nearly blew my head off - my fault, in my excitement of finding it on the menu I forgot to ask for mild chilly.

After lunch we headed homeward, calling in at Snake Flat for S&V's car and having one more stop at Bodalla for the obligatory icecream.

Trip Notes:
High Tide:
Tuross Heads: 7.45am 1.5m
Tuross River West: 9.20am 1.5m
Snake Flat: estimated 10.45am

Put in:  Snake Flat off Bumbo Road
Take Out: Tuross Heads
10.5kms
approx 3 hours