Happy Valley Reservoir — 13 March 2023

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Calm water at Happy Valley Reservoir

Three paddlers joined Jo for her Sunday Peer Paddle at Happy Valley Reservoir this morning, taking advantage of a perfect paddling day. Water looked like glass when we arrived, with several fishers preparing for a day on the water, hoping to catch a Murray Cod or Callop.
How different the car park was since last paddle, plenty of parking available when we arrived and the coffee van getting prepared for a busy day. Just as well, as cars loaded with Sit Ons and Blow Up kayaks soon started to arrive. Happy Valley is perfect for a training paddle, with the option of multiple circuits around the 4km perimeter. This a great location for novice kayakers building up their kayaking fitness, but also for experienced paddlers just wanting to get back on water.

Getting out of the water in Happy Valley Reservoir

We completed two circuits, distance 7.4km in just under two hours. A great easy way to start the day, with the reward of that cup of coffee on completion. Even used the kayak launch system this time, worked very well and more gentle on the kayaks. Happy Valley is turning out to be a very pleasant Sunday paddle, so come along and join the next paddle.

Onkaparinga River — Clean Up Australia Day 6 March 2022

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Clean Up Australia Day 2022

Paddlers were Charles and Marina Walker, Peter Carter, Maria Kubik, Anthony Wood and Van Hoang, Peter Vincent, Treya Derrington and Courtney Kirkwood with son William. A big thanks to the Paddlers and Kim Wooning who organised the event and met with us to explain the ropes and supply paddlers with large hessian bags and gloves for collecting rubbish.

There was an initial bit of chatter regarding the wind and whether the paddle would go ahead but the group was confident that we would be alright with the conditions, so we launched at 9.30am from Wearing Street, Port Noarlunga and headed upstream against the tide and 32 km/hr South Easterly winds in search of litter.

Clean up Australia Onkaparinga River

Paddlers dispersed and got straight to work landing on the banks of the river to see what they could find. A few thongs, a scooter and shorts were among the interesting items and surprisingly few face masks were found.

I (with half my motor not quite working) battled through the headwind in an old double so was grateful to land again to collect rubbish.

With the plan to meet Kim back at Wearing street at 12pm, we didn’t get all that far up river before we almost sailed back with ease.

Kim did a great job of organising the rubbish into the correct bags and we had a group photo and headed over to Becks Bakehouse for some large coffees, pizza and pies. It was an enjoyable morning whilst caring for the environment we so enjoy!

 

Kayaks with birds in the bckground

Tolderol Bird Sanctuary: Lake Alexandrina, Coorong — 5 December 2021

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Twelve paddlers took advantage of the gentle winds forecast for Sunday morning to go for a gentle paddle amongst the reed beds of Tolderol Bird Sanctuary on Lake Alexandrina.

Tolderol is a well-regarded bird watching location, reed beds along the lake shore, grassy banks and shallow basins attract a wide variety of water fowl and migratory wader bird species. Late spring and summer are the best times to see the migratory birds which flock to this area. It is not a very well used park, with few amenities, and is not very well signposted.Birds starting to fly

On the water

Despite this everyone managed to find the designated meeting point, and we were on the water by 9:30. At the first opportunity we turned off the lake and entered the maze of the reed beds. Having a GPS with a track showing the route from our last visit should have made things easier, but trying to figure out how to work a brand new GPS on its first outing, along with finding some of the previously navigable routes now reeded over, made for some anxious moments. Aided by Bernard volunteering to stand up in his kayak to try and find us a route to open water (he didn’t capsize, ruining a good photo opportunity), we didn’t have too many dead ends, although we did have to push through some thick reeds a few times. All part of the fun.

We took advantage of the only dry(ish) ground around to have an early lunch stop. Peter Drewry showed some great foresight by bringing along a camp chair, the rest of us had to make do with sitting on the grass, carefully avoiding the sheep droppings. The nearby fence made a great place to hang up wet paddling gear, until somebody pointed out that it was an electric fence! We are still not sure if it was active or not, as nobody was brave enough to test it.

The return

Stretching the legsBy now the wind was starting to pick up so, with discretion being the better part of valour, we packed up and headed back to the launch spot by a more direct route staying to the outside of the reed beds, getting back to the cars by early afternoon. The winds in the Coorong have a habit of blowing up unexpectedly, and with the shallow waters things can become tricky very quickly.

Oh, and by the way we did see birds, lots of birds. See the pictures.