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Murray River: Lindsay Island Circumnavigation — 15-18 April 2022

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Settling down

Things didn’t start well. Some of us decided to travel down a day early to avoid the traffic and find a suitable launch and landing spot. We soon discovered that the tracks in the Murray Sunset national Park didn’t match the maps we had, and some of the tracks were blocked due to the high levels of the river. Eventually we managed to find a suitable spot at the mouth of the Mullaroo Creek near the regulator, sent out new directions to the rest of the group, and settled down to wait for them around the campfire.

Next morning, after everyone arrived, we launched into the Murray River above the regulator. The regulators are wonderful for the health of the river but they don’t make life easy for kayakers: it would be virtually impossible to portage a loaded kayak around the regulator.

Toupnein Creek

We made very good progress down the Murray thanks to the strong flow adding 2-3 km/hr to our speed. After a civilized lunch on the lawn at Lock 7, and a chat to the lockmaster as he let us through, we carried on down the Murray to the entrance to Toupnein creek. The creek was also flowing strongly, carrying us between banks lined with magnificent gum trees. We quickly found a lovely site and stopped for the night.

Swim in Kulkurna beach

Next morning we woke up to another perfect day and, after a leisurely breakfast, we packed up camp and drifted down Toupnein creek again until it re-joined the Murray again. We stopped below the Kulkurna Cliffs on a sandy beach for lunch, and took the opportunity for a cooling swim. After lunch we made good time down the Murray, helped along by the current, and took the opportunity to have a look at entrance to Salt Creek, wondering how to organise a trip which would include the Lindsay river and into Salt Creek and from there to Chowilla. Maybe next time.

Lindsay River

From there it was a short paddle past Higgins Cutting to find the entrance to Lindsay River. Luckily this turned out to be wide with not much flow, as from now on it was all upstream! After a few kilometres we found a nice secluded backwater and landed to make camp. Tents were soon put up, wet paddling gear was changed for more comfortable clothes, supper was made and eaten, and the group settled in around the campfire to discuss solutions to the world’s problems.

Day 3 saw everyone packed and ready to leave at 9am, we made good progress up the Lindsay, which was still wide and slow. Eventually we made it to the junction with Mullaroo creek, had a break for lunch and turned up into the Mullaroo. Progress was now a bit slower as the creek was narrower, with a faster current to overcome. It was also more interesting, with lots of twists and turns and fallen trees to navigate past. This kept us occupied until about 3pm, when we called it a day, found a nice campsite and stopped for the night.

Here comes the rain

Peter decided that, since the weather had been so perfect with warm nights and no mosquitoes, he would skip putting up a tent and sleep under the stars. This proved to be tempting fate too much, as a few hours later the clouds rolled in and the first few drops of rain started to fall. After a hurried meal, and an even more hurried putting up of a tent by Peter, everyone skipped the normal evening conversation and had an early night.

Navigating obstacles

It rained lightly but steadily through the night, but luckily cleared up by morning. We were on the water 30 minutes early as everyone had had an early night. We were eager to get going before the rain started again. The creek slowly got narrower and more choked the further we went upstream, but we managed to navigate all the obstacles without having to resort to getting out of the kayaks and dragging: somehow there was always a way around or through the fallen trees. About midday we finally spotted the finish spot with warm dry cars waiting.

Packing back

Kayaks were hurriedly unpacked and loaded onto the cars, carefully trying to avoid getting too much mud into the cars. Everyone now relaxed as the adventure was over, or so we thought. The overnight rain had turned the tracks out of the park into a slippery mess, churned up by all the departing Easter campers. After about 20 kms of frantic sideway sliding, wheel spinning, and steering wheel gripping, we finally made it back onto the sealed road, and then on to Renmark to have the customary bakery stop to swap stories and say goodbyes.

Coorong National Park Sign

Mundoo channel to Boundary Creek and the Coorong — 18 April 2022

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Godfeys Landing

On Easter Monday, after a number of cancellations due to injury and the predicted weather conditions, 5 paddlers headed off from the end of Mundoo Channel Rd. (Shauna, Bruce, Michael, Treya, Abelardo)

Pelicans in Coorong

The first section looked to be the worst from the predictions, but in very mild winds we paddled into the Coorong in search of the Boundary Ck junction and only having to dodge the odd boat. In fact boating traffic was very light for an Easter weekend, (Yay). Presumably boaties were also put off by the possible winds.

We made quick time to the probable entrance to Boundary Ck (did I mention this was an exploratory trip..?). It looked little like it did a few years back, so we paddled on to the shacks. The shacks were the sure marker, so having pulled up on the beach we portaged over the bank to Boundary Ck. The creek was very beautiful, with reedy growth and an occasional tree, and with abundant water flowing through it.

Godfeys landing

Ocean south of Godfeys landing Coorong

It wasn’t long before we exited back into the Coorong and the group paddled across to the Young Husband peninsula and to Godfeys landing for lunch. The wind was low and it was a quiet, peaceful spot. After lunch we did the short walk over to the southern ocean, which true to form was rough and windy. No wonder those brave around Australia paddlers all had concerns about landing on that long stretch of coastline.

After a morning of light winds, a well above forecast tail wind became handy on the journey homeward reaching 20kn at its peak. This was some very fun sailing and an easy return paddle. It was a relatively easy day out for moderately experienced paddlers. We covered 16km over a leisurely 5 hrs, including break times.

Every time I go to the Coorong I feel like another plan is hatched. This vast inland river/sea/lake has much to offer paddlers. Stay tuned!

Shauna Ashewood

Adelaide Canoe Club General Meeting, The Bartley Hotel — 8 April 2022

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Adelaide Canoe Club (ACC) General Meetings are back on the agenda. We had  a very successful evening at The Bartley Hotel on Friday (8th Apr). This meeting was particularly special with James and Dayna Fishers joining us as Guest Speakers. It was great to see General Meetings happening again following the interruptions due to COVID.

We had 30 members and family attending. The vibe during the evening was catching and everyone was enthralled to hear about James and Dayna’s successful circumnavigation of Kangaroo Island earlier this year in January.

Paddlers that have done KI circumnavigation

The evening was particularly significant: as well as our most recent kayakers to circumnavigate KI, also present was the first kayaker to circumnavigate the Island, with Peter Carter representing his team of John Hicks, David Nicolson and Mike Higginson. Peter’s team accomplished the circumnavigation in December 1980/Jan 1981, while James and Dayna completed their 12-day trip on Jan 19th 2022. Phil Doddridge also received recognition, having paddled most of the KI coast during his kayaking career. We heard the different ways the trip was researched and conducted, with Peter bringing along one of his original maps and a section of his Nordkapp stern and James talking about his extensive research on google earth and the electronics they used for weather and tidal flow. Peter’s group plan was to “keep the Island on the left”.

It was also great to have three (3) of our new members coming along to soak up the experience and meet other club members. One of the new members, Hugh Macmillan, has hit the ground running having already notched up a Backstairs Passage Crossing in March after recently relocating to Adelaide from San Francisco and joining ACC. We have been very interested hearing from Hugh about his paddling off the Californian Coast while a member of Bay Area Sea Kayaking Club (BASK).

Committee Reports and more

Sunset in KI

We started the evening with brief reports from Committee members before meals were served just after 7pm. The room was a buzz with enthusiastic conversations, and it was great to see everyone enjoying the occasion. About 8pm we introduced James and Dayna and soon became enthralled in the stories of their epic adventure.  We much appreciate James and Dayna giving up their Friday evening to share their adventure. They used PowerPoint slides backed up with stunning photographs to describe their experiences, including the highs and lows.

We heard how James and Dayna were motivated to tackle the trip to help raise funds for an incredible organisation – Operation Flinders, which uses the outdoors to encourage and support young people. Operation Flinders takes participants out of their familiar environment so that they can learn new life skills, hence the determination for James and Dayna to take themselves out of their comfort zone!

They achieved the circumnavigation over 12 days, starting and finishing at Penneshaw (although with a mid-course change from south to north coast due to unfavourable westerly winds) paddling in a clockwise direction covering 380km with 65 hours on water. As well as the paddling achievement, they raised over $3,000 for Operation Flinders – well done, a great success, showing that sea kayaking in South Australia is continuing strongly.

Backstairs Passage

KI circumnavigation

We heard first-hand about the tidal races and standing waves around Cape St Albans, Cape Willoughby and Cape Hart. Their adrenalin was flowing strongly around Cape Hart, matching the tidal flow racing out from Backstairs Passage with them getting along at 8 to 11km/hr in 3m swell. And then came Cape Gantheaume where they felt very vulnerable paddling around the southernmost tip of KI (in James’s words – “feeling very exposed in monster swells and very gnarly”).  Also very aware of how truly terrible a place it was to be if the weather deteriorated with 20km of cliffs in both directions and no escape.

Day three (3) leg from D’Estrees Bay to Vivonne Bay was a tough day heading into a head wind, and paddling against “wind set currents”, finding the water difficult to move through – however the day ended well topped off by a stunning sunset and a chance to relax in the lovely Bay.

Weather then dictated they stay in Vivonne Bay for day four (4), before changing again altogether, forcing a big adjustment to the trip and switch to the north coast.

Snellings Beach

Vivonne Bay

Day five (5) started from Snellings Beach on the north coast to make the most of the 15-20kt westerly winds, they enjoyed much easier paddling conditions, getting nice and close to the coast and exploring the coves and bays before finishing on a nice sandy beach at Dashwood Bay.

Day six (6) saw more 15 – 25kt west to north westerly winds making for a quick run from Dashwood Bay for an overnight stop at Ballast Head before continuing on to Penneshaw on day seven (7) for a reset, then back to the unfinished west end.

By day eight (8) they were back on the South Coast to finish off the final 145km of the island. They found the water difficult to move through, but visits of Yellow Fin Tuna and Dolphins helped make the day better!

They easily navigated the reef into Hanson Bay (thankfully) before spending a nice evening in the stunning Bay.

Cape Du Couedic

Day nine (9) saw the weather conditions line up perfectly to round Cape Du Couedic nice and close to the cliffs. This was certainly a highlight of the trip, but in the afternoon they faced challenging conditions to make it past the top of Maupertuis Bay and into West Bay.

James and Dayna described the amazing experience of paddling past Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch and Cape Du Couedic – the photos tell all!

They had an early start on Day ten (10) for the run to Snug Cove, planned to avoid the big swell forecast at 4.5m, already building up and taking them over 30 minutes to clear the beach swell. They met an ebbing tide race against, rebound waves, seas and swell, dramatic cliffs and the now familiar feeling – “this place is a long way from anywhere safe, or anyone to help us – real sea kayaking”.

James explained that when they were rounding Cape Borda they reached the emotional end of the expedition for them, as there were no more exposed coastlines remaining. The threat of 20 – 30kt head winds the next two days on the north coast did not compare to the anxiousness of the south and west coasts.

Snug Cove lived up to its name, resulting in a disturbed night’s sleep with a visit from a Tsunami wave that funneled up into the cove about 4am – gear everywhere!

Western River

James and Dayna opted for shorter legs on days eleven (11) and twelve (12) with an overnight at Western River. That gave them a break from the constant 20 – 25kt head winds. The wind continued to blow right up until their arrival there, to meet their support team of Malcolm and Alison Hamilton.

A big THANK YOU to James and Dayna for sharing their experience with the club. We had a fantastic evening.

If anyone would like to arrange a donation to Operation Flinders on behalf of James and Dayna in recognition of their KI Circumnavigation and Fundraising effort, please contact Heather Holmes (Accounts Officer – 8245 2666 or 0419 845 233) or visit the website: https://operationflinders.org.au/ and make a donation.

Videos

If you would like to experience James and Dayna’s trip from the safety of home check out their YouTube videos below:

Port Victoria coast exploration — 2-3 April 2022

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Peter Drewry, Peter Vincent, Maria Kubik and Marina Walker joined Anne and Simon Langsford for an exploratory paddle from Port Victoria south 40 km to Port Minlacowie.

Saturday

Wauraltee Beach

On Saturday morning Anne and Peter V did the car shuttle to leave a vehicle at Port Minlacowie, the finish spot.  We then all set off from Port Victoria in beautiful conditions. There was a 13 knot south easterly wind which we avoided most of the day by sticking close to the coast. The water along this part of the coast was so clear we could see the range of sea weeds and sea grasses beneath us. Much of the coast is very rocky, even adjacent to the sandy beaches. When the tide was out this limited our choice of landing spots. However, there were enough clear sandy areas where landing was easy so we could enjoy lunch or snacks on the beach.

We were surprised at the numbers of campers, caravans and 4WDs on Wauraltee Beach. It looked like a nice spot to camp but not exactly ‘getting away from it all’. We arrived at Port Rickaby just before 5pm and managed to sign into the caravan park before the office closed. It was too late though for Peter V to order a hamburger from the shop. We used our wheels to get all the kayaks up to the camping area. It was a bit of work, but we had a nice grassy area and no sand blowing into everything as we would have had camping on the beach.

Sunday

Along the Yorke Peninsula’s coast

Sunday’s paddle continued south with milder (10 knot) winds, rewarding us with lots of wildlife. We had a close encounter with a pod of about seven dolphins, including a young one, swimming around us. We also saw a seal floating with one flipper in the air (from a distance it looked like a shark fin moving slowly around). Having identified the ‘fin’ as a seal flipper we were not so scared when we encountered a second seal doing the same graceful flipper wave. Peter V identified a couple of Wedge Tailed eagles attacking a Nankeen Kestrel, which managed to get away from them. We also saw Crested Turns, Sooty Oyster Catchers, Cormorants and of course Silver and Pacific Gulls. We arrived at Port Minlacowie boat ramp about midday and quickly got the boats ashore and did the return car shuttle to Port Victoria.

This was an enjoyable paddle. Highly recommended for another trip perhaps with an extra day to allow time for some snorkelling.

Backstairs Passage Crossing, Kangaroo Island — 26 March 2022

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A very successful return paddle to Kangaroo Island. Paddlers were: Phil Doddridge, Mark Loram, Charlie Walker, Peter Vincent, Matt Eldred, Stephen Moore and new member Hugh Macmillan. This was the first crossing for Peter, Matt, Stephen and Hugh, so there were a few smiling faces when we arrived back at Cape Jervis. Well done paddlers! Trip was led by Phil and was aimed at demonstrating splitting of the tide to achieve the most efficient crossing.

The start

The early birds in the group arrived at Cape Jervis at 8.30am. There were a bunch of keen kayakers outside our group already there prepping for a training run to Blowhole Beach. We saw Tresh preparing his new/old 1980 Greenlander kayak, a familiar face in addition to Mark Benjamin. Mark (L). Phil and Hugh arrived just afterwards, with Mark L being a late starter, having just been released from lockdown. After loading up and a safety briefing from Phil we set off about 10.15am, following the coast east to avoid the ferry’s path.

Lumpy start

Landing in Kangaroo Island

We then set our bearing for Cape Coutts and headed out on our adventure, with only whitecaps between us and the safety of Antechamber Bay, just east of Cape Coutts. And yes, (as observed form the drive down the hill to Cape Jervis) the conditions were lumpy with swells reaching 2 to 2.5m. The wind was from the south east at around 15 Knots and slightly above forecast. The tide was still on the ebb until 12.30pm, so we had a slight advantage to balance the wind.

We had a nice sunny day but with the wind and the breaking waves, all very glad we had opted to wear CAGs. Crossing time was 3.5 hrs of solid paddling then overall a total of 4 hours including the short portage into Chapman River, over 22km.

The landing

Conditions eased as we entered Antechamber Bay. There was still enough swell to practice our surf landings. Phil showed the way and Charlie provided the entertainment with a stern first landing in his P&H Valkyrie. Didn’t take long for the portage and we were all looking forward to enjoying the campsite and surrounds with the early arrival at 2pm. Once in the river Matt noticed the plentiful mullet and wished he had packed his fishing rod. The paddle down the dead flat and picturesque Chapman River felt like another world compared to the crossing.

The camp site

We paddled further up the Chapman River to campsite No 12 that Phil had previously booked. We were welcomed by a new bridge – apparently styled on the Onkaparinga River Suspension Bridge at Old Noarlunga. Quite a few dollars have been spent since out last visit. We later discovered a brand new drop loo very close to our campsite – sheer luxury!

After we settled in, Matt, Peter and Mark completed a 3.5km exploration of the river with picturesque paperbarks on the bank. Peter was rather happy with the bird life.

The campground was pretty busy. We made an early appearance at the camp kitchen, admiring the stunning views of the Chapman River. We had a very pleasant evening and turned in early and slept well, being serenaded by several Boobook Owls during the night. Also brought back memories of Coffin Bay with a few in the group being visited by friendly mice during the night.

Back on the water

Happy paddlers in the beach at KI

The next day back on the water by 10am. The water conditions from the beach looked perfect, not a breath of wind or a sign of a whitecap as far as the eye could see. The plan for the day was to head for Blowhole Beach and play with the tides during the crossing. We stuck to this plan, however the winds and tide were not favourable, pushing us further east than we would have liked. Once again the tide was on the ebb until 12.30pm, particularly noticeable on the GPS track, but with the flood assisting our path to Blowhole Beach.

Conditions on the water started off perfectly until the seas got very mixed and choppy which made for an interesting paddle. 21km and we landed at Blowhole Beach for a welcome leg stretch and bite to eat after the 4.5 hour crossing in messy seas. Wind was from the north and again above forecast, mostly around 12-15 knots.

After lunch it was only a quick 9km paddle.  Back to Cape Jervis where 7 tired paddlers loaded their kayaks and headed home after a very successful and enjoyable weekend. For the Club it was the first paddle across Backstairs Passage for the year and for 4 of the members it was their first crossing…. but by no means their last. Stay tuned for the next planned crossing, perhaps in a spring tide to really show the tidal influence in Backstairs Passage.

Crossing to KI

Return trip to Cape Jervis

Paddle to Cockle Spit from Port Germein — 19 March 2022

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Paddling from Port Germain

The plan was a Club paddle to Cockle Spit off Port Germein Jetty. We had been attempting to combine our efforts with the Royal Port Pirie Yacht Club who have for the last few years organised a cricket match on the Spit.  Originally it was with the Whyalla Yacht Club but this had folded as some events do!  The vision is for the Adelaide Canoe Club (ACC) to join the event in the future and perhaps field a team. Tina from the Royal Port Pirie Yacht Club has been very helpful and we are hoping to catch up with them next year.

The preparation

We considered all the potential routes for the day including Pirie to Spit. The longest option was Weeroona Island to the Spit or just Port Germein to the Spit. Unfortunately, all included the dreaded 1.3 km portage at low tide at Port Germein. The option of Weeroona to Germein was decided. The paddlers from Adelaide were supposed to meet the Upper Gulf paddlers on Saturday. Then on Friday night COVID struck and Mark was in isolation as a close contact. Our Adelaide members had to cancel and left Greg Watts and myself (Steve Carter) to hold the fort and paddle out to find the Spit.

The paddle

We met at 1:00pm near the jetty at Port Germein and commenced the 1.3 km portage out to the 3rd steps off the jetty. Kayak trolleys essential – but there has to be a better way!

Paddling from Port Germain

The paddle was straightforward on a bearing of 240⁰ from the end of the jetty ruins. Conditions were ideal with a SE wind of 0 to 5 knots. The white of the Spit became visible after 3 km. After another 2 km we hit the southern end and paddled along the Spit for 1 more km just to be sure.

We had a break on the Spit. True to its name, it is made up of cockle and other shells, rather than sand. After a brief wander around – no cricket being played today – we commenced our return journey. We expected a tail wind home after the change of tide and usual afternoon sea breeze. But the slight wind dropped off and the sea glassed over, which made for a very pleasant return paddle.

On return, the tide was out even further. We landed near the jetty with 2 cars parked under it, just like a carport. Then a long portage alongside the jetty back to our vehicles.

The pub

Off to the pub where we learnt more about driving out on the flats. This has always terrified me as I wish for my car to last longer than rusting out.  We found out that some of the specialist vehicles can be arranged to do a pick up.  The solution to cleaning salt and sand under the car is to place the sprinkler under the car for 10 minutes or so. Guess what: next time it’s a car drive out to pick up kayaks!

This is the 5th or 6th journey for me, however on my favourite trip we didn’t even see the Spit but had a downwind journey in 20 knots winds from Third Creek (south of Pirie) to Port Germein. There is much more to do in this area, and I look forward to other trips

White Water trip to Eildon, Victoria — 11-14 March 2022

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It was refreshing and liberating to be back at Eildon after two years!

Most of us arrived on Friday. Charlie and Marina got there a night earlier and were surprised at the activities on the Sump. Fire rescue team and their rafts, Tafe students in their canoes and a few private little boats all practising. Never seen so many on the Sump at one time.

We inadvertently picked a long weekend in Victoria and were a little worried about the crowds. But this didn’t prove to be much of a problem. The only downside was that the group was spread across different sites.

Saturday

Challenging stretch in Goulburn river

On Saturday, Scott Polley did some instruction on the basics for those who had not done any white-water before; Esther did very well, Anthony showed no fear (trying to keep up with his son?), and Leigh is a natural (who would think he has never done any white water) as he soon ended up surfing the big wave at the Sump without much trouble. After a little warming up, Anne, Simon, Fred, Will, Marina and Charlie played around the pumpkins (big man-made concrete blocks designed to create turbulence and eddies in the river), the s- bend and, for the more daring ones, the Sump in the afternoon.

Fred and Will played the role of the two acrobats putting their canoe polo skills to use (Fred managed to position himself in his boat on a pumpkin). And Phil who was the elegant smooth wave rider.

Water levels were quite ok at first, then on Saturday they seem to have released water from the dam, and some of the pumpkins were soon under water. Luckily the water did not seem as cold as it normally is in January.

The Campsite

Kayak on rock in the middle of the river

Moored in the river

Besides people coming into the camp kitchen to do their dishes, we were lucky enough to have the kitchen pretty much to ourselves, as the local hotel was still closed so we had to cook in the campsite. Next year we will remember to check the Victorian calendar before pick a date! In all, we all surely had a lovely time, and Charlie and Marina finished their stay with a 52 kms downstream paddle to Molesworth on Tuesday, having enough water to paddle down at a good speed.

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!

 

Coffin Bay — 14-17 February 2022

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First leg to Black Springs

Starting the trip

Anne and Simon Langsford were joined by Frances and Bernard Goble, Phil Doddridge, Mark Loram, Stephen Carter, Matthew Eldred, Simon Delaine, Charles Walker, Jo Molsher, Julie Rohde and Peter Vincent to paddle from Coffin Bay township out into the Coffin Bay National Park. The first day saw us heading out of the town bay towards Rabbit Island. The tide was very low by the time we got there and some of us walked our kayaks over the Mussel and Razor Fish beds. However, it was not long before we hit deep water again and those with sails enjoyed a good tail wind.

When we stopped for lunch on the beach past the Yangie Bay inlet Julie found her missing spray deck which had become squashed up in the bow as she packed other things. At last water-tight she enjoyed the rest of the day.

We arrived at Black Springs with plenty of time to pitch camp and relax, looking out over the amazingly blue ocean. After dinner that evening it started raining, and Simon and Anne’s emergency shelter was put to good use! as we sat huddled under it. Most people headed to bed early as we planned an early start to catch the tide around Point Longnose.

Lightning Day

So much serenity

Lightning, thunder and heavy rain greeted us the next morning, so the early start was postponed. By mid-morning the storm had passed but the wind forecast made paddling onwards unwise, so we did the walk to view Black Rocks on the southern side of the peninsula, then after lunch split into groups to paddle close to camp. One group went along the picturesque rocks while another group went out to more open water while Jo did her first sailing effort. Although both paddles were much shorter than planned everyone had an enjoyable day.

Windy Day

Paddling along the coast

Wednesday’s wind forecast was bad – 20 knot winds with stronger gusts. Change of plan again! We paddled through the oyster beds and over to Point Longnose where we had a short stop while Mark emptied his water-filled front compartment and put the hatch on properly. Around Point Longnose is a beautiful beach where we had lunch before retracing our steps. Each day Matt would be seen looking for cockles on the beach to bait his fishing hook. He did catch some Whiting, but alas too small to keep so we didn’t get fresh fish for dinner.

Return Day

Preparing the departure

Now we had spent 3 days at Black Springs camp and there was not enough time left to venture out to Point Sir Isaac, so we decided to return to Coffin Bay township. Along the rocky cliffs we came across some seal pups that played with us and followed us for about half an hour. Then we headed to The Brothers islands so Peter could check out the birdlife. We were rewarded with sighting the rare Rock Parrots and there were also some large sea lions, one of which gave an aggressive display towards the kayaks before leaving us alone.

The group split again into ‘paddlers’ and ‘sailers’ to cross over to the northern shore of the bay. Lunch on a sand beach with a very shallow approach made us walk the kayaks again to save scratching them too much. Then it was a pleasant paddle along the rocky cliffs with some of us paddling into Mount Dutton Bay for a short distance.

Wrap up

Coffin Bay Strava

Bernard, Frances and Steve left the group to head homeward. The rest of us pitched camp at the caravan park and then headed to the pub for a drink and dinner.

In total we paddled about 66 km, a bit short of the plan but we had to manage the weather conditions and even with this shortened trip everyone enjoyed the trip.

Some memorable comments:

  • OK everyone, the plan for today is changed, – again. – Anne
  • We have got to know this camp site well. – Frances
  • I’m not talking about the wind forecast. – Simon L
  • Can we stay here another night?  -Text message from Jo (safely in her tent during the storm)
  • I’m glad I remembered everything and I didn’t capsize. – Simon D
  • My jaw is sore from smiling so much, the sailing was so much fun. – Matt
  • I’ve found my spray deck.  – Julie
  • Thunder and lightning, very, very frightening.  – Julie
  • The colour of the water at camp, amazing blue.-  Charlie
  • Great paddling with new people. – Stephen

Check the facebook post for additional pictures

Sea lions

Huddle to avoid the rain

Paddling with seals

Delta Fleet

Checking the landscape

Resting at the campground