Sea Kayak Trips 2006

Time: Sat 25 Feb
Duration: 7am ñ 6pm
Paddle type: Sea kayaking
Meet: At UQ Canoe club boat shed (building 30) at 7 AM sharp!
Destination: Victoria Point / Coochiemudlo island
Contact: Dani Fox (secretary) and Eric Peterson (sea kayaking rep)

Report
Six participants (Eric, Dani, Dave, Suzanne, Martin, and Michael) left Victoria point VMR jetty at about 9:30 AM for what turned out to be an easy ~15 km paddle around Coochiemudlo island.

A beautiful mangrove lined bay was discovered to the north-west of Coochie. A small shark, plenty of jumping fish, a ray, and sea eagles were encountered before morning tea on the far corner of the island (half way around). From there the paddlers set out for Maclay island, against a small breeze, where they found a nice beach for lunch – and were prompty joined by hordes of uninvited mosquitoes. A variety of corals were noticed in shallow water off Maclay on the way back to Coochie.

The afternoon was spent back at Coochie, next to the jetty, learning how to roll the kayaks, cooling down in the water, and eating ice-cream. The trip concluded at 3:45 PM after a paddle back to the VMR at Victoria point.

The forecast rain and storms failed to appear, and instead the sun was out for the day. Weather forecasters did not issue apologies, and yes they were still paid.

Ideal for beginners and those wishing to try out the surf!

Camp at Cylinder Beach Camp Ground on North Stradbroke Island.

Day 1: (weather permitting) Paddle from Cylinder Beach camp site to Amity Point and back. Basic level 1 paddle led by Jitka Kochanek.
Day 2: (weather permitting) Play in the surf, learn new tricks at Cylinder Beach/Point Lookout. Level 3 Surf skills day led by Eric Peterson.

Grade day one: 1
Grade day two: 3
Time: Fri (night) 31 March / Sat (1 Apr) – Sun (2 Apr) 2006
Duration: 2 days (8 am to 5 pm each day)
Paddle type: Sea kayaking
Paddle distance: 20 km (10 km each way)
Destination: North Stradbroke island
Meet: Friday night 6 PM at the club shed for 7:45 ferry to Straddie- OR – Cylinder Beach Camp Site on North Stradbroke island either Friday night or at 8 AM either or both days
Transport: Book own ferry and organise own transport, including transport of your camping/sea kayak/food etc, to camp site
Accommodation: Car/camping at Cylinder Beach
Contact: Jitka Kochanek (social officer)

The trip is tailored to paddlers who have children & babies not old enough to
paddle. We will take turns walking along shore with “Bubs in Macpacs” while
mums paddle, and then dads can have their go after morning and afternoon
breaks. We welcome other paddling families.
This is a joint event of University of Queensland Canoe Club, Griffith
University Bushwalking Society, and Queensland Sea Kayak Club.

Time: Sat 29 Apr 2006 to Mon 1 May
Duration: 2 nights
Paddle type: Sea kayaking
Accommodation: Camping near Cape Moreton
Gear: Sea kayaks, bushwalking, and camping
Meet: 8 AM ferry at Scarborough (North Redcliffe)
Contact: Eric Peterson

Simon is organising a semi-social trip to Byron Bay for white-water folks to train/play in the waves. This trip is sea-kayaking friendly, and confident sea kayakers are welcome to come along. This is a chance for white-water and seakayak folks to meet up, compare skills, and share the odd beer.

Fri 25th: Drive down in the evening (or the next day if you can’t make it Friday)
Sat 26th: Camp, Surf, Sea kayak, sit by fire and have a good time.
Sun 27th: Camp, Surf, play and head home at a reasonable hour.

Duration: 2 days/1-2 nights
Details: See the white-water trips page
Contact: Simon Vos (whitewater kayaking rep)

Trip Report
The first day was spent playing in the surf, including an early morning outing to an off-shore break. A few whitewater folk had sea kayaks performing more tricks than they are used to – and yes sea kayaks are a lot harder to roll. A pod of over 12 dolphins were encountered. The broken head campsite was great.
The second day was spent on Watago bay, just below the lighthouse. We arrived with two whales passing by just offshore. More whales were seen during the day. The local surfers were invaded by our many whitewater kayaks, and a few sea kayaks and playboats, and again the waves and surrounding shores were explored. In the late afternoon the sea kayakers stayed on, and went for a a quick trip out to Julian rocks and back (~ 1 hr), through a rolling swell. During this excursion a whale crossed their path, submerging just in front of them. Whale breaches were seen in the distance on the way back. It was a fun trip where the sea kayakers had an opportunity to meet up with the whitewater people, see what they could do, and have a fun relaxing time.

Leaving Lake Cootharaba, we will paddle the river past Harry’s Hut to
Campsite 3 where we will spend the night. That afternoon people can
explore futher up the river and walk up to the sand patch. Before
returning to Cootharaba the next afternoon.

While not really sea Kayaing as such, it is a very beautiful paddle on
an unspoilt river. Take a look at pictures from a previous trip to the Noosa River, a few years ago.

Info: Local map of the area, Satellite map, Cooloolah National Park (pdf map)
Time: Sat/Sun 9-10 Sept 2006
Duration: 2 days / overnight
Paddle type: Sea kayaking
Accommodation: Camping
Gear: sunscreen, hat, warm clothes, organise own transport and food
Basic Costs: $15 per person
Meet: Noosa – Elanda point Canoe put in
Contact: Dave Loveridge (sea kayaking rep)

Trip Report

Noosa river

It was an early start as we left Brisbane on our way up to Lake Cootharaba. We
quickly packed the boats and, with a southerly behind us, we were blown across the lake and to the upper reaches of the river. After some quick snack stops at the Kinaba information centre and Harrys hut, we made it to campsite 3 just after lunch. We set up camp quickly, had some lunch, and then headed off on a walk to the Cooloola Sand patch.

The Sand Patch is a massive sandblow on top of the dunes that separates
the Noosa river from the sea. It gives some spectacular views of the
surrounding countryside. After some sight seeing and some great photos
we walked back to camp. The walk back was lovely and we were treated to
a beautiful sunset.

Campsite 3

We woke early the next morning and found the river to be bathed in fog, it was an amazing sight. After some more photos we all went for a paddle
before breakfast. We paddled through the stillness and the fog, it was a
fantastic experience.

We quickly packed up camp and headed down the river, with the weather
slowly worsening as we went. At the lake we were greated by some big
chop, a nasty headwind, rain, and eventually a thunderstorm. After
putting the wet weather gear on, we paddled out into the storm. After
being tense at the start, we found it wasn’t as bad as we thought, and we
relaxed and enjoyed the paddle.

– D.L.

The campsite was basic, but sheltered, clean, and comfortable, with convenient solid tables and benches (also toilets). We had the site all to ourselves (it is booked per group), except for an overly friendly large goanna.

Cooloola sand patch

The view from the Cooloola sand patch was well worth the 12 km round trip. It gave us an eastern view to the sea which kept the sea kayakers happy, but it also afforded a fantastic western view of the national park all laid out before us. We could see lake Cootharaba and pick out our paddling route along the upper Noosa river as it snaked north past campsite 3 and beyond. The way the river travels between lakes Cooloola and Como added to the beauty and feel, as did the impressive windblown dunes we walked across. Dinner was a relaxed and enjoyable one, complete with a visit from a tiny, cute, plump, and very bold marsupial mouse.

The night was a little bit cold (not too bad), which gave us the wonderfully misty early morning to paddle through. This was a huge contrast to the later rain and stiff wind encountered on the last leg of the return trip, although this was a welcome kayaking challenge to balance such a peaceful trip. The rain was refreshing rather than miserable, and made the hot drinks in Tewantin on the way back that much more delicious.

Thanks Dave for organising a trip that we’ll remember for a long while – a particularly special experience for those on their first campling trip!

– M.W.