Tuesday 9 June 2020 Wagonga Inlet

At last the Kayak God aligned all the elements - wind, weather & tides - required for a paddle from the mouth of Wagonga Inlet up into the lake.
Unfortunately there were only three of us able to avail ourselves of  these perfect conditions.

We left home a little later than scheduled, a flat tyre delaying our departure. Collecting R's boat and gear and with R following in her car we proceeded via Cobargo (the devastation wrought by the fires from Cobargo to Dignam's Creek never failing to shock) to Riverside Drive Carpark in Narooma where we left R's car and went on to our put in point at the southern end of Bar Beach South opposite the inlet.

We launched at 10.10am, approx 1 hour 20mins before high tide at the entrance.  Quiz Question:  What did R forget?

Shag on a rock.

The groin beside our launch point

Bar Beach South

Gliding over the pellucid waters of the inlet,

we passed the entrance

 and rounded the groin joining the flow of the incoming tide and were wooshed along the channel faster than we could paddle.

Paddling has never been easier

We flew past another shag on a rock,

 past Pelicans and Pied Oyster Catchers (and a Sooty Oyster Catcher out of the shot).

Pelican coming in to land

Having done so, right beside the swans

Approaching the bridge,

passing the Oyster sheds

 R & I were quickly swept under the bridge, to see Gulaga standing proud.

Meanwhile, behind us L had stopped to watch a seal lazing around in the water that R & I had missed.  To make up for not noticing the seal we were soon floating over a large school of fish
that for once didn't bugger off as soon as they saw us and we either drifted over them or they kept up with us for several minutes.

Trying an underwater pic

When L caught up with us we made our way across the lake to Ringland Bay Reserve (grassy bit in the back ground) our destination for morning tea. Blurry, wet camera lens

We pulled in at 11.10am

and quickly had the seats and snacks out. While we snacked, supped and chewed the fat the clouds dispersed, the sun shone down - the icing on the cake.

Setting off again at 12.05pm, with a still wet camera, we headed down

  and around

the southern edge of Ringland Bay, poddling over large areas of sea grass swarming with baby fish.

and turned into Forster's Bay.

After circumnavigating Forster's Bay

We headed to our take out point to the beach on the left of  these buildings

It was a bit of a drag!

Interestingly Weather Willy informed me that High Tide at Ringland Bay, where we stopped for morning tea, was at 1.13pm, however across the lake at our take out point the outgoing tide was already on the march.

We finished our float, the word paddle, implies some effort required, at 1.15pm.

Have you guessed what R forgot????? The keys to her car of course. Happily there were some fellow paddlers packing up at the other end of the beach and R asked them if they would give L a lift back to our put in point.  They were most obliging - after spraying L liberally with disinfectant. Visiting from the central coast north of Sydney, L was able to repay their kindness by giving them lots of options for good paddles during the remainder of their stay down in this part of the world.

A fantastic paddle and another ticked off L's list.

Trip Notes:
High Tide:
Wagonga Inlet Entrance: 11.28am 1.3m
Bar Beach South: 11.39am
Bridge: 12.28pm
Ringland Bay: 1.13pm

7.81kms
3hrs 05 mins