Category: Trip reports

Bart Huntley

Anyone that has met me would have probably heard me “banging” on about an impending trip to Tasmania. Well the time finally came in January of this year and it really lived up to expectations.

Since reading an article in Australian Geo many years ago, it has always been a dream to do an extended trip by kayak and when my mate, Jason Gibbs, mentioned that he wanted to see the coast of Tassie, it just begged to be done by kayak. Initial planning began in 2007 and after a zillion emails, large phone bills (Jason lives in NSW) and what seemed like endless purchases we hit the water on 21st of January, this year.

Our initial plan was to launch on the Tamar River at a place called Low Head, paddle out the mouth and around the point, keep Tasmania on the right and see if we could make Hobart in 3 weeks. Seemed relatively simple however, Tassie’s notoriously fickle Bass Strait had other plans for us.

Setting off from Low Head late in the afternoon, we had planned on getting 10 kilometres under our keels and a bit of distance from civilisation before making our first camp. Within 100 metres of the mouth of the river, I had had three waves break over me, and the wind, now that we weren’t in sheltered waters, made its presence very well known. We made all of five kilometres and to be camping that night under the light of the Low Head lighthouse was a tad demoralising. The following day however, promised light winds in the morning with strengthening winds throughout the day. This was pretty much the weather pattern for the entire trip. The afternoon winds seemed to be either of the storm or gale force variety.

We put in a reasonable effort the next day making about 25 kilometres before the winds became ridiculous, and we ended up in Beechford. There we languished for the next 4 days! The winds were well over 30 knots and the ocean looked like a washing machine, day after day. When we did finally get away, we managed some 50 odd kilometres to Bridport. Weather forecasts again looked dodgy, with extended non-paddling weather, limited fresh water availability and with the critical Banks Strait to negotiate, it was then that we made the decision to pull out and start again from Bicheno. We had already lost many paddling days and the prospect of losing more and missing some of the East Coast sights forced the change of plans.

From Bicheno on however, we were much more fortunate with the weather. From Bicheno we paddled to Wineglass Bay, then around Freycinet Peninsular to Cooks Beach, over to Crockett’s Bay on Schouten Island, past Isle de Phoque to Maria Island, crossed Mercury Passage to Dunalley, then to Lime Bay, Blackman’s Point and then finally Wedge Bay. White Beach Caravan Park in Wedge Bay was the end of the line for our trip.

At Cooks Beach, Schouten and Maria Islands, we camped for extended periods to do some of the walks or simply to rest. Some of the highlights were climbing Mt Graham (579m) and Bear Mountain (approx 300m). The views from both were simply stunning and well worth the hard, hot slogs to the top.

On a trip as long as this, there isn’t enough space to relate all the memorable moments. There were some times however, that will stay forever in the memory banks. One such time was when we were crossing Mercury Passage, between Maria Island and Dunalley. My forward stroke had gone astray at some stage during the trip up to this point, and after 3 hours in the saddle, I was knackered. I was sitting in the middle of the Passage coming to grips with the realisation that the only way the pain would end, was to pick up the paddle, with arms that felt like lead weights, make more pain and continue on. Sitting there trying to summon the energy before the weather turned, in the fast approaching afternoon, I realised that what I needed was a distraction. Almost on cue I was surrounded by dolphins that played for at least 10 minutes. It was just the break and diversion that I needed and the next 2 hours passed quickly.

Another great memory was of our fishing exploits. We had wanted to catch fish along the way to supplement our carbohydrate heavy diet. Unfortunately, our fishing skills did not provide more than a single pike each. That night, the two great white hunters planned a fish curry with potatoes and coconut cream. After cooking everything up we knew we were in trouble when the potatoes were bristling with bones!! Needless to say, we were not very impressed, so from then on our efforts went into green lip abalone and mussels. We had some fantastic meals after that.

Something that will be really hard to forget was the feeling we had when crossing between Schouten Island and Maria Island. Our plan had been to call in at Isle de Phoque along the way. We knew it was just an overgrown rock and that their would be no hope of getting out and stretching the legs, but we did think that we might have been able to get in the lee of the island and just have lunch out of the wind. Talking to a yachtie the night before departing Schouten Island, we found out that our plan had a flaw. The rock is home to a large seal colony and some very large sharks that evidently do laps waiting for a seal to fall off the island. We did not fancy becoming another statistic for 2009 (the sharks had a very high profile summer this year) so we intended giving the Isle a very wide berth by paddling closer to the Tassie mainland. As luck wouldn’t have it, the wind and currents were in cahouts and we passed well within a kilometer of the rock, all the time hearing the theme to Jaws in our heads.

If anyone has ever thought of wetting a paddle in Tassie, I can strongly recommend it. The people are very friendly and helpful, the fresh produce mind blowing (especially after weeks of pasta and porridge) and the scenery oh so worth it. Beware, the water is very cold but beautifully clear, and conditions can change very quickly. It definitely pays to have a relaxed schedule and a flexible approach. We ended up with numerous side adventures as a result which only enriched the entire experience.

Further Details

• We used a “mission control” person that we kept in touch with everyday by a nominated time. This person would text through a forecast for the following day and act as a centralised contact for loved ones. We would text back our intentions and “news” and reconfirm the same the following morning before setting off. The system was great and avoided any miscommunications with regards to paddle plans.
• We also kept in touch with the various coast guard/marine rescue radio monitors down the coast. All lovely people and a wealth of information on local conditions and what to avoid.
• Although we took a satellite phone (thanks Tim!) we managed to get reception all the way down the coast with the 3G network.
• Water was always a limiting factor, however we managed to find numerous resupplies along the route. TIP: A tea towel makes a great strainer to remove mozzie larvae from tank water at the numerous old station homes.
• One of our most treasured gadgets was a solar charger that we used to keep a very power hungry phone battery topped up, as well as an assortment of camera batteries ipods etc. If anyone is interested, the one we had is called a Solio.

Sunset at Crockett’s Bay

Some friendly fins in Mercury Passage

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Bart and Jason, the two hairy mates at the end of the trip

In behind the Nuggets

Heading into Wineglass Bay

Wineglass Bay

The view from Mt Graham

Under my keel

Abalone, a bit bigger than in WA

 

Di Bramley

Images by Tim Hale

From tales told to Di Bramley (scribed around the campfire, with all care but no responsibility taken for its accuracy).

Paddlers: Wayne Stocker, Rod Coogan, Paul Cooper, Alan Hale, Jim and Di Bramley, Tim Hale, Glen Askew, Steve Foreman, Leonie Moore. Artist in residence, Caroline Coogan.

The group began gathering at Coalmine Beach Caravan Park, Walpole Thursday afternoon.

Following Gentlemen’s hours, and much careful preparation of packing for an overnight sea kayak excursion, Friday’s paddle finally set off at 11am. Weather was clear and sunny, light winds. Wayne, Rod, Paul, Alan, Jim, Tim, Glen paddled across the calm waters of Nornalup Inlet heading for the Southern Ocean. Camping destination would be determined by finding a suitable cove and landing. “We set off from the beach in light to medium winds and calm sea and made a lunch break at the ocean mouth on a lovely sandy beach. The wind had been gradually picking up and when we left, the ocean had white caps and a freshening breeze. We picked a sighting point on Rame Head and began paddling steadily.”

However, “The state of the sea overtook our expectations. We had paddled hard for about 2 hours but the wind didn’t allow the planned excursion to proceed. We got close to half way but the going was tough. We were heading into strong winds and a medium chop and it was decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The decision was made to turn back. Coming back we picked up a surf break at the Inlet mouth. Back at the sandy beach, some ate, one walked, one swam and some surfed. Alan got cleaned up by the surf twice. Tim took a mammoth swim (accidentally minus his kayak), of 300 metres, with Rod shouting “encouragement” from the sidelines.”

They arrived back at camp, not unhappy about sleeping in a warm soft bed instead of on a hard bed on a cold, wind lashed shore.
Saturday saw groups taking off in various directions.

Rod, Caroline, Jim and Di biked along part of the Bibbulmun Track to Walpole . Di crashed, as she tried to emulate Rod’s graceful sharp turn onto the pedestrian pavement (the bruise was impressive). Steve and Leonie opted to paddle up the river at Nornalup.

A smaller but dedicated group of intrepid sea kayakers, Alan, Tim, Wayne and Paul once again set out of the Inlet. “We intended to check out Saddle Island, and do some fishing on the way. Again, we were beaten back by massive winds, gnarly Southern Ocean seas , swells and wind gusts up to 30 knots. The waves were higher than the kayaks were long. We beached and walked to Shelly Beach where we measured winds of 30 knots with Paul’s German anemometer. This beach would not be a suitable landing spot, only for crash landing. We arrived back at camp tired and stuffed.”

Easter Sunday, paddlers were woken early by the excited squeals of children chasing 2 big pink bunnies who were throwing Easter eggs. Leonie scored 3 but her caring conscience persuaded her to give them to a crying child, who ran off without a backward glance.
After a leisurely breakfast, (Gentleman’s hours have been upgraded to Gentlemen’s Code with an “Event based timing system. Refer to Wayne for clarification), the group sorted out the logistics of a trip to Nornalup. Nine o’clock start time was decided to slot in morning tea at Nornalup.

The group paddled up the Inlet to Nornalup, fishing and surfing. Paul’s sail known as “the cone”, caught a gust of wind and he was in full flight. Unfortunately the wind dropped off and Paul’s sail fell over his head, enveloping him in a “cone of silence”. This was witnessed by many, as he was by now 100 meters in front. “Is he alright?” a passing boater inquired, not quite sure what he was seeing, a white cone with black arms paddling furiously. “I was back winded.” said Paul later that night, unperturbed by all the ribbing. Wayne darkly commented “That paddle was like paddling in wet cement.”

After 8 km of heavy paddling the Nornalup Boat ramp and beckoning tea rooms were a welcome stop. Steve, Leonie, Di joined in the 4.5 km River paddle . Caroline stayed on the river bank, sketching the magnificent trees.

We paddled gently upstream bathed in sunlight ,along the convoluted, placid waters, bordered by hills of tall tingle and gums. Beautiful country, as the plaque at Monastery Landing proclaimed. James Mitchell declared the land along the river an A Class Reserve. But Rod and Paul had seen enough tall trees after only 500 meters. “We were looking for some bump and scrape”… pardon?? Rod subsequently became comatose and fell behind out of sight. All worried about him and Jim turned back to find him . There he was, half a km down river, asleep at the paddle. Attempting to get Rod to step up the pace, Jim raced off with concentrated paddling strokes but was abruptly stopped by a log collecting him across the chest. Now alert, Rod then assisted Jim.

Tim and Wayne sighted a tiger snake swimming across their bow and headed for the bank to check it out as it rested in the reeds. No one was keen on falling in the river after that. We paddled on, reaching an area where a tree had fallen across, blocking access. Some nimble limbo antics were performed by Jim, Steve and Tim while the hungry paddlers abandoned them and went back to Monastery Landing for lunch. Steep sides prevented ground exits so a system of multilevel valet parking accommodated some of the boats. Seven craft on a 6′ by 6′ jetty was difficult and it ended up with some boats strung together like washing hanging along the bank. The manoeuvre took at least 20 minutes.

Rod and Paul, unable to sit and wait for their turn to tie up, went back to Nornalup boat ramp. Rod was in for a surprise which Caroline could see happening but could not prevent, choosing instead to take note of the various colours of the women’s saris. Rod said, “We positioned ourselves for a calm exit and were rudely startled by a reverse attack of Indians in a Canadian canoe, Paul almost being t-boned”.

Wayne was having his own close contact with some tourists in another boat. “Ver are not frum round zees parts. Tell us pleese “Is zis ze Franklin River?” “Yes”, Wayne “ But you must keep between the red and green markers”. He was greeted by blank stares. He tried speaking in French but their French was not as good as Wayne’s. He resorted to hand signals. Later that night, when quizzed about the couple, Wayne had a vague idea of what the fellow looked like but was able to give a detailed description of the blond, blue eyed frauline. This would explain why he spent so much time trying to explain river etiquette.

After another coffee break at the tearooms, all the men raced down river to the river mouth. “I shall Hoon down the river”, boasted Tim. ”I shall zip by you all”, said Paul. A flurry of kite, sails and the cone and they were off for home.

It is significant to note that the 2 senior citizens in the group flogged them all (and are also entitled to free public transport now!). “We re-grouped at the river mouth for the paddle across the estuary, a 12 to 15 knot wind behind us, low choppy seas running in front”. Tim helped Jim to get the kite flying and Steve rafted up with Jim to make use of the pulling power. Tim collected 2 cling-ons, Rod and Wayne to take advantage of the sail but Paul, unassisted, inside his cone of silence, powered forward stealthily gaining on Alan who was under paddle power.

When the cling-ons broke free it was a mad scramble to the beach, but no one was going faster than the waves. There was no cheer squad to greet them. The wild conditions had driven Di, Caroline and Leonie back to the comfort of the campfire.

On Monday as the group broke camp the weather was glorious, the inlet waters flat glassy blue, no wind, perfect conditions for a great overnight sea kayak excursion.
HEY! COME BACK!!!

Monastery landing.

Getting ready to head out of the inlet.

Wayne at the inlet mouth.

A quick lunch before heading out.

Glen on the return.

Wayne going out for a look in 15kt plus winds.

Wayne and Paul on Shelly beach taking a wind reading.

Tiger snake we saw swimming across the river.

Wayne and Rod (bored) in the Frankland river.

Rod Coogan

They go to the Penrith White Water Stadium in Sydney.

What a great idea, couldn’t wait to get there! Our group members were Rod Walker, Dave Stuart and SKC members Martin Burgoyne and myself.

Day-1: Wednesday, 3 December 2008.
Getting there:

It was a very quick and bleary eyed rise at 4.00am to catch the 6.00am flight. Fortunately I was able to stay over at Martin and Val’s the night before saving me an even earlier rise from Mandurah.

Airport check-in was surprisingly effortless considering we all had our own boats and paddling gear. There were a few nervous thoughts about excess baggage fees but we got through check-in without incident.

Once landed we very quickly collected our gear, carrying our boats through the airport terminal and to the building across the road to pick up our rental car. Martin had included roof racks in his paddle bag which we fixed to the car carry bars with 100MPH tape. This presented our first challenge- couldn’t drive the car out with all four boats on top. However, after a reconnoiter and discussion we concluded the car could driven out with two kayaks on top provided we avoided low height RJS supports and steered a ‘cross country course’ through vacant parking bays to the building’s entrance. We then had to raise the entrance car height bar to get out. The remaining two boats we quickly mounted in the street just as a parking officer approached. Lucky escape! The journey to Penrith reminded me just how close and fast Sydney traffic is. I’ll not complain about Perth traffic again.

With an hour remaining before the Stadium closed we decided to get there and ‘run it’. WOW! What a first run! Absolutely fantastic, challenging and quite tricky in particular spots. It certainly whetted our appetites for the coming days’ paddling.

En-route to our bunk house accommodation we shopped for food and beverage supplies. Our accommodation was located at the rear of a B&B enterprise surrounded by an open lawned area and fruit trees. The bunk house contained eight double bunks with a small living area, TV& DVD, bathroom and a very well stocked kitchen thanks to numerous previous occupants. It looks to be a favourite with paddlers being less than three kilometres from the white water stadium.

Dinner was a delicious chicken and vegetable stir-fry prepared by Chef Rod C. and Sous Chef Martin. Unfortunately a kayak DVD playing momentarily distracted the Chef and Sous Chef that resulted in ‘sunburnt’ broccoli rosettes and soggy noodles. Fortunately the onset of fatigue, the result of a very long day, together with lashing of stir-fry sauce saved our culinary reputations. All slept soundly that night.

Day-2: Thursday,
Being there:

We rose sharply at 8.30am, enjoyed an alfresco brekky under our front verandah and packed lunch supplies for the day. This would be the pattern for the remainder of our stay.

The Penrith venue is impressive with café and catering service, usual shower and change rooms, boat shed and storage racks, beach volleyball court together with landscaped and elevated lawn viewing/ picnic areas. The water course is described as solid Grade 3 and the pumps move water at a speed that will fill a 50m Olympic size swimming pool in 55 seconds. The course rapids are basically concrete walls of varying heights that protrude into the water course. The nature of rapids and therefore degree of difficulty is altered by the addition of 30cm diameter plastic bollards to the ends of the protruding concrete walls. Some rapids have 1-2 bollard extensions, others up to 5 extensions in place. Other rapid features are created placing concrete blocks of varying shapes and height on the course bed. The sloping face of rapids appear to have submerged ‘steel like plates’ beneath them and in some cases the water flowing over them can be quite shallow.

The number of raft bookings governs water flow times. There is not sufficient revenue generated from individual paddlers to justify longer flow times. Rafting sessions today were 10.30am to noon and 2.30 to 4.00pm. Two, one and a half hour sessions seemed a little short, however we soon discovered that after two circuits of park and play kayaking a rest break is ‘sorely’ needed.

There are some very tricky and challenging features that tested our individual skills. All except Rod W. took an unscheduled swim. I would say one of our number more than the others- ahh hmm.
Some tricky features were very strong eddy currents, small waves and rapids with unexpected grip enough to capsize those not paying attention, some funny water, the ‘First Drop’ and next three rapids if you were not paddling or bracing enough to break through and ‘Knuckles’ where some of us lost skin. It is a good idea to wear gloves which we did. The concrete sides and bottom can leave you with lacerations and skin removed from knuckles and knees.

Dinner tonight was a mouth watering spaghetti bolognaise prepared by Chef Rod W. followed by a DVD viewing. The DVD was significant because it was the very first white water kayak horror movie made. The plot and dialogue was at best terrible but the paddling action was breathtaking, performed by paddlers who I’m sure had a death wish.

Day-3: Friday,
A big day:

The raft session times today were 9.00am to 3.30pm. We paddled all day until good sense dictated (read sore muscles and tired bodies) that we stop. Most every circuit I paddled today I discovered another course feature that required a measure of paddling respect.
Before dinner we cut down our paddling gear to a bare minimum to reduce the amount of wet gear to be dried before flying home tomorrow.

Dinner tonight was a role reversal from Day-1. This time Chef Martin and Sous Chef Rod C. created a very sumptuous pork and vegetable stir-fry without any sunburnt ingredients or sogginess.

Day-4: Saturday,
The last day:

Following breakfast we prepared for our last paddle and packed what we could for the return flight home. This morning the stadium was packed. Competitive Time Trials were being held with spectators, slalom kayaks, rafts, officials, competitors and rafters everywhere. After paddling one circuit we agreed it was too busy and decided to call it a day.

The weather was sunny so wet gear was laid out to dry on bollards, pavement and trees. We wanted to reduce the chance of excess weight from sodden gear. By the time we had showered and loaded the boats onto the car our gear was near dry.

The journey in weekend Sydney traffic was tedious. Again we had no problems with airline check-in. The return flight was about 4 hours and was particularly numbing.

In spite of skinned knuckles, a lacerated knee, sore muscles and gouges to my helmet this is a trip I will definitely do again.

An excellent venue and great company.

The ‘Finish Pool’ where rafters launch to the conveyor.– photo Rod Coogan

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The Start Pool at low tide – photo Rod Coogan

The Start Pool at full capacity – photo Rod Coogan

Conveyor exit into the ‘Start Pool’ directly above ‘First Drop’. – photo Rod Coogan

Rod W. boofs as Martin attacks ‘First Drop’. – photo Rod Coogan

Dave surfs the rapid above ‘Main Wave’. – photo Rod Coogan

Martin surfs the rapid above ‘Main Wave’. – photo Rod Coogan

Martin breaks-out at ‘Main Wave’.– photo Rod Coogan

Looking toward ‘The Deep Fryer’, ‘Last Drop’ and the ‘Finish Pool’.– photo Rod Coogan

Judy Blight (Photos by Rod Feldtmann)

This year, as I was going to travel on the last voyage of the QE2 from Southampton to New York I decided that I was not going to waste the opportunity and so of course I went sea kayaking in the islands around Greece.

I did spend 10 days in Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea once again with Pavlos and Yvonne who run Monte-Nero Activities. It was a sensational experience but you can read about it in my article I wrote last year.

This year I visited the island of Milos in the Aegean Sea. It is the most southwesterly of the Cycladic group and lies about halfway between Athens and the island of Crete. It is about 20km long, in an east west direction and about 10 to 15km north-south. Its most famous export is the Venus De Milo, a 4th century BC statue of Aphrodite. On this island lives Rod Feldtmann, an Aussie who runs the only other commercial company in Greece (Sea Kayak Milos). He went there as a geologist and ended up marrying Petrinela, who is a local girl. She runs the bed and breakfast in Triovasalos and he the kayaking side. He is a great teacher and is a 5 star British canoe Union paddler and 4 star coach with a dry Aussie humour.

This island has been shaped by millions of years of volcanic activity so it has soaring cliffs and magical caves. The superb villages with the typical blue and white architecture look spectacular perched on the clifftops. It is also great because it is not as touristy as other Greek Islands and is an island where Greeks go for their holidays and tends to not have the pushy frenetic pace of the popular islands. It is untouched by hotel chains and package tourism and the authentic local culture has been preserved. There are plenty of interesting ancient ruins to explore on the days off from paddling.

I actually stayed in the guest house run by Rod’s wife and family (at 30 Euro it was cheaper than anywhere else in Greece) and each day we would be driven to a different place to paddle. If it was too windy on one side of the island he would take us to a place out of the wind on the other side. In the evenings it was just a walk up the hill to the Plaka and the many restaurants where we enjoyed the Greek beer, Mythos.

On one of our day trips we met up with Hadas Feldman, an Israeli Instructor and world kayak adventurer who has kayaked with Justine Curgenvan and appeared in This is the Sea DVD. She was circumnavigating the island with a group from Israel. They did it in a week so it is not a really big island. This was travelling leisurely and spending time exploring and having free days to explore the 70 or so beaches. Rod hires kayaks so it is possible to go off on your own with a group.

The most spectacular place to paddle was Kleftico. The coastline on the way is interesting as you creep along exploring all the nooks and crannies. Suddenly, the sea arches come into view and you realize this is some place special. Rod always encourages paddlers to try different things and some had fun jumping off some cliffs into the water.

The kayak I used was a plastic Rainbow Laser made in Italy without a rudder which was very easy to use except in a beam wind on one of the days. In fact when I paddled around Statue of Liberty in New York I also used a rudderless and skegless kayak which I found difficult to control on the return home to the Manhattan Sea Kayak Club with a following sea. I usually like a following sea but without the rudder and skeg I found the boat slipped onto its side. I guess it didn’t help not being able to fit my knees under the coaming! The other boat I used in Kefalonia was a Prion which was easy to use and had the option of a rudder.

Milos can be reached by fast ferry or by plane and both are about the same cost of 40 Euro. Perhaps the slow ferry is a bit cheaper.

All photos by Rod Feldtmann

Rod Coogan

The C2C is the iconic paddle for sea kayakers. The seed for this adventure was sown in 2006 when Wayne Stocker and I completed the paddle with the thought it might provide an incentive to other motivated members to further hone their paddle and group management skills.

The members for the inaugural paddle were Jim Bramley (experienced Sea Skills), Kelvin Lewis (Advanced Sea Skills), Dave Oakley (experienced Sea Skills), Rod Coogan (Instructor) and Di Bramley (experienced on-shore support).

The paddle commences rounding Cape Leeuwin, then passes Cape Hamelin, Cape Freycinet, Cape Mentelle, Cape Clairault, Cape Naturaliste together with numerous other features and surf breaks, most with ‘terminal’ sounding names.

Weather conditions are a significant part when planning any ocean paddle, particularly the C2C as there are few safe landing spots in big conditions. Referring to BOM Wind Roses, February and March are prime times in relation to winds. The weather pattern being hoped for was a minimum of four highs of about 1030 hPa migrating toward southern WA from south of South Africa. The highs at this strength are strong enough to keep the low pressure systems down south toward Antarctica. At 1.00pm, 8 March that’s exactly what we had!

All members arrived at Turner’s Caravan Park, Augusta at varying times Sunday afternoon. After erecting tents and a cuppa, the remainder of the day was taken up with trip discussions and a late evening visit to the launch site.Everything looked good for a Monday launch.

Day 1- Monday, 10 March 2008.
Destination: Hamelin Bay, actual: as planned. Distance: 24km
Weather: E/SE winds 15-20 knots tending S/SE 20-25 knots during the afternoon. Seas to 2.0m, swell to 2.5m.

The paddle rounding Cape Leeuwin can be a spooky experience. Big swells from the SE/ SW and the point where they both meet, crashing surf that sounds like a steam train with plenty of rock, reef and bombies to keep you on your toes. Alan Hale joined us at the launch and paddled to the ‘water wheel’ before returning. Seas were of a lumpy moderate swell that allowed us to sail most of the way to a lunch stop at Cosy Corner. Enroute Dave saw a school of dolphins surfing about and I really enjoyed using my new sail which I’d previously tested at the Jurien weekend. On arrival at Hamelin Bay we were greeted by the resident three sting rays who were cruising the shallows. Di was already there with the Bramley camper set up – lucky boy that Jim!

Day 2- Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Destination: Conto’s/ Bob’s Beach, actual: Kilcarnup. Distance: 33km
Weather: E/SE winds 13-18 knots tending 18-23 knots during afternoon. Seas 1.5m, swell 2.5m.

Launched this morning in good conditions toward North Point where we paddled amongst the rocks and boulders. Passing North Point, Jim decided to do some trolling. Cast his line but the only thing he caught was his sail!

Lunch stop was around the surging surf of Cape Freycinet into the lee of Conto’s Springs. Rounding the Cape Kelvin was paddling close in shore but a safe distance from surging surf on rocks. However, as he passed around ‘a corner’ so to speak, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was swept up onto rocks. Kelvin rolled three times but was immediately wiped out each time because he was in a hole formed by surging current and submerged rocks. He was out- Jim was in very quickly to attach a tow line and pull Kelvin’s boat to less turbulent waters. I picked up Kelvin on my bow and returned him to his boat. Damage was minor with small gouges to bow, stern and helmet, slight abrasion to his shoulder and a torn cag. Just as well he was wearing his helmet. We had lunch in the lee of Conto’s with great views all around.

Leaving Conto’s, Dave was paddling closer to shore toward Marmaduke Point where he was nearly caught in shallow waters with dangerously large breakers coming in. As you will read later in this article there is a worrying connection between Dave, shallow water and big breaking waves. At this point we paddled about 1km out to sea just to be sure of no more surprises. We by-passed cappuccino at Gnarabut because it was just too big to get in safely. Jim, the coffee magnet, was disappointed, however within a few kilometres he was about to make a starring splash!.

Approaching Cape Mentelle we were paddling in large cresting swells when an unexpected set rolled in. “Wave” was yelled and we all headed seaward managing to miss the break. Jim was not so lucky. He was trapped, braced the first breaker, thumped and capsized by the second. Jim’s first roll attempt failed because the turbulent aerated waters provided no support. By this time the third wave was just about on him when he successfully rolled and managed to sprint paddle just beyond its clutches. Dave, Kelvin and I were relieved, Jim probably was too.

The path into Kilcarnup had us paddling 3 metre faces in through the surf break and around the reef. Because of high tide and strong winds there was just enough space between rocks to camp.

Day 3- Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Destination: Cowaramup Bay, actual: Canal Rocks. Distance: 33km.
Weather: S/ SW 15-20 knots, Sea 1.2m, Swell 4.0m

The launch from Kilcarnup was highlighted by a pod of surfing dolphins. What a great sight to start to a big swell day. A short distance out, Dave said he felt he had been bitten by something. There was a very red lumpy rash on the inside of his elbow. Most likely an insect or spider had crawled into his paddling top the previous night. The stinging slowly subsided with no further problems.

The 10km paddle to Cowaramup Bay (Gracetown) was in building conditions and surfers were out in force. We had to paddle a wide arc around South Point to dodge some very intimidating surf. At Gracetown and headed directly for the General Store for a well earned early lunch. That consisted of juice, coffee, pies and pasties. We were hungry, to our surprise, Dave ignored the lettuce leaves and carrot sticks to woof down a vegetable pastie. This was a big day in more ways than one!

It was 18km to Cape Clairault (Injidup) and we paddled this section with one eye ahead and the other firmly out to sea. The swells were big and the surf breaks pumping. It was impossible to miss Moses Rock. The splash of the breaking waves reached to the cliff horizon. It was huge and thankfully we were a safe distance from it. However, just around the corner was the shore break at Injidup. As with entering Cowaramup Bay we had to paddle a wide arc again around Cape Clairault to avoid the huge surf breaks.

The beach at Injidup Point is steep and was nothing as I remembered. The beach was completely covered with surging water to the base of the sand dunes and vegetation. There was a very intimidating shore break that dumped directly on beach sand. The decision was to land and discuss options and to rendezvous with Di Bramley. Adrenalin was pumping as we approached that dumping shore break. Individually we waited for the lull between sets then quickly and cautiously paddled in, stopping in near knee deep water to let dumpers pass under us and paddle in on their backs to be swept up the beach with the surge. Unfortunately this is where Dave, big swells and shallow water come into play. Dave had paddled into position, to let a swell pass under him. Problem was that swell just kept getting bigger and bigger and within a second he was trapped. It looked as though he had a tonne of water land directly on top of him.

Still in his boat, he braced, was crunched and appeared to have his kayak swept over him in only centimetres of water. It was a very disturbing sight. We instantly lunged for his boat as he was being rapidly sucked out into the path of the next dumper. Dave emerged from his boat in true James Bond style “shaken but not stirred”. By this time Di had joined us to advise the whole beach was being pounded by huge dumpers and of 35 knot NW winds tomorrow. Decision time: it was late in the afternoon, no satisfactory tent sites, exposed beach, conditions visibly building and discomfort guaranteed.

A radio call to ACRAM confirmed winds and a strong wind warning issued. The decision – launch (through that shore break) and paddle 5km to the safety of Canal Rocks – quickly. The launch order would be Kelvin, Rod, Dave and Jim. Kelvin lined up on the steep beach with the rest of us ready to push him off. The lull came, he was off and out successfully. This pattern was followed for all launches however for Jim, he only had one remaining person to assist him – Di. They had to wait at least 10 minutes for a lull between the huge curling dumpers, and then it was one big push to get Jim clear.

Dave and I held station off the beach waiting for Jim to launch. A two metre wave caught us by surprise; we turned and paddled at it. The wave broke directly onto our bows and we disappeared in the soup, and fortunately came out the other side still upright. It was a hasty paddle to Canal Rocks.

Di was waiting for us when we arrived. In big swell and wind, Canal Rocks is really a spectacular sight. We shuttled boats and wet gear to the Caves Road Caravan Park for a layover day.

Day 4- Thursday, 13 March 2008
Destination: Injidup Point, Cape Clairault, actual: Bad weather, layover day at Yallingup.Weather: NW winds 39 knots, sea 3.0m, swell 4.5m

Warm showers, tent site with no sand, picnic tables at hand, cappuccino and the best egg burger ever not far away, sleep in and the Bramley camper nearby. We did enjoy the day off. Checked, cleaned and dried gear ready for launch tomorrow. Went to a viewing point overlooking Smiths Beach and Yallingup- there’s no way anyone would want to be out there today. The forecast for Friday was looking good.

Day 5- Friday, 14 March 2008
Destination: Bunker Bay, actual: as planned. Distance: 21km. No stops. Weather: E tending N at 11 knots, sea 1.5m, swell 4.0m.

We returned to Canal Rocks to continue in good weather and large swells. The main highlights being the approach to Sugarloaf and rounding Cape Naturaliste. The breaking waves at Sugarloaf were pumping so we kept a wide path of them and the three bears surf break nearby. I did not want any mishaps on our last day. Rounding Cape Naturaliste was in high and sometimes tricky swell conditions. Once past Naturaliste we paddled to avoid bombies and reef on the approach to Bunker Bay. The landing at Bunkers was text book and as usual Di was there to greet us.

Conclusion

I was fortunate to lead a group of very experienced paddlers who have the ability to apply their skills instinctively. If you want to pick up good information then make sure you paddle with Dave, Di, Kelvin or Jim sometime.

The C2C is a great adventure for the experienced and prepared paddler. I believe this is a trip should be scheduled once a year specifically for those paddlers who are prepared to continue improving their skills and build upon their bank of experience.

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Diane farewelling Dave at Cape Leeuwin – photo Rose Hale

Cape Leeuwin, paddlers just visible top left – photo Rose Hale

Rod approaches Cosy Corner – photo Kelvin Lewis

Jim and Kelvin entering North Point – photo Rod Coogan

Indijup Point shore break – it was nasty! – photo Rod Coogan

Jim approaches Sugarloaf in 4m swells – photo Rod Coogan

Dave Oakley, Jim Bramley, Rod Coogan and Kelvin Lewis – photo Di Bramley

Things observed, things to improve
& just plain things ……..

The following points and suggestions come from the inaugural paddling team over coffee (lay-over) Thursday at the Caves Road Camping Ground.

The list is not definitive and is in random order.

• Know your self-rescue and assisted rescue techniques so you can apply them instinctively. Everyone on this trip could and did!
• A hands free bilge pump is compulsory plus back-up method/s.
• A correct fitting helmet is compulsory. If in doubt, ask Kelvin. His saved him from injury.
• Understand group dynamics. They change with conditions and from day to day.
• Jim’s camp chair is a hazard! It spontaneously collapses.
• Carry a repair kit for your boat, tent and sail.
• Bring only known, tested equipment. If it’s new and not tested, don’t bring it!
• This trip is for paddle fit and experienced self reliant paddlers.
• Each paddler must be aware they are responsible for their own safety and must not be dependent on other group members putting themselves at risk.
• The group will always assist however, only when it is safe to do so.
• Don’t let Dave near big waves and shallow water!!
• A bomb proof roll in a loaded boat is compulsory. Screw preferred, Pawlata satisfactory.
• Trip Grade: Sea Skills plus meaningful ocean paddling experience.
• Satellite phone essential with minimum two VHF radios and spare batteries.
• Following discussion, the leader has final say in relation to group safety. There were no problems on this trip.
• Sailing experience in 15-20 knot winds and paddling following seas over 20 knots.
• Update weather reports daily. We nearly got caught!
• Be prepared to change plans at any time- we had too late in the day at Injidup beach.
• Stick to the agreed communication plan with support vehicle. To our embarrassment, we didn’t!
• Don’t trust ‘text messages’ as being received unless they are replied too. Happened to us!
• Boats with skegs only. Hmmm the jury is still out on that one!.
• The General Store at Gracetown is a great place for an early lunch! Even Dave enjoyed a vege pastie in place of his usual celery sticks and lettuce leaves.
• Organizing brekkies, lunches & dinners in daily plastic bags seemed to work well. ie: daily brekkie bags all stored in a dedicated brekkie dry bag.
• A mixed group of paddlers and sail assisted paddlers might create group speed problems.
• Exercise care toward the end of your paddling day- that’s when ‘things’ are more likely to happen!
• On this trip it is important that everyone paddles at the same speed.
• Having a support vehicle in case of evacuation is a very good idea.
• Consider double bagging important items eg: spare warm clothing.
• Take a small container of Vaseline for chafing. It has other uses!
• Surf landings and launchings to high standard of proficiency in heavy conditions.
• Minimize deck clutter: eg- Forward Deck- Deck Bag stowing an easily assessable 15m tow line, and usual sail rig. Rear Deck: Break down paddle.

Russ Hobbs

The 2008 trip to Dampier, led by Phil Evans, was a great success. The weather was kind and we all saw heaps of wildlife. Even better was the company, with a highlight being great conversation around the dinner patch. Below is a selection of photographs. The full trip report can be found in the Newsletter (see Issue 71 WA Seakayaker).

Briefing the night before the launch– photo Steve Foreman

Alan at the the ore pier – photo Tim Hale

The dash to get away from civilization – photo Martin Burgoyne

Has Helen forgotton her kayak?– photo Martin Burgoyne

Sea eagle on Burrup Peninsula – photo Alan Hale

Morning briefing at Burrup, day 2 – photo Alan Hale

Phil and Russ in the mangroves at Dolphin Island – photo Steve

Sunrise at Tozer Island camp – photo Russ Hobbs

Turtle in shallow passage NW Gidley – photo Tim Hale

SE corner of Gidley Island – photo Steve Foreman

Alan in Flying Foam Passage – photo Helen Cooksey

Crossing Mermaid Sound to Malus Island – photo Tim Hale

Malus Island camp– photo Helen Cooksey

Malus Island camp – photo Russ Hobbs

Tim under the cliffs at Malus Island – photo Helen Cooksey

Tim in whaler’s cauldron from 1870s – photo Steve Foreman

Alan rounding rock stack at Malus Island – photo Steve Foreman

Manta ray at Malus Island – photo Martin Burgoyne

Coral reef near Boiler Rock – photo Steve Foreman

The view from Sam’s castle– photo Tim Hale

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Packing up ready for launching at Dampier – photo Russ Hobbs

Kevin at the iron ore pier at Dampier – photo Martin Burgoyne

Tea break across from gas terminal – photo Helen Cooksey

Short break on Burrup Peninsula – photo Alan Hale

Late afternoon at first camp, Burrup – photo Russ Hobbs

Aboriginal rock art on Dolphin Island – photo Steve Foreman

Tim had the only catch of the day – photo Steve Foreman

Helen sailing down shallow passage NW of Gidley – photo Steve

Steve on western side of Gidley Island – photo Tim Hale

Paddling back into Flying Foam Passage from Gidley – photo Steve

Helen at Angel Island – photo Martin?

Judy sailing across Mermaid Sound > – photo Martin Burgoyne

Desert pea (Wildampia formosa) at Malus – photo Russ Hobbs

Martin’s view of the world at sunrise– photo Martin Burgoyne

Whaler’s Bay Malus Island – photo Steve Foreman

Phil rounding rock stack at Malus Island – photo Martin Burgoyne

Manta rays at Malus Island – photo Martin Burgoyne

The whole crew at Malus Island – photo Russ Hobbs

Phil, Tim, Roz and Helen at Sam’s island – photo Steve Foreman

The girls at Sam’s castle – photo Martin Burgoyne

Rod Coogan

I look forward to the Club’s Jurien Bay long weekend trip because something always happens that makes that particular year’s trip different from others. This year was no exception.

Steve and I arrived at Jurien about 7.30pm and headed straight to the pub for a meal. John Radovich (aka: Rado), Paul Cooper and Alan Hale (aka: Al) had arrived earlier and were set up for a good night’s rest. Regrettably the Poms next door (actually Scots) were not. They were determined to enjoy themselves into the wee hours of the morning. Paul, a very patient person threw the towel in at 12.30am and spoke to them “ ^*&##*!!!”.
They very promptly apologised and as promptly continued on their partying way. This finally ceased at 2.30am.

Saturday, 1 March:
Forecast- S/SE winds 13-18 knots during morning turning SW 15- 20 knots for the afternoon.
Aim: To Boullanger Island, Western Reef area, Escape Island and camp Hill River.

Following brekky and strictly observing “Gentleman’s Hours” we promptly launched at 9.30am. We all loosened up paddling to Boullanger where we explored its embayments and Western Reef area. Al and Steve had a quick surf on the reef area, where Al was hit and capsized. That didn’t look good but he did finish off with a successful roll. With winds forecast to 20 knots, we were determined to land at Escape Island. We paddled to the exposed southern end of Escape to find a small landable beach, but with conditions building all agreed a launch from that spot might be tricky business. We promptly paddled to the northern lee side where a safe sandy beach was found for a lunch stop. Following lunch and a brief surf and play it was off to Hill River for the night’s camp. Conditions were ideal with very clear warm water, blue skies and a 12knot beam wind.
About 2km south of Escape we did some practise rescue drills, rolling and assisted re-entry. The thought being always practise in waters and conditions you are likely to paddle in. Loaded boats were successfully rolled; indeed Paul embarrassed us all making his roll look too easy!. Steve opted for a wet exit which gave us the opportunity to practise emptying the flooded cockpit of a loaded boat. It took two support boats to accomplish the task. It was hard work but good practise.

By this time the day’s temperature was high which prompted Rado to suggest camping in the treed beach area opposite Essex Rocks because there would be no shade at Hill River. We immediately altered course.

Once tents were pitched everyone retired to the shade for a cuppa, nibbles and stories that included the usual exaggerations. The company was excellent, the shade very welcome. The occasional bull ants not so welcome! Everyone slept soundly, which was just as well with what was to follow the next night.

Sunday, 2 March:
Forecast- Strong Wind Warning, SE winds 18- 23 knots turning SW 20-30 knots for the afternoon.
Aim: To Essex Rock, Boullanger Island, Favourite Island and camp North Head.

With conditions building and Essex Rocks only 4km away, we set off in manageable wind and wave. We paddled an off-set course allowing for wind and about 3km out we stopped to assist Steve who was having trouble with his foot rest. Paul and I supported his boat while he put his head down to make adjustments. I take my hat off to anyone who can do that in a bumpy sea and not throw-up!

The approach to Essex Rocks is interesting because there is a rock formation that resembles a submarine wreck. You will paddle to within 50 metres before realising what it actually is! Have a close look at the photos to find the ‘finger’ rock directly behind the ‘submarine wreck’. It conveys an interesting message from Mother Nature.

Essex Rocks rewarded us with 1.5m breakers, picturesque reef conditions, good surf rides and a very swift current running about the reef to practise in. Steve took a tumble in the current that runs over reef in very shallow water.

He failed to rol l- something to do with his helmeted head bouncing along the reef bottom. Holding his boat in one hand and my bow in the other, we drifted into less turbulent waters where a text book bow rescue was executed.

With the thought of strong afternoon winds we headed to the northern end of Essex Rocks for a rest stop before tackling the short but menacing passage to the safety of Boullanger Island.

Al was in the lead and paddled around to the lee side of Essex to be greeted by over 20 of the friendliest seals you have ever met. Without doubt the best ‘seal reception’ ever!! These guys swam close-in around boats, bumped into boats, mouthed paddle blades and just plain skylarked all over the place. Mind you we did not lose sight of the two BIG boys on the beach. On top of all that we also practised bracing into beam surf and some play ourselves. It was hard to leave our new mates but the thought of strong afternoon winds prompted our departure.

The passage to Boullanger is only 1.5km but we had to dodge ‘steam train surf’ all the way. I recall looking to my seaward side to see Paul brace into a cresting wave. Approaching Boullanger, Rado was surfing, took a tumble and rolled up that fast I wasn’t sure he capsized in the first place!

We all enjoyed the lunch stop at Boullanger.

The paddle to Favourite Island was as predicted with a strong following sea. The route past Boiler and Harper Reefs was thankfully restricted to large lumpy swells. Al demonstrated good boat control in these conditions with his ‘packed high rise’ stern, together with no rudder or skeg.

Once landed at Favourite Island the wind was over 20 knots and strengthening. A radio call to Jurien Sea Rescue confirmed SW winds 20- 30 knots and strong wind warning issued. Monday’s weather being SE/SW 15-20 knots early morning rising to 20-30 knots later that morning .. … What to do!!

After discussing options and consequences, the group decided to camp overnight on Favourite. Jurien Sea Rescue were advised and we started looking for sheltered tent sites. A task easier said than done!!

The island is basically elevated rock about 250 metres length with a very exposed undulating top littered with deserted bird nests, patchy low scrub and some very nasty ‘blow holes’ in the making. A fall into one of those would result in serious injury. There is a large tidal sand spit at the eastern end of the island. We camped in different possies on the sand spit at the base of the island rock. The wind was now really strong with sand blowing and swirling from every direction. Boats were pulled up as high and dry as possible and we settled in for the night watching the tidal surge form mini lakes in front of us. One surge got to 2.5 metres from a tent.

No one slept well – the partying Scots at the caravan park we thought were bad enough but were no comparison to the noise the birds on Favourite made ALL night long and to the continual sand blasting we took.

Monday, 3 March:
Forecast- SE/SW 15-20 knots early morning, SW 20-30 knots later morning.
Aim: Get home!

Word was out and travelled through the camp like wildfire- “We sail at dawn”. If we were to get off the island we had to take advantage of the morning forecast winds. Everyone was up and packing at 5.00am. We were under way before dawn and luckily for us the wind had died back making for an easy paddle back.

Once on terra-firma, Al and Paul headed for the showers while Rado, Steve and I made for the beach café for breakfast. Ahh, the aroma of scrambled eggs and fresh coffee at dawn- excellent!!

Things observed and things learnt:

• Carry a radio and never be hesitant to use it.
• Check your footrests, rudder, back band and other adjustments before every launch.
• Steve’s paddle shoes stink.
• Have another paddler check your boat immediately prior to launch. They may find something you’ve missed.
• Webbing stretches when wet. You may need to allow for that.
• Carefully check hatch covers are seated correctly.
• The seals at Essex Rocks are very social.
• The birds on Favourite Island are very noisy.
• Enjoy the your paddling experience and at times its solitude. But be aware not to paddle too far from the main group. Keep within communicating distance, you may be needed to assist in an emergency.
• Sails are great.
• The practise you do will help yourself and others in an emergency one day.
• Carry a repair kit for your boat and tent.
• Thanks to Al, Paul, Steve and Rado for their contribution that made this a great paddle.

Conclusion:
A terrific Jurien paddle! Good to challenging weather conditions, excellent camaraderie, thrills, spills, rescues and those seals. A trip that had something for everyone. I’ll be there next year!

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Al, Steve, Paul and Rado on Escape Island – photo Rod

Al signals Paul at Essex Rocks – photo Rod

Saturday night camp on mainland opposite Essex Rocks – photo Rod

Paul, Steve and Rado en route to Essex Rocks – photo Rod

Rod at Essex Rocks – photo Rado

Rod and Paul assisting Steve for minor repairs – photo Rado

Al and his mates at Essex Rocks – photo Rod

Camp on Favourite Island – photo Rod

Jurien breakfast – photo anon

Now there was an idea! Why don’t I join Sandy Robson for part of her south coast adventure? She was planning to paddle from Esperance to Augusta or possibly round to Hamelin Bay. It was to be another piece in her quest to circumnavigate Australia. I didn’t really fancy the full trip and living out of a kayak for four weeks, so I suggested going as far as Albany with her. Val would come down and pick me up, and we would then be able to have a short holiday along the south coast. Matt Erkins was also keen to join her though he had decided to do the full trip.

Sandy would be doing the trip anyway, so it was agreed that we would all be self sufficient, which would give us the option of dropping out without upsetting her plans. She had done an immense amount of planning and preparation for it. Her detailed annotated charts, with aerial photographs from Google Earth of all possible landing/camp spots, were exceptional and a real learning point for me. We put together emergency service contact details, enlisted the help of a range of friends for food drops, accommodation, and assistance should we need it, and Sandy arranged to check in with Les Allen every evening. Les had also loaned me a sat phone.

Sandy had convinced Matt and me to fit sails to help with some of the longer sections. It was an aspect I had long thought about, and now in hindsight I wish I had fitted one earlier. It adds a whole new dimension to kayaking!

We had overheating problems with Matt’s car on the way down to Esperance, which made for a longer and slower journey. It knocked a day of the start while he arranged to get it fixed, but it gave us time to log in with the local sea rescue and do some final bits of preparation. We had an early start after a bit of a slog through the camp site with kayaks and all our gear. We rounded Dempster Head and Observatory Point, paddled past the wind farm on the Ocean Drive and the sparkling white sand dunes of Thirteen Mile Beach and arrived mid afternoon at the secluded and sheltered Butty Harbour Bay. It was a superb spot, unfortunately spoilt by a disgusting, litter filled fishing shack. Matt had had a tough day in the big swell as his boat was feeling particularly unstable. His efforts to keep it upright had put a big weal on his side – he was not at all happy and was talking of dropping out.

Voracious mosquitoes gave us an unpleasant time packing up the next morning. We went out round Butty Head’s small off-shore island as the swell through the gap looked rather too large for comfort. The swell and seas were bigger than the previous day and there were a few bombies around to focus the mind, but at least we had a favorable breeze. Sandy and I were able to use our sails, not so Matt who was still really unhappy with the stability of his boat. We were aiming for Quagi Beach which would provide Matt with road access if he did decide to pull out. I had used my pump intermittently all day, but as we approached our destination I was aware of more water splash on my calves. I thought that carrying the large water bag under my legs was acting as a dam, and preventing water that was coming on board getting to the pump. But there was only a couple of kilometers to go so I would look at things once we landed. Sandy overtook me on the last stretch and I struggled to keep up – was I really that tired? Once we landed the reason for my slow speed was obvious – my kayak was full of water. There was water in every hatch, and ‘Yes’, it had also managed to enter all my dry bags. But it was early afternoon and there was a strategically placed slab of warm rock on the beach to dry things out on. Water had also got into the pump’s battery box which had a melt down. Both terminals being totally dissolved in the evil looking liquid dripping out of it!

Matt did decide to pack in, but he still got up with us the next morning to push us off. He eventually managed to engage the help of an eccentric ‘grey nomad’ to get him back to Esperance. I used two spray decks to stem the water flow into my boat that day, and I also made sure the bung was in the pump outlet. I had been most upset to find that the pump didn’t have a one way valve after all!!

The updated morning weather forecast suggested that winds would be favorable, though Sandy did say that she didn’t usually paddle in the forecasted 3 metre swells. So it looked as though it was going to be an interesting 40+ km day!! The wind was good and we were able to use our sails to great effect. Though we both found ourselves turning sharply out to sea as we caught the sight of some larger sets coming in – exciting! As we approached Munglinup it took a little while to decide which of the three possible beaches we should land on. The bombies and swell made it difficult to see which was the safest. But we got in OK to a rather narrow beach which prompted us to move the tents as the tide came in.

Next day would be a shorter paddle to Starvation Bay, so we managed a lie in until 5 am! It was an interesting paddle as the chart said UNSURVEYED. Again the swell was big and there were plenty of bombies to focus the mind. We passed by three uncharted islands some with seals on them, and then landed on the fourth for lunch. It even had a sandy beach, but no room for camping. Our sails helped us make a quick passage to Starvation Bay and an excellent camping spot, that we had to ourselves. It had a large fixed table with benches and a ‘his and hers’ toilet block. This all proved most welcome as in the end we camped here for three nights. With strong S/SW winds, thunder storms, and 3.5 metre swells forecast over the next few days we stayed put! The evening thunder storms were spectacular but started a number of bush fires that we could clearly see.

On the fourth day, and with a semi favorable forecast of light S/SW winds in the morning picking up to 20 -25 knots in the afternoon, we decided on a very early start to try and beat the wind to Hopetoun. We were up at 3.30 am and checked the updated forecast – no change, so we decided to go. The light from my headtorch just managed to pick out the reflective strip on Sandy’s boat as we headed out into the quiet gloom, and around the rocky spur of Powell Point.

It was to be a 46 km paddle with only a slim chance of a landing at Mason Bay if we could get in through the swell. Initially we made good progress going wide round Mason Point to miss the bombies and intermittent breakers – only 31 km to go. Around 9.30 the wind picked up, considerably earlier than expected, and it became slow progress. At 10.30 we talked about going back, but decide to try it a little longer. At 10.45 with 15 km left to go we agreed to turn back. Almost immediately Sandy said my rudder looked funny, and as I turned round to look at it, it fell off! She stowed it under the deck lines and we set off again. But oh dear, I could only do three or four forward strokes before I needed a big stern rudder to lever the boat back on course. My boat was weather cocking badly and no amount of lean helped the steering, what’s more the rudder strokes just about almost stopped me. After 2 hours of this we rounded Mason Point – 12 km to go, but my shoulder was really starting to ache, and progress was now painfully slow. I was tired and really concerned about the consequences of capsizing. Sandy was also getting cold as she was constantly having to wait for me.

A fishing boat a couple of kilometers out caught my eye, and I decided to head for it. Despite constant paddle waving and a call on the radio we got no response. Sandy tried to see if a tow would help me, but not really. While it did pull me back on course with a jerk, a few more strokes from me and we had a couple of metres of slack. Now if I hadn’t paddled at all, it may have kept things tight. But we were almost at the boat, and soon realized why we had been getting no response. It was an abalone boat and they had a diver down. They kindly agreed to take me and my kayak back to Starvation Bay, once they had done for the day. The diver had quite a surprise when he surfaced to a kayak straddling the rear deck. Sandy paddled back to the bay. We shared our dwindling food supplies that evening and discussed the eventful day.

Matt picked me up the next morning, but with favorable easterly winds Sandy had a quick paddle to Hopetoun. We watched her progress along the coast and met up at Hopetoun. We had two more days of unfavorable winds and sat around getting increasingly bored. Sandy and I decided to go for Point Ann on the third day, for what would have been a 57 km paddle. We got up at 3.30 am started to pack, and then listened to the updated weather forecast. Stronger 25 knot tailwinds and 2.5 meter swells were now forecast for the afternoon. There would be no turning back, and landing could be exciting to say the least. There were bush fires in Fitzgerald National Park so no vehicle access was allowed and we just might be stranded there. So we decided to go back to bed.

Matt and I came home. We dropped Sandy off at Bremer Bay, where she progressed down as far as Riche Point before getting a lift to Albany. After a few days R&R in Albany she set off westward again.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Sandy under sail around Shoal Cape – photo Martin Burgoyne

Bushfire near Munglinup – photo Martin Burgoyne

Sandy on uncharted island west of Powell Point – photo Martin Burgoyne

Learning Points

• Laminate and annotate your charts, and topographical maps into manageable A4 double sided sheets. Include Google Earth aerial pictures of landing spots round the edge.
• Mosquitoes are voracious at 4.00 am and are attracted to head torches.
• Get into paddling gear in your tent
• Eat early morning breakfasts in your tent
• Pack as many bags as possible in your tent
• Put insect repellant on all exposed skin
• Turn off head torch to dismantle your tent and to do the last bit of packing.
• I don’t like pre-dawn starts.
• Locktite or superglue rudder pins, which may just come undone. Check each others so you know how they fit together in case you have to put one back in an emergency.
• Paddling without a rudder with a strong following wind blowing over a rear quarter is difficult. Counteracting weather cocking is extremely tiring, and puts a lot of pressure on one set of muscles.
• Towing in a following wind, when the kayak being towed is weather cocking is not productive.
• Remember most electric water pumps don’t have a one way valve. Make sure you keep the bung in, even if the outlet is well above water.
• Double dry bag any electrical gear.
• Include spare food for days when you maybe weather bound, and then add at least another day’s rations.
• Consider cutting down on the water carried in bags by taking some foods which are already hydrated.
• Water carried in smaller bags makes it easier to distribute weight around your boat as the load decreases.
• Think carefully about what you put in your day hatch. Practice getting into it. Are you able to get at and put on extra clothes if it’s cold, or take off and store clothes if it is too hot?
• A sail on your kayak really adds to the pleasure of kayaking. It adds interest, increases speed, and reduces effort.
• Not all fishing boats monitor their radios.
• A 90 degree feather on a paddle really increases headway when paddling in to the wind.
• The southern ocean has BIG swells!

Judy Blight

I was lucky enough to have a friend who, after selling his house for quite a lot of money decided to shout half a dozen friends the air fare to any destination in the world. Where would I go? The Arctic had always interested me but I felt the cost of that trip might end our friendship. I had paddled in Canada last year so for a change in continent I chose Greece. I had always been interested in Greek Mythology and the return journey of Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca had stayed in my imagination-so a sea kayak trip in that area was one of my choices. I went on the web and found a group called Monte-Nero activities and proceeded to look for a trip in the Ionian group of Islands. I settled on the trip around part of Kefallonia and the island of Ithaca or Ithaki. First time in an area it’s often best to go with a company as you learn the pitfalls and rules associated with paddling in that area and also how easy it is to camp or to hire kayaks.
The other trip that interested me was the trip in the Aegean Sea from the island of Milos to Santorini. The trip is for more experienced kayakers like us as it has 20 km. Crossings and at time it can have very strong winds. Having only recently paddled at Dirk Hartog with 3 consecutive big wind days I elected the more protected area in the Ionian Islands.

I am not going to give a day to day description but can definitely describe it as one of the greatest holidays I have ever had. The weather was hot, the sea was brilliant blue and perfect for swimming and snorkelling, the trip leader was friendly and professional and the fellow paddlers younger than me (not difficult) and wonderful company. A husband and wife from Denmark, a German fellow and a Swiss German guy. Fortunately, we all shared a love of beer, wine and good food.

We visited small fishing harbours and stayed in small tavernas and we also camped on deserted beaches (mainly small pebbles).The small boat accompanying us carried tables and chairs, tents, thick sleeping mats and delicious foods. Somehow, the Greek salads in Greece taste so much better. One of the things I really liked was the fact we had no flies and only a few mosquitos. Yes-we did have the odd wasp wanting to share our food but not having to wave your hand around your face or cough out the odd fly that always seems to find the mouth, was heaven.

The actual paddling was easy and I really had to slow my stroke down. I have spent so much time trying to keep up with men in Perth that as soon as I hit the water I become frenetic. It was great to ease along and explore the wonderful caves and look at the amazing cliff faces that characterize the beautiful Ionian islands. I say the paddling was easy but we did have a couple of days in the middle of our 8 day trip when the wind came up and flew down the mountainside and sped along between two islands to give us a really difficult time. Along with one swim to Rottnest accompanying a paddler I did in over 25 knots, this was similar. The wind was side on and so you had to lean well over to prevent the kayak from tipping—it was hugely strong and the force of the wind waves was great. Other members of the group thought they were big waves but—no—they were not like our big waves that build up over great distances. I kept quiet though because it sounds sort of arrogant to say “you should see our waves at home sometimes”.

It was fantastic to be able to practice rolling in the warm water and to practice rescues. I must say they were pretty impressed with my re-entry roll. (Wait till I perfect the hand roll next summer.) Our trip leader, Pavlos (of course that would be his name), gained his certification in Britain and so had a bias to the British way of doing things. I still can’t figure out why you have to push off with your paddle in one hand and other hand on the sand when you take off from the beach. We used Prion kayaks which seem to be popular over there but I was pleased I took my Werner paddle with me. It did cause a few glances my way in airports and one man even asked me if it was a machine gun?

Was it better than paddling around Rottnest? I would have to say no. I love the pristine waters we have with the abundant marine life and the variation we have with our big swells and then the crystal clear see-through waters on the outside of Garden Island.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a wonderful holiday and the waters are the bluest I have ever seen but I think they have fished the Mediterranean to death. We did see small fish when snorkelling and the small dolphin that inhabits that region but nothing compares to our stingrays, dugongs and sharks that cruise by us here in WA on occasions or our wonderful large dolphins and whales. Lets keep it pristine.

Asking Poseidon for help in hand rolling – photo Judy Blight

Departure point at Assos, Kefalonia – photo Judy Blight

Great snorkeling spot – photo Judy Blight

Near Fiskardo – photo Judy Blight

Typical view from B&B – photo Judy Blight

Limestone cliff at Ithaki – photo Judy Blight

By Helen Cooksey.

We all met at our booked cabin at the Caravan Park in Denham on Thursday afternoon. I picked up Judy on Wednesday afternoon after she’d done a day’s teaching and we drove as far as Dongara for the night. My nephew, who is a keen boat fisherman, warned us about shoals that extend out from the North East end of Dirk Hartog Island which sometimes have large swells breaking over them forcing boats to take large detour around if they want to get to Turtle Bay. He also mentioned strong north running currents that sweep around both ends of the island. We travelled on to Denham the next day after a stop in Geraldton for last minute supplies.

Jim had spent Wednesday night in Geraldton en route. Martin left home at 4.30am on Thursday towing the club trailer picking up Laurie, Matt and Kevin en route.

Friday morning we were down at the jetty at sunrise. The 10m twin hull fishing charter boat Jim had organised to take our boats, gear and us to Withnell Point, 10ks south of Turtle Bay, looked awfully small. How could everything fit on? No problem. Five boats were put crossways on the overhead canopy and one on top of the other lengthways on the deck beside the hold. Fortunately the sea was calm and there was no wind. We all piled on plus 4 or 5 paying fishing charter people and off we went. The Skipper off loaded us onto the beach around the bay a little from a fishing shack which had a large sea eagle’s nest on the flimsy looking roof. We each paid $170 for the ride over.

By the time we set up camp and had lunch there didn’t seem to be time to paddle the 10km across the bay and around to Turtle Bay and 10km back so we explored the bay on foot and by boat, surfed on some small waves on the point and practiced some Eskimo rolls and self rescue. I discovered an interesting minor complication when I tried to do an upside down re-entry and roll. I found it took longer to thread my legs into the cockpit under water with a 10 litre water bag strapped to the floor suspended in the water. The things you don’t know about until you practice! In the late afternoon the fisher people got their gear out. Kevin took to his boat with his squid jigger, Jim tried his luck with big hooks and heavy line and Matt and I used light gear and small hooks. We won the tally catching small whiting, flathead, bream and trumpeters on Friday and Saturday evenings. Fish was on the menu for the first 2 nights.

The most disappointing thing about our idyllic camp site was the amount of rubbish in the bush. It was everywhere we set up camp along the island. Everyone who camps on the island is charged $16.50 a night (we paid $50/head) but there are no services given for the charge. Behind our camp, among other things we found a toilet seat and a kitchen sink which was promptly put in Judy’s boat.

Kevin also found some drums and star pickets which he tied his tent to as he’d forgotten to take his tent stays. The only problem was they went bang in the night when he moved. After we went to bed the first night the camp site was over run by small crabs. They scratched around outside your tent and on anything metal like stoves that had been left out. Judy kept reaching out of her tent and shouting at them in murderess tones to go away as she attacked them with her shoe. I put my ear plugs in and tried to ignore Judy and the crabs.

Saturday the weather was beautiful again. Oily clear calm sea and no wind. We set off across the bay and rounded Cape Levillian close to the beach and into Turtle Bay. Fortunately there were no breaking waves on the sand banks but we could see swells rising on them further out. The Cape Inscription light house was visible across the bay above the cliffs. We didn’t stay too long. Gray clouds were building up and the beach had a high surge. As we paddled back Kevin was about 20mtrs from shore when he suddenly shouted excitedly that he had paddled over a 20’ Tiger shark. He said he could see the stripes and it was longer than his 5.8m kayak. Matt, who was paddling beside him also saw it and said it was as long as 2 doors end to end and as wide as one. That gave us all a reality check and put any thought of practicing Eskimo Rolls out of our heads.
A short while later we saw Martin’s kayak wobble alarmingly as a large Dugong dived under his kayak amid ship then headed straight for Matt amidships creating a huge bow wave. He also had to steady his kayak as it passed under him and headed out to sea.
As we paddled across the bay large black clouds gathered over our camp site. As soon as we arrived back the rain bucketed down. Everyone dived into their tents to sit it out except me. Some read and dosed, one person decided he might as well get stuck into his cask of port while he read. I sat out the storm having my daily ablutions in the warm sea, keeping an eye out for fins. The rain cleared, the sun shone and we emerged from our tents. Matt went around to the point for his daily feed of oysters off the rocks before returning to fish. Jim put his heavy fishing tackle away in disgust because he hadn’t caught anything although something big did take his hook, line and sinker the evening before when he left it set with a Trumpeter on it.

Sunday the wind was blowing from the South East strong enough to blow the dog off the chain. Kevin checked the bay south of the Point and declared the wind was too strong to paddle into. We gladly agreed to sit it out for the day. All of us except Martin set out to see how far we could walk across the island. We slipped and sloshed along a track across a birridah, a salt clay pan, that had water in it from the previous evening thunderstorm then up a rise for a while before deciding some people didn’t have suitable foot wear or long trousers to bush bash across the island so we returned to camp. Martin had his kite out and flew it successfully for a short while. The wind was so strong it broke a string so he had to put it away. We read and watched the sea life in the bay. A 2m shark with a long thin dorsal fin entertained us chasing fish on a sand bank not far from shore. Turtles popped their heads up to look at us occasionally. Judy and Kevin listened to the Dockers game on my little radio which always had good reception. At night we sat around Martins candles standing in sand in plastic sandwich bags and had a “show and tell” of our first aid kits.

Our 11 neighbours in the nearby fishing camp who had arrived on Saturday in 5 boats awoke on Sunday to find one boat missing from it’s mooring. They found it over the far side of the bay on the beach and towed it back with one of the boats. Apart from that we didn’t see them venture out in their boats all day.

Monday the wind was still ferocious but we packed our boats with all our gear which included water and food for the week, tent, chair, stove, fuel, repair kit, first aid, clothes etc. We rounded the point to be hit by 20 knot SE winds on our left front quarter. Judy’s shoulder started to give her terrible pain so Kevin quickly hooked up a tow rope and all the guys took it in turn for 10 to 15 minutes to tow her. By the end of the second rotation they were all really tired. We landed at a wide white sheltered beach for lunch beside a sheep loading race presumably used by the station owners to load their sheep onto the barge to take to Denham. We discussed various contingency plans of what to do about Judy and her sore shoulder. She had been paddling with a high bag on her fore deck with her sail propped up on the bag so her paddling action looked very awkward. She re arranged the bag to her aft deck, put the sail flat on the fore deck and fortunately had no more trouble. We asked some guys fishing off the beach for a weather forecast just as one pulled in a whiting as thick and as long as my arm. Unfortunately they weren’t forth coming with either a free fish or a forecast. The wind had eased slightly but we still made slow progress arriving at Louisa Bay at 5pm. We had started at 8.30am.We reckon we must have had a current running against us as well as the wind. We were all exhausted and in bed by 7.30pm.

Tuesday. We were on the water by 8.30 again. We rounded the point to be hit by 20 knot SE winds on our left front quarter again. We struggled along beside the cliffs with steep sharp waves over head high rising up on our left. You no sooner got over one wave and others rebounded back off the cliff on your right. It was like being in a washing machine. Kevin and I discuss turning back until the wind abated but it would have been too dangerous having those conditions as a following sea so we struggled on. After a couple of hours of these conditions we saw a small beach in a gap in the cliffs. Martin was the strongest paddler and always out in front with a bright orange hat. We were all very pleased to see the orange hat bob over the water towards the beach to investigate the possibility of landing. After careful inspection he waved us in. There were rocks on the shore line and rocks in the water so all the heavy boats had to be lifted out of the water by 4 people at a time onto the beach behind. It was estimated we had been going 2.5km/hour.

After refreshment and rest Jim, Matt and Kevin climbed the cliffs to check the way ahead and try VHF marine radios and mobile phones but there was no reception. There was no sign of the wind abating so we struggled on. We lunched on a beautiful sheltered beach at Quoin Head on the southern end of Herald Bay. Before we rounded the point Kevin paddled out to a luxury launch anchored in the shelter and asked them if they had a weather forecast but they didn’t. The wind had mercifully eased as we paddled past Egg Island over clear water where hundreds of cormorants took to the sky as we passed. Unfortunately we were down wind of their acrid aroma. We crossed the entrance to Tetrodon Loop and found a lovely sheltered camping area at Notch point. (In the dictionary tetra means four. The Loop does look a bit square on the chart. Maybe that’s how it got the name). [Tetrodon, which means 4 teeth, is an old Latin name for puffer fish, so the Loop was probably named for an abundance of them – Ed]

Wednesday. The wind had eased considerably the next morning as we paddled across the bay to the homestead. We were given a warm welcome by Ann and Tory Wardle with her 2 little boys. Geoff Wardle returned from the mill run joined us for tea and Anzac biscuits bought out by Ann. Tory printed off an up to date weather forecast from the computer for us. The weather was looking good for the following day so we decided to take the window of opportunity to paddle back to Denham the next day. We paddled from the homestead across to Cape Bellefin where we had lunch. Matt and I took childish delight jumping in the strong, cold, out flowing tidal current on one side of the point to be quickly carried around the other side. Then it was an hour to paddle to Cape Heirisson to camp the night. It was a nice sheltered camp site but the flies were thick until the sun went down. Some of us climbed the headland and had a good view of Denham and the aerial on the hill behind the town across the 19.5ks of water we had to paddle the next day. To the right you could see the super structure of the ship loading salt at Useless Loop we had seen passing down the channel during the day. Once again we cooked our evening meal together and dined under a canopy of stars by candle light with the last of our cask wines to help conversation and laughter and relax tired muscles. Laurie never ceased to surprise us with stories about his long and full life. We all agreed we’d be doing pretty well if we could paddle as well as him when we reach our three score year and ten.

Thursday. Once again we were on the water by 8.30. As we rounded the point we noted the tide was going out with a strong current sweeping from east to west around the point. There was a light Easterly wind on our right front quarter which gradually swung around to a south easterly by the time we got to Denham. We had to re group on several occasions because discrepancy kept developing between those who were following the compass bearing of 63 degrees and line of site on the aerial and wind turbine towers and Martin on the GPS course who we were instructed to follow. He had his head down watching his GPS screen and dropping down wind on a more northerly bearing. (I’m curious to know why the difference occurs. Maybe we could ask Les to give the club a talk on navigation)
The weather Gods were kind to us and we were back in Denham by 11.45. While Martin, Jim and I went to get our vehicles from the caravan park a Marine Parks Officer quickly pounced on our group unloading their boats questioning Kevin about where we’d been.

Thankfully a cabin had been booked for us for the first and last night so we didn’t have to put our tents up again as we did last year in the howling wind after the Denham to Monkey Mia trip. We had talked about having a soak in the artesian bore tank at Peron Station but somehow once you got out of your wet paddling gear you didn’t want to get wet again. We spent the afternoon replacing carbohydrates and fluids, visiting the new Heritage centre and relaxing before enjoying a final dinner together at a restaurant in the town.

It was a great trip. Kevin did a great job organising it and looking after us. Thanks Kevin.

Next time I must remember to take a detailed radio programme of times to hear the weather reports.

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Fully loaded – photo Martin Burgoyne

Helen in luck – photo Judy Blight

Everything and the kitchen sink – photo Martin Burgoyne

Camp at Heirisson prong – photo Martin Burgoyne

Strong wind and bad weather setting in – photo Judy Blight

Kevin praying for better weather – photo Judy Blight

– photo Martin Burgoyne

Shark circling near campsite– photo Judy Blight

Big flocks of birds – photo Martin Burgoyne

– photo Judy Blight