The gossip is true - the new carpark at Nelson's is something of an eye popper, used to, as we are down here, NP's car parks being of a more rustic nature - incorporating a variety of potholes, bumps and tree roots! However, once all the plantings have grown it won't look so bad.
Having strapped on the carts and unloaded the boats and loaded them with our gear we began the approx 340m haul to the lagoon - not an easy one - along a dirt track with a few soft sand sections, the rest bisected with tree roots ready to trip the unwary or tip the cart. Then a quick breather before removing the carts and carrying the kayaks down some very steep rough steps down to the lagoon.
Having made it unscathed we stood for a moment to take in the beauty of Nelson Lagoon, and then launched onto pristine water.
We first paddled to the entrance and then began a gentle float on the incoming tide around the northern edge of the lagoon, passing over underwater gardens, rocky outcrops and the like. Schools of fish darted hither and thither and birdsong seranaded us from the nearby forest. It was spectacular.
Hugging the shoreline and the shade we paddled slowly up to the first junction and decided to head up the creek for about 1km before stopping for morning tea.
We then returned back down the creek and poddled along the southern edge of the lagoon dipping in and out of the mangroves passing over a most obliging skate along the way.
Upon pulling up to the take out we spied three people supine upon the sand. Not wishing to startle them I announced our presence and one of the bodies stirred to life and sat up. Much to our surprise and hers it was L's great niece.
After a chat we unloaded the boats and did two trips up the steep track, not the steps this time, with all our gear. Then another two carrying up the boats by which time we were both out of breath and weak legged. After attaching the carts we loaded all the gear in the boats then we both hauled them one by one through the worst of the soft sand. Another rest was necessary before hauling them the rest of the way back to the carpark - it was heaven to reach the flat bitumen for the last 15ms to the car!
Handy hint if you are using a kayak cart: Take a spare tie down strap. Thread it through or otherwise attach it to the front handle of the kayak. Make a loop with the strap. Put the loop over your head and across your body, adjust the loop so you can hold the kayak handle by your side while standing up straight. It makes the haul so much easier upon ones body. We only had one spare strap and L insisted I use it and he was seriously knackered by the time we got back to the car.
Enjoy the video, you'll see why its worth the pain :)
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