Thursday 23 August 2018 Bega River

It was decided to paddle the Bega River starting at Blackfellows Lagoon and paddling upstream to Jellat Jellat and the start of the great sand plug that is slowly moving down the Bega River.

We met at the Blackfellows Lagoon boat ramp a little after 8.30am and by just after 9.00am we were all on the water. Progress out of the lagoon was slow as there was much to discuss and rant about viz a viz federal politics and Dutton's challenge.

The smoke from the Bemboka fires was still hanging around

Paddling passed the burnt forest from the Tathra fires combined with the smoke haze made everyone a little uncomfortable and conversation went from the current state of politics and Potato Head to bushfire preparation.

As the warmth of the sun stated to make itself felt some disrobing took place

At last we draw close to the entrance to Bega River. Even the patch of tea tree (?)
in the middle of the water was burnt

Just after this photo was taken by R we were overtaken by a lone paddler about 10.00am. Trevor was his name and he had started at Mogareeka.  He was keen that we might join the paddling group he belonged to but given that he had a sleek go fast boat (as do the rest of his group) and they do quite a bit of sea kayaking his offer was met with a marked lack of enthusiasm!

Around 10.30am, not long after Trevor paddled off, leaving us seemingly dead in the water and planning to do twice the distance as us and in half the time, we stopped for morning tea.

Taking to the water again at 11.05am

G. turned back and the rest of us continued upstream pleased to see some unburnt bush

Looking upstream

You know I can't resist reflections

Reflections by R

This pic, taken by R at 11.07am, shows Trev in the distance on his return journey from Jellat Jellat. We met up a few minutes later and he commmented that we didn't seem to have got very far since he left us on his trip upstream and, tellingly,  didn't renew his invitation to join his group!!

V's favourite - an island ahead.

 Due to the smoke haze the lights was very weird today

 We reached our destination of the Jellat Jellat sand plug (same destination as Trev just before 12 noon) and after lingering for a few minutes we began our return journey. As soon as we turned around the wind started and we slogged our way back down river into a head wind and didn't have a chance to draw breath - not counting V's 'nature break' - until we turned back into the entrance of  Blackfellows Lagoon.

Burnt bush at the mouth of the lagoon.

Once into the lagoon, with our flagging energy we slowly poddled our way back to the boat ramp and ended our paddle at 1.30pm

Trip Notes:
Put In/Take Out: Blackfellows Lagoon boat ramp
12.2km
4hrs 30mins

Thursday 2 August 2018 Wallagoot Lake

Along with A and D'd the crew for today's paddle consisted of the usual suspects, minus G who remained at home multi tasking, combining the roles of dog sitter and bread winner. An early start was aimed for to beat the forecast wind.

By 8.20am we were hitting the water. Which way to go? Up the lake?

Down the lake?

El Capitano decided and we headed off to the west - up Wallagoot

Rounding the 1st point

Grey Heron hunting on the western shore

 Abandoned boat and trailer

With the water level low there was no paddling up the creek for us today

Halfway up the southern shoreline we stopped for a cuppa and a chat. And where R presented L, D'd and me with an unexpected treat - couple of Bahn Mi inspired rolls. YUMMO. Thanks R

By 10.15am we continued our journey

Following the southern shoreline

Lots of Sea Eagles were spotted today and we passed these Pied Oyster Catchers and later on some Red Capped Plovers

As we searched for a paddlable lead to take us to the mouth of the lake

R was our path finder extraordinaire and with some groundings, scrapings, shovings and bumpings

We made it through. I regretfully must mention that A had given up the quest as soon as the going got tough - wimp - and had legged it back to the warmth and comfort of his car!

We walked across the very large sand plug

To gaze upon the ocean

 The end of the beach looked very inviting for a swim - if it had been 20oC  warmer!

We retraced our steps

However, some of us took the wrong lead and got a bit lost -namely me - and had to resort to a bit of kayak walking to find our way back to the lake proper. Which way?

By the time we returned to the main lake the forecast wind had hit and we had a strenuous, wet and cold paddle to get back to the Boat Club. We arrived back at the Boat Club to find A patiently awaiting our return and by 12.30 we had the boats loaded. Then it was just a matter (huh - peeling off wet wetboots and tights is a chore in itself)  of changing and heading into Tathra for lunch. Where did we have lunch?

Trip Notes:
Put In/Take Out: Wallagoot Lake Boat Club
9.5kms
4hours

Saturday 28 July 2018 Cuttagee

Received and email from S late yesterday afternoon - on the water by 7.00am unless too smokey (due to a fuel reduction burn up Cuttagee Creek near Siltstone Track). Our trailer having been purloined, along with the woodsplitter, by Toby we borrowed S&V's and loaded our boats in anticipation.

This was the view from the verandah at 6.35 this morning

With the smoke haze not looking too bad we decided the paddle was on . After collecting S&V we headed down to the lake. Refections at our launch site

 Taking to the water our first sight was the commercial fisherman looking rather sinister in the hazy light

Pelicans and Royal Spoonbills roosting at the end of Little Cuttagee

S's close up

Paddling up the lake was a little eerie

The fisherman slowly moving along his net line, pulling in dead and dying fish after discarding two drowned coots :(  We the passed over a 2nd line of net stretching from the Umbigumbi shoreline to the Far End shoreline - what chance do the fish have! And this must be the fourth time he has fished Little Cuttagee in the past 6 weeks

Members of the CKC's revolutionary arm. We had thought Thursday morning was chilly - well today was ffing freezing.

As we paddled round into Cuttagee the haze became more dense.
Swans on Cuttagee

We mooched around and I paddled over a spoke to a young kayak fisherman who had been out since dawn without a bite, so I told him about the commercial fisherman taking everything he could. After which we stopped for a leg stretch at the point we had stopped on Thursday  and then proceeded to paddle back through the haze

Pelicans on Little Cuttagee

The end of our paddle

Spotted today - a large pinkish jellyfish in Little Cuttagee and a huge dead mud crab which must have been 8-9" across the shell. Tho' Sam has since told me that it may not have been dead, but just a discarded shell the crab had grown out of. If that is true I'm not guddling with bare toes in Cuttage - its nippers were extremely large!

No breaky on offer today :( however we did manage to scrounge a good coffee and yummy biscuits :)