Off to Tumblegum. On the way attracting a lot of attention with our convoy of 24 kayaks especially at Tumblegum. Down the beautiful Rous River for morning tea with a great view of Mt Barney. Then through the canal and on to Condong for lunch, before heading back to Tumblegum into a stiff breeze. A great paddle.

Distance paddled 22 km.

Tuesday
Off to Kingscliff for a morning paddle along the Cudgeon Creek. We were unable to reach the lake due to blockages, but found a great morning tea spot. My thanks to Peter for helping some across a log.  Another stiff breeze on the way back. No dolphins this time.
Distance paddled 16 km.

Anita and Evan were the first to arrive shortly after 6am and were already packing their kayaks on the beach when I arrived not long after.  We had to unload the cars down a short track away from the car park which could only accommodate 5 cars at a time and once the rest of the group started arriving in mass it became important to unload as quickly as possible and then return to the car park to allow the others in.  Anita was leading the camp and after a short briefing 25 of us headed off to the observation centre Kinaba at the mouth of the Noosa River.  The group comprised of a number of day paddlers who would paddle up to Harry’s Hut and return, a group of campers who would only stay one night and 4 campers staying 2 nights and returning on Saturday morning.

As a departure from the normal paddling venues, a decision was made to do a five day camp visiting two large inland waterways in the South Burnett region, Lake Barambah (Bjelke-Peterson Dam) and Lake Boondooma. As it turned out the decision was a good one, with both dams near full capacity.

Special thanks must go to Jim for organising and leading the paddles over the five days. This entailed an initial drive through the district weeks earlier to check out accommodation options and interesting areas to paddle.
A drive of some 145kms. from the Sunshine Coast brought us to Lake Barambah, located just south of Murgon. The Yallakool Caravan Park was our home for the next couple of days. The group stayed in a mixture of cabins, camping trailers and caravans. Although the dam is well stocked with fish and the surrounding countryside is dotted with several wineries, the dam’s appeal to us lay in the
paddling options. Arriving on the Sunday we had high expectations for the Monday paddle. Eleven paddlers formed the group, Jim, Don, Jan, Ron, Brian, George, Terry, Carmel, Lorna, Richard and Graham.

Light rain was still falling when we launched from the caravan park boat ramp. We headed off into the light rain and fog for a 17.7 klm trip. Following the shore line past the saddle dam wall we continued exploring the far side of the lake. The bird life was a surprise with flocks of black swans, pelicans, ducks and the odd sea eagle. The recent increase in water levels had flooded many of
the small trees and made for an interesting paddle, as we terrorized the wildlife at every turn. After morning tea in one of the many sheltered bays and the sun now shining, we headed back across the lake to the camp sight.

Submitted  by Mike Gaspert. This venture was undertaken by club members but was not an official Club Outing.

Accommodation at Tin Can Bay Tourist Park

Tin Can Bay was the location for our club camp. A fishing and boating paradise located on the Cooloola Coast, two hours north of the Sunshine Coast , at the southern end of the Great Sandy Strait.

Twelve members participated in this camp and we enjoyed five paddles covering much of the bay. The inlet itself is a huge area of water but we knew from previous experience the timing of paddles is crucial due to the rapid disappearance of water once high tide has been reached. This area is not called part of the Great Sandy Straits for nothing! Weather generally was favourable with most of the rain experienced falling during the hours of darkness. Paddles were mostly in the range of 20 km in length and included Snapper Creek, Kauri Creek, Poverty Point with the ruins of a very old jetty still visible, Cooloola Cove, Carland Creek and Teewah Creek. Highlight of the Snapper Creek paddle included occasional gunfire from the nearby military reserve. No need to tell everyone to keep their heads down!  A low flying chopper above us added to the excitement. Extra activities included viewing the morning dolphin feeding at Snapper Point and the usual club dinner which was held at the local country club on Wednesday evening.

Thank you to those who attended making the camp possible. Also thanks to both Peter and Jim for their input.

Club camps such as this one are most enjoyable (especially happy hours) and form a major part of the socialising aspect within our club.

New Zealand offers some superb kayaking and no matter what your skill level there are opportunities for all paddlers. Jim Blyth had organised our trip and selected three locations offering completely different types of paddling so we knew we were in for something special.
Abel Tasman National Park

All of us were to kayak the first location, the spectacular Abel Tasman National Park at the top of the South Island. This is one of New Zealand’s top kayaking locations, boasting some of its finest beaches, many accessible only by walking tracks or by boat. It is NZ’s only coastal national park and with its golden sandy beaches and sheltered turquoise waters, this is a kayaker’s paradise.
We were met by Tony, from Golden Bay Kayaks on Totaranui Beach, with our four doubles in which we stowed all our gear before heading off on our 3 day adventure. We spent our first night at Bark Hut sharing sleeping quarters with 26 mainly young bushwalkers, which was quite an experience! The next day saw us exploring the local area with its tidal lagoons, beach caves and beautiful sandy shores -we even found our own private beach for lunch. The third day was probably the best with a look at the seal colony on Tonga Island and then an encounter with some killer whales surfacing barely 20 metres away! Being so engrossed in trying to get photos we had no thought of any danger. The final highlight was the agile Anita jumping from the kayak onto rocks to pose in the aptly named Split Apple Rock. Our wonderful trip ended early in the afternoon, at beautiful Kaiteriteri, where we met up with Tony again. I was amazed by the number of kayaks, both single and double, we encountered on this trip showing just how popular this activity is. I was also curious to see how a double seakayak would perform in these choppy ocean conditions and would certainly recommend them due to their stability and load carrying ability.

OVERVIEW
Evans Head is a sleepy little seaside town just 35 km’s south of Ballina, NSW, boasting long unspoilt beaches, fantastic wild life, National Park walking areas and great water ways for those who enjoy all types of water sports.

Twenty-four people attended the camp (four non paddlers) staying in an assortment of accommodation. Nine people enjoyed the comforts of the Evans Head Caravan Park, three rented a beautiful house and the other twelve were all in together, so to speak, sharing an upstairs area and ‘dorm’ area below and situated right on the banks of the picturesque Evans River, just a few steps from the shops, parkland and river mouth. Apart from the daily paddles many of us went on walks, watched the dolphins playing at ‘the wall’, watched Martin kayak surf and on occasions, some folk caught sight of the migrating whales out at sea. The restaurant situation however was a little limited, but it did not seem to bother anyone at all.

A few members arrived earlier so took advantage of the beautiful days by exploring around the waterways near the township and along the winding fresh water creeks. We were very fortunate with the weather, enjoying warm, sunny days and slightly cooler evenings than we are used to on the Sunshine Coast ……… and best of all no rain!

Submitted by Dave Pass. This venture was undertaken by club members but was not an official Club Outing.

While Terry M’Garry, Martin Dale and I pack up our camp  in the pre dawn gloom, the tide has crept across the coral flats to fill Peter Bay and to gently lift our loaded kayaks off the sand. Just a hint of light in the eastern sky as we paddle across the calm bay, our paddles creating pools of phosphorescence as we follow the coast north. The sea turns to the colour of molten lead in the early light and the paddling becomes a little more challenging as we round the first headland and approach the north end of Whitsunday Island. Our spirits lift and the friendly chat increases as we round the top and the sun lifts above the horizon to bath us and the spectacular cliffs in crimson. Martin and Terry paddle in close to the cliffs, occasionally disappearing behind isolated rocks, enjoying the lift and wash as the waves reflect off the shore. More cautious, I stay a little wide  intent on reaching our immediate objective, Hook Passage. The passage is the cause of our predawn start as we need to pass through the narrow passage with it’s whirlpools and steep waves when it is in its most benevolent mood! Our timing is good and we are swept south through the passage on the last of the rising tide into the tranquil water on the sheltered side of Whitsunday Island. The morning sun is yet to climb above the  pine clad  peaks as we beach our boats in a spectacular little tropical bay for a well earned breakfast.

Accommodation Base: The Wallace Motel & Caravan Park. Ferry Street, Maryborough.

Downstream from Maryborough. Overnight rain of 50 – 60 mm and steady morning drizzle saw a party of ten at Tiaro, ready to paddle upstream. However, the river had

risen, overnight, to a level of 2.66m, with a brisk current running. Though not dangerous, prudence deemed we cancel for the morning, return to base and reconsider an afternoon option.

Afternoon: Depart Lamington Bridge downstream at 2pm. An assisting run-out tide, around 8km/hr, generated easy paddling for a 3 pm arrival at the Rowing Club. Low tide left the boat ramp very muddy so we used the pontoon to extract.

Submitted by Dave Pass. This venture was undertaken by club members but was not an official Club Outing.

Dave and friends frolic with the whales at Frazer Is.
Don’t come up now…Don’t come up now… my thoughts as a huge hump back whale slipped smoothly  a meter or two below my kayak. So close, I swear I could see it watching me as it approached, so close that the scars and barnacles were visible on its back.
But I get ahead of myself, excited no doubt!
Two days previously (Fri Aug. 27, 2010), six club members had met at the Urangan boat harbour. Sue Alcock, Yvonne Harrison, Bruce Nicholson, Arny Hale, Terry Mc Garry and I were a little tense as we attempted to fit all our gear and food/water into our kayaks. None had previously paddled the 11k across to Fraser Island and up into Platypus Bay to kayak with the whales