Wednesday 26 August 2020 Wallagoot Lake

Wallagoot is one of the very few lakes along the far south coast not to have broken open during the recent rain events and with a good weather forecast it was looking good for a paddle this week.

Accordingly, with plans made and laid, we met up at the Wallagoot Boat ramp at 9.00am. With frost in the paddocks when we left home it was a chilly start

and there was a quick scramble to get out on the water and into the sun.

 All on the water by 9.30am we first headed up the lake

and around into the estuarine/salt marsh section.

Where there was a variety of bird life to be enjoyed, although none seemed to keen to have their photo taken. Here we have a couple of Pied Oyster Catchers

Next to stay still long enough to be photographed were....

a pair of Bar Tailed Godwits (?)

 We poddled our way up the left hand arm

Passing yet more birdlife

a Red Capped Plover - perhaps

Another 100 metres or so further on from this pic we ran out of water

A Greater Egret barely deigned to notice our presence

Our view as we returned down the arm

Finding no lead into the other channel deep enough to negotiate we paddled down to the biggest island. After rounding it we paddled up to the closed mouth.

We lingered for an hour enjoying the view and the warmth of the sun, sheltered from the breeze as we munched our morning tea. Returning to our boats

we paddled back down the channel.

At the end of which was this little bird,

possibly at female White Faced Chat (?)

Proceeding around the edge of the main lake we surprised a Whistling Kite (?)

Ripples in the sand

Paddling along a sunny, sandy sheltered beach it was decided such a perfect lunch spot was too good to pass by so we pulled in for lunch at 12.15.   Taking to the water again at 1.05pm we discovered the breeze had increased.
 

And L excitedly deployed his sail

M took pics

 As did R

Unfortunately the breeze refused to co-operate and soon swung round to blow across the lake so the sail was furled and we all paddled on.

Turning into the creek

meant the wind was at our backs and out came the sail again.

Unfortunately not for long as there was a hot tape across the creek and no-one felt up to trying to limbo under it.  However there was an arm off to the left which looked inviting.

Up we went

to the accompaniment of bird and frog song.

Opening up again,

it wasn't long before we came to the end,

whereupon we turned round and retraced our steps.

Once out into the main creek we faced a 1.7km slog into the 16-20kmph breeze back to the boat ramp.

Trip Notes:

Put In/Take Out: Wallagoot Boat Ramp
Mouth Closed; Water level high
11.6km
5 hr 10min (including 1 hour 45 mins for am tea and lunch)

Wednesday 18 August 2020 Blackfellows Lagoon & Zecks Lagoon, Bega River

There were only three starters for the paddle today.  With inclement weather looming and not sure how much water was still coming down the Bega River we hedged our bets and left a car at Mogareeka on our way to Blackfellows Lagoon.

We were ready to paddle at 9.52am and two swans heralded our arrival on the water with a fly over

Starting our cruise up the lagoon

Not far from the mouth lies a large reed bed. R and I followed one sinuous little lead and L took another.  An uh oh moment for R - who had had her hands full of phone literally seconds before this pic was taken.

Drifting past the lead L had chosen,

we found him waiting at the other end of the bed and as we paddled on to the entrance we discussed our options: upstream, downstream or across the river to Zecks lagoon and then decide.  Taking the latter option we left Blackfellows and, with the water definitely flowing downstream, paddled across the Bega River to the easily missed lead into Zecks Lagoon

Following R into the lead

which snakes along behind the reeds

before opening out into a beautiful secluded lagoon

At the head of the lagoon we followed a narrow creek, seranaded by an unseen but nearby Lyrebird,  till debris blocked our way. 

After the bit of tricky maneuvering required to turn our boats we retraced our steps down Zecks Lagoon drinking in the reflections and soaking up the cacophony of bird calls. Besides the, to us, unidentifiable myriad of small birds tweetings and twitterings, there were the calls of Kookaburras,
Lorikeets, Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos, Bellbirds and King Parrots - and I'm sure I've missed out a few. It was a real treat.

Once back on the river, we decided to paddle upstream a little to see what the going was like. Where the island in the distance split the river into three channels the downstream flow really made itself felt.

We pushed on up the right hand channel and decided to give paddling upstream a miss and weaving our way through the sand plugs paddled across to the left hand channel, turning down it to go with the flow.  Halfway down we came across an inviting looking beach and pulled in for morning tea at 11.05am which turned into lunch.

Looking upstream, as at 12.10pm we reversed away from the beach

and continued to paddle downstream.

With the forecast high wind warnings and the growing threat of rain we decided not to chance our luck paddling down to Mogareeka and to return to our put in point at the head of Blackfellows Lagoon - another entrance that can easily be missed. Its on the right at the far end of the grassy bank , and a sharp right hand turn is required.

Having turned into the entrance to Blackfellows we faced an outgoing current and steady paddling was the order of the day. We had fun choosing yet another lead through the reed bed. About 10 minutes before reaching our take out it started to spit and as we made landfall it turned into a steady drizzle. As we unloaded the boats we congratulated each other on a wise decision made.  By the time we had finished loading the boats the drizzle had stopped.

I don't know if the forecast winds did hit Tathra, but they did hit Merimbula with resulting reports of roofs being ripped off some time after 3.00pm

Trip Notes:

High Tide at Mogareeka Inlet: 8.25am, 1.4 metres
Bega River at Bega North: 1.04 metres
Mouth: Open
6.77kms
2hours 50 mins