Monday 29 March 2021 The Murrah

The severe rain event that hit the far south coast on the 23rd March dropped 150mm (or thereabouts) on our local area and all the lakes and lagoons along this stretch of coast had their entrances blown out big time. Therefore our paddle options will be limited for the foreseeable future. (Just for interest - if I am counting correctly Cuttagee Lake has shut and opened three times in the past two months!

There was still a distinct flow still coming down the Murrah so we opted to start paddling an hour before high tide at the entrance, usually we start this paddle anywhere between 1-2 hours after high tide.

The Murrah flood, at its peak, topped the bridge. 

We took to the water at 8.15am, 15 mins ahead of schedule,

surprised there had not been more damage to the waterway.

The sun was shining, the air was still and the water glassy - what more could a paddler desire?

Exiting the backwater. The white blob is a silage bail which had some down in the flood and been left stranded on the wet land.

They were to become a feature on our paddle down to the mouth.

At 9.12am we arrived at the entrance to find the long barrier dune almost completely gone and waves coming right into the lagoon.

With high tide still 15minutes away L settles down for some morning tea.

Only to find his sojourn threatened by water and rolling logs a few minutes later.

V finds some flotsam among the debris on what is left of the barrier dune.

Can anyone identify this little bird - I'm guessing between 10 -15cm tall?

V, having returned with her trophies, the birds reclaim the spit.

12 minutes after high tide we resume our paddle,

firstly pushing through the scum line,

 

before crossing the lagoon to the northern shore up which we poddled, closely watched by a young Sea Eagle.

Weaving our way through a mangrove swamp

and out through a reed bed,

a little heaving required to return

 to the lagoon.

Another lead to be explored.

With two kingfishers keeping us company along its length the lead didn't go very far but was very pretty, running beside a grassy glade speckled with sunlight before reaching this blockage. 

Returning down the lead

About 10.20 we stopped for a 10min leg stretch on the wetland between the lagoon and the river.  The white blobs are more silage bails brought down by the flood. 

Setting off again

back to the river

It's not often on the Murrah we have glassy water for our return paddle - usually it's a head wind - thankfully absent today as the now outgoing tide and downstream flow already meant for steady and constant paddling.

About 11.30 we stopped at sandy beach before the 2nd last bend to regroup. S&V decided to continue on whilst R, L&I having no pressing engagements opted to stop for an early lunch and enjoy the clement weather.  

At 12.10 we set off again for the short paddle back to the bridge. Rounding the corner we inspected the damage to the bank -

and here you can clearly see where the the bank erosion works, put in place some years ago ends and the erosion caused by last weeks flood begins.

We reached the bridge at 12.25pm.

Not much talk of politics today. I think we have been rendered speechless by the revelations of the past couple of weeks. Not that you can call them revelations when the members of parliament and their employees have known about the so called revelations and behaviour for years.  Then hearing about the cover ups and listening to the excuses and obfuscation made me, for one, so very angry. Does anyone really believe some empathy training is going to change the basic personalities of the members of the federal government and the staff those members choose to employ?

  Having demonstrated their incompetence in dealing with crises and along with everything else (click the link below if you don't know what I'm talking about)

https://chaser.com.au/national/an-exhaustive-list-of-the-liberal-partys-corruption-over-the-last-7-years/?s=03

have any other members of a Federal Government so clearly proved themselves not fit for purpose?

Vent over. No wonder we didn't talk politics today; who would want to stain such a lovely and tranquil day.

7.5kms.

High Tide at Entrance: 9.30am 1.8m