NB Aqualife: Sunday 28 February 2021 Tamboon Inlet

9.00am was the start time for our paddle down the Inlet with the SGWAAC. L&I were a little late taking to the water at 9.05am,

we were relieved to find that by the time we had got ourselves sorted and paddled the 120 metres down to the Club's launch site people were still launching.

After receiving instruction re direction to take we set off down and across the lake - L, KT and me soon trailing the group!

We caught up when two of the group landed to check out remote campsite no.5 and I took the opportunity for a leg stretch. Summoned back onto the water by Avenel we continued on down the shoreline for just under a kilometre until we reached the first of the houses at Tamboon South; which was thoroughly checked out:)

Rounding the corner we came upon a bunch of private jetties and got our first proper glimpse of the narrow section and the small sand dune barrier between us and the ocean.

We then crossed back across the lake,

stopping at the west Cardinal Marker for a SGWAAC group pic.

Having been told by some fishermen that the closed entrance was near to breaking open with water flowing over the sand, Avenel stressed caution as we paddled down the eastern side of the narrows. Inspection of the sand dune to the west would have to wait.

Turning left at the end of the narrow section we could see the eastern entrance was still closed (with some relief on my part!) we paddled on.

and made landfall on the barrier dune about 10.40am . Looking back from whence we had come.

Looking east,

toward Point Hicks.

Relaunching around 11.15am, we headed west along the barrier for a short (approx.1.5km) paddle to our proposed lunch site ("this sounds more like us" I can imagine members of the CKC thinking).

As you can see from the following photographs KT and I were soon trailing again :)

Going past the entrance to the narrow section

Avenel coming out of a little bay, having picked it as a second site for lunch if water was oozing out of the inlet.

Poddling on we came up on a fisherman

and beyond him some pelicans

By the time I was done photographing the pelicans I straggled in just before noon,

well after the rest of the group.

This person was with the fisherman and while he fished she spent her time walking the beach collecting rubbish.

Looking to the east

Turns out the fishermen who spoke to Avenel forgot to mention the water flowing over the barrier wasn't flowing out but was the spring tide washing in!

After a most leisurely lunch - even by CKC standards - and a SGWAAC swim we launched again about 1.25pm and headed back up the Inlet. Rounding the sand dune into the narrows.

About a kilometre from home I espied Jan and John in the distance; they had spent the day fishing. Jan seemed to be just letting herself be pushed gently along by the breeze that had sprung up. Even so, it took me nearly half that distance to catch her up. Turns out Jan was pedalling along very gently listening to a podcast. Consequently when our boats bumped she nearly jumped out of her lovely new hobie. Once forgiven, we rafted up and chattered as Jan pedalled us back to camp which we reached at 2.30pm.

Thanks to KT for organising our reunion and a big thanks to the South Gippsland Walking and Adventure Club for allowing us to join them on their paddles.

Last of the sunlight from our camp and