Wednesday 29 January 2025 Jaggers Bay, Bermagui River

 Another early start to take advantage of the 1.9m high tide.

Getting ready.

After a slight delay whilst L kindly retrieved my gloves from the car we set out, an hour before high tide, as three screeching Corella's flew by.

Having cut through the mangroves we paused on the river to make a plan. As none of had all day and as R has a dodgy shoulder we decided to take advantage of the tide height and circumnavigate Jaggers Bay, something we had not done for awhile and a first for R.

Sticking to the left hand side of the river we saw quite a bit of bird life as we paddled upstream. Including this lone Whimbrel?; a migratory visitor from the far northern latitudes (with, in the background, a Greater Egret  on the flooded saltmarsh).

Upon entering Jaggers Bay we found the 1.9 tide gave us enough water to mostly paddle between the mangroves and the shoreline. 

Our breakfast stop was at the site of an c1875 logging ramp (remains of which can be seen in the water), where timber was rolled along logs onto barges called droughers/droghers which then floated down river on the outgoing tide to the mill in Bermagui.

Other than a couple of mozzies we had a very pleasant break before setting off to finish the circumnavigation of the bay. Back out on the river we headed across and paddled down through the mangroves before crossing the river for a brief stop whilst L flew the drone to take some panorama shots. The brief stop morphed into morning tea and we sat on the edge of the saltmarsh watching oyster boats, paddleboarders and kayakers make their way up and down the river.

About to get back into his boat L discovered his coffee flask was missing. So while R and I floated back down the river, weaving our way through a variety of paddlers working hard to make headway against the outgoing tide,  L returned to Jaggers Bay to retrieve his flask thus adding an extra 3 or so kms to his paddle. 

 With our boats loaded and gear stowed R and I were ready for L's arrival and it was only minutes till we had his boat, gear and him loaded. I think we were home before 12.30pm

Here is the video

Trip Notes:

High tide at Entrance: 8.51am 1.9m

Put In/Take Out: Slipway Beach

7.8kms (11kms for L)