"Fogust" Comes To Perth.......

Anyone who has been to the West Coast of Canada in August will have experienced "Fogust", it's foggy and August is the worst month. This is the scene that greater me on Friday morning at Freshie Bay on the Swan River. Yes, it's August .............

Freshie Bay in a cloak of mist.

The Sun is trying to burn off the mist.

Symmetry, awaiting the mist to lift. Note: All kayaks have compasses!

Later in the day, sunny and warm.

Needless to say the mist didn't last long and it wasn't long before we had a perfect, warm and sunny day.

A Voyage of Discovery on the Florence Edith.

This is a departure from my normal kayaking adventures, but a trip on a narrow boat in the heart of England provided a real voyage of discovery. True it was not action packed, the water was not rough and we were protected from the wind, no matter how hard it blew. Even so, it was a very rewarding experience. Welcome to a short voyage on the Florence Edith, a 54ft narrow boat ..........

First night mooring in the middle of fields in the English countryside.

Starting at Stockton we headed towards Warwick, with an over night stop just after the Good Hope pub, in a tranquil part of the canal, that seemed to be in the middle of no where. After picking up two further crew, we headed back past Stockton and stopped at the Bridge at Napton. Did I say it has a pub close by? We headed north to Braunton, a delightful village with yet another canal side pub.

Each barge proudly displays their name.

Undoubtedly,  narrow boating is not a speed activity. Instead, it is something to savour and a joy to watch the world pass by slowly. So speed is irreverent, part of the experience of canal travel is taking in the scenery and enjoying the company of other canal folk. This is a world within a world, almost cocooned from the reality of everyday life happening just over the hedge or field, but seemingly a universe away.

The Cape of Good Hope Inn, a long way from South Africa.

A delight of canal cruising is the canal side public house, not just the location but the hospitality, food and of course beer. It is possible to plan your journey to lunch and dine at a wayside pub, but we decided to restrict our imbibing to dinner time only.

Locks are a part of canal life.

No gain without pain, well canal boating has locks to keep you fit. A necessary evil to smooth out undulating countryside, they have to be "worked" to move across the country. 

Idilic or what?

Gill enjoying the serenity of canal travel.

No doubt we will return to complete another voyage, next time to spend some time enjoying the slower pace of life and to spend some time exploring some of the heritage of the canals and barges.

Paddling the Dramatic Jurassic Coast.

The Weather Gods were with us. Over looking Studland Bay, it was hard to believe we were in England. The sea was calm, the wind light and the sun was shinning. There were already yachts moored in the bay and the Isle of Wight was just visible in the heat haze. The wind forecast was for light and variable breezes which would make for a perfect days  paddling. 

Approaching Old Harry Rocks.

This coast is known as the Jurassic Coast and starts in Studland Bay, near Poole, Dorset and stretches to Exmouth in Devon. Well known for its fossils and magnificent cliff formations, it is a World Heritage listed area. Kayaking this coast is not without it's hazards, with strong tides, limited "get out" areas to land and often with moderate to strong SW'ly breezes, making it a lee shore. However, the scenery is magnificent, especially from seaward.

We paddled the Esky 15's towards Old Harry Rocks, with Dan Scott from the Studland Sea School, our guide for the day. Having sailed past Old Harry years ago I was keen to see the magnificent chalk formation up close. Even at low tide we were able to move in and out of the rock columns and really explore the formations, towering above us. With a calm sea we were close to the cliffs and columns and the small Eskys were perfect for turning in tight spaces. With clear water we could see rocks and identify seaweed, we even saw a fish ( probably a wrasse).

Following the chalk white cliffs westward, we kept a safe distance off, it is surprising how fragile the chalk is and there were many examples of significant rock falls along the coast, and large slabs in one of the many caves, that only months before had been the roof.

Out into the bay we headed for Swanage with fishing lines trolling behind us. The Esky's proved very stable kayaks and were surprisingly fast for their size. Half way across we surfed the wake of the local sight seeing boat as it ploughed it's way towards Swanage. Landing by the slipway, we enjoyed a remarkably good pasty from one of the local kiosks for lunch , while sunning our selves. Was this really England? Our Guide Dan was keen to ensure we had hydrated properly and applied sun screen, I don't think he has paddles with many Aussies before, it's second nature to us. His attention to this sort of detail showed what a good Guide he is.

After lunch we headed West past the Lifeboat station towards Peveril Point, hoping the weather would at least allow us to poke our noses out into the ocean beyond. As I said earlier the Weather Gods were smiling on us today, we paddled West in a gentle breeze and slight sea. Closing the headland across the bay we regrouped and pushed on towards the famous Anvil Point.

    Leaving one of the caves near Old Harry ...... Gill & Dan paddle out to the ocean.

Following close to the cliffs, the scene was different, with Purbeck Stone cliffs, dark in colour and almost menacing in appearance. With a little swell and an increasing flood tide against us, it was at times quite bumpy, but hugely exciting. At Anvil Point we stopped and savoured the scene, with ragged cliffs and a lighthouse looming over us, we felt quite insignificant in our kayaks. The Tourists peering down at us from the cliff tops must have been scratching their heads as to why we were kayaking in such a rugged area. We were there because it is a truly magnificent scene, only really appreciated from the sea and really close to the amazing cliffs.

The tide was starting to run towards Poole and the sea state was becoming a little confused so we turned our kayaks with bow draws, and headed down tide and started the return trip. There was no need to paddle as the tide was taking us, we soon reached Swanage, but stayed offshore to avoid any tide race at Peveril Ledge, passing close to the red marker buoy at the far edge of the ledge. We were soon into Swanage Bay and Dan had a tug on his fishing line, he hauled it in and brought up two Mackerel for tea.

To keep out of any adverse tide at Old Harry, we tucked in close to the chalk cliffs which towered above us. With the tide higher we were able to paddle in and out of the arches at Old Harry and play in the rock garden, fantastic fun!

    Gill at one of the Stacks .......

It was only a short paddle back to Middle Beach and even the annoying jet ski's kept out of our way, to end a most perfect day. We saw a lot of bird life, including Guillimots, Cormorants and Gill and Dan thought they heard a Peregrine Falcon. Dan has a real interest in the environment and gave us an insight into foraging from Nature's Larder, with seaweed being his speciality. He gathered a crop of seaweed to accompany his Mackerel dinner. 

Distance covered 18 Kms.

Some paddlers ask why, as experienced sea kayakers, we bother with a Guide when we go to destinations we are unfamiliar with? Easy really, it takes the hassle out of finding all the good places and of course they know their local area, so are really aware of local hazards and conditions. A good Guide is worth every cent.

So if you are in the Poole area contact Dan Scott of Studland Sea School.

    Dan close to the cliffs at Anvil Point.

  

   Through the arch on the Jurassic Coast.

Denham, Shark Bay. A Tale of Strong Headwinds and Lost Sunnies.

We rounded Cape Peron early in the morning, and the three sea kayaks headed for the shelter of the small headland, the one with the navigation light on a pole. The clouds were black and moving fast from the south, with them came the wind, so we decided to wait for it to abate.  Everything was grey, visibility was down to a few kilometres due to the rain showers and the sea state was rough, each wave had it’s own white cap and the scene resembled a snow field rather than the ocean.

Ahead of us lay the eastern side of the Peron peninsular, with it’s ten kilometres of red cliffs, a lee shore with no get out should we have difficulties. 

Finally the clouds turned from black to dark grey and we decided to start our journey south, towards Monkey Mia. We paddled for what seemed to be an age, a rough sea state tends to concentrate the mind and you loss track of time, but in reality it was probably only a few minutes, and we all decided that it wasn’t going to be. Carefully turning our heavily laden kayaks round, on the cresting waves, we surfed back to the safety of Point Peron.

For the second time this trip we had to change our plans, on this occasion to head back to Denham and hope for some shelter from the strong southerly and south easterly winds predicted. Our original plan to paddle across the Denham Channel to Dirk Hartog Island had been scrapped on the eve of the trip, as we sat in the tavern drinking a beer admiring the wonderful sunset and balmy conditions, we looked at the weather forecast and realised we could reach the Island but it would be a week before we were able to get back, due to the strong winds. Sometimes it’s necessary to take the hard decisions and at the end of the day, safety is the most important factor.

Enjoying the sunset on a beach on Peron Peninsula.

Even on our first day we had encountered increasing headwinds, which were near gale force by the time we reached the Lagoon entrance. We walked our kayaks around the point in shallow water to reach our campsite in the mangroves. It was late and the light was fading, so we unloaded the kayaks and pitched our tents in the shelter of a mangrove bush, as quickly as possible. The rain came just as we got the tents up, but all our gear and food was still in the open on the tarpaulin. The rain turned to a torrent, at least our paddle gear was getting a fresh water rinse! Without warning a huge squall hit our camp, rocking the tents violently and sending some of our equipment and food into the bush. One of our party threw themselves onto the tarpaulin to save the rest of our belongings. It must have been at this stage that Gill lost her prescription sunglasses, not that we realised it at the time, as they must have been on the tarpaulin. Later we saw a yacht passing on the horizon and learned on our return to Denham, that they had reported 43 knots of wind over their deck. How lucky were we, that we got off the water when we did!

Walking the kayaks round the point to the first camp site.

Setting up camp, before the wind squall hit.

On the second day heading north we had gentle to moderate tailwinds and sunshine, which enabled us to surf up the coast and we covered 36 kilometres. 

Heading north in perfect conditions on day two.

After turning around near Cape Peron we headed back south and encountered headwinds, but found by keeping in close to the cliffs we were able to keep out of the worst of the wind. On our way south we called in at our first camp site, to see if we could find Gill’s lost sunnies. We left the kayaks by the mangrove bushes and Gill searched the area where the tarpaulin had been, to everyones amazement, in the seaweed above the high water mark were her sunnies!

We covered the return journey in three and a half days, stopping early in the afternoon for our last night, just north of the Little Lagoon. This gave us a 12 kms easy paddle back to Denham the next day and a relaxing time in our last camp for the trip.

On the chart the sea area around the Little Lagoon to Denham is marked in green. This signifies that the area dries at very low tides, and whilst we did have water for the final leg of our trip, it was very shallow and with an increasing wind proved hard work. The wind pipped up as we rounded the point and had Denham in our sights, which made the final leg a slow one. Very frustrating when we could see the bakery but weren’t able to reach the espresso and pie we so longed for.

So the trip was over, it had been hard work, but rewarding. We camped on deserted beaches which gave us great sunsets and early morning views. We saw sharks, turtles and rays around our kayaks, as we paddled. One day, two Pelicans followed our kayaks for a long period, as we made our way south, intrigued no doubt with the interlopers in their territory. One night we saw an Osprey circling our bay as we prepared dinner, probably hunting for it’s own meal.

There is a wind farm just north of Denham with huge wind turbines, obviously put there because there’s a lot of wind in the area. Worth bearing in mind if you’re planning a visit.

Thanks go to my paddling partners Gill Palmer and Colin Priest for their good humour and company. We spent evenings watching the sunset and talking about kayaking and life.

Bracing themselves against the wind at the finish, Colin & Gilly

Special thanks go to Caroline and Clinton Marshall of the Bay Lodge Backpackers, for their assistance and friendliness. The Lodge was the starting and finishing point for our trip as it’s located right on the beach. 

Also, thanks go to Wende and Noel Smith from the ACRM base at Denham, the local volunteer marine radio base. We felt safe in the knowledge that someone locally knew we were out there. You can log on and off with them by calling on VHF CH 16 “ACRM Denham”. We lodged our Float Plan with them. 

We covered 118 kms on our trip, mainly into headwinds (did I mention that?).

Each paddler carried:

• Full safety equipment, including EPIRB and VHF radio.
• 30 litres of water.
• Food for up to 8 days.

Gill paddled a P&H Scorpio LV

Colin paddled a Horizon 580

Geoff paddled a Valley Etain

Lombok and the Gili Islands: Paradise Found or Paradise Lost?

Looks idilic doesn't it! Beware it's not what it appears.

Quite a few years have passed since we visited Indonesia and the prospect of a quiet relaxing holiday, away from it all, certainly appealed. I had memories of the Caribbean Islands I'd visited in the 80's, with beautiful beaches, sun and of course rum cocktails.

Well part of the holiday went to plan and I have to say that the trip to Senggigi on Lombok was easy. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel, which was as one would expect, to a high standard of service and facilities.  Things started to go down hill after the taxi trip to the port for Gili Air and the serenity of Senggigi was replaced with the hustle and stress of the Gili Islands transport system, of lack of it.

Leaving the "ferry" on Gili Air, so much room, not!

Many friends have raved about the Gili Islands, there are three islands, and we chose Gili Air as it was a non party island. To say I was disappointed with what we found would be an understatement. What is it about some destinations? How can you ruin a pretty island? Well they have managed to do just that, and I suppose to some extent, we as tourists seeking that "get away from it" destination are too blame. We want the remoteness and scenery, but also the bars, restaurants and all mod cons!

Our accommodation was in a lovely looking, but lethally designed, local styled hut. The stair case to the first floor and bedroom alone was a death trap.

I think the one thing that shattered the dream was the Duff Duff music, so much for a quiet island. One day the music from the Paradiso bar ( several hundred metres away) started at 4:00 pm and didn't finish until 4:00 am. So loud was the bass that the room vibrated. Do read my comments on TripAdvisor for the Sunrise Apartments, Gili Islands, Lombok, and if you're thinking of visiting, be aware that this area is not quiet!

All was not lost, we did enjoy a pleasant day snorkelling around all the islands. A trip to Gili Meno did show what it could be like if you don't over develop. As far as Gili Twenggan is concerned, it is as grubby and as bad as where we were staying.

Of course no visit to Indonesia would be complete without a dose of Bali Belly and I spent a number of days incapacitated.

So it was with some relief that we decided to evacuate from the islands and headed back to Senggigi. The Senggigi Beach Resort provided a very pleasant escape for a few days to recuperate and at $5.00 extra to what we had paid on the island, provided a fantastic view and accommodation. Do read the TripAdvisor report, it is a great place.

Our Table in the Restaurant Overlooking the Gardens an Beach.

I was so pleased to be heading home and thanks to the Sheraton Group, we were able to enjoy the facilities of their lounge at the airport and enjoy a pleasant interlude before boarding the Jet Star plane home.

Stay tuned, we're back and readying ourselves for the sea kayak trip to Denham and Dirt Hartog Island.

Doing Something Useful - For a Change!

Things have been moving quickly since I last posted.  

I have received the Australian Canoeing Sea Skills Accreditation, which was a great feeling and sense of achievement! Thanks go to all those who have assisted in the learning and up skilling process. In particular a huge thank you goes to Colin Priest for his time and patience in passing on his knowledge and skills. It has been a great privilege working with him, and his time and effort in assisting me in achieving this accreditation can not be overstated. My aim is still to work towards the Sea Guide accreditation, and I feel that it is now within my grasp!  "Oh, What A Feeling!"

Yes, I know. I've always said I'd never be involved in instruction again............ 

Most paddlers that know me will be surprised at this development.

Having spent years as an Advance Instructor with the British Sub - Aqua Club, I realised instructing wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. I'd grown tired of doing "novice dives".  So what on earth made me sign up for the Level 1, Flat Water Instructor Kayaking course?  Well, to be honest I'm not sure. Whether it was the challenge or just that for the first time in my life I've got time to do things (retired), or maybe, that Gill had completed the course recently and had been enthusiastic about it.

Anyway, early on Monday morning I found myself sitting having coffee at Kathy's cafe at Ascot, awaiting the start of the Instructors Course. 

The wise Jerry Alderton, and budding Instructors Helen, Ben, Sandy & Jamie

For two days, I and four others, spent an enthralling time with Instructor and Assessor Jerry Alderton going through the instructors syllabus. I honestly didn't think it would be fun, but it was. I was amazed at how much knowledge I had acquired over the years. What the course did was to make me think about the most basic of strokes, as teaching others really does ensure that you do it properly. I even had to brush up my presentation skills, but it was all worthwhile.

Jerry, still smiling after two days of instructing!

Sandy in Instructor Mode.

To anyone unsure of taking part in any of the Australian Canoeing accreditation courses or skills programs, I'd can only pass on my personal experiences, which have been positive and worthwhile. Should you every need any assistance in deciding, contact Rosalie or Zac at Canoeing WA, they will assist.

Home Made Paddle Float for a Greenland Paddle.

My current inflatable paddle float is only suitable for a Euro Paddle and really doesn't work with my Greenland Paddle. This "just in case" piece of equipment is important, so I went on line and found a website, greenlandorbust.org with clear instructions and photo's on how to make a solid rubber float for my Greenland Paddle.

Not being a renowned handyman I was sceptical about making it, but by following the very clear instructions I surprised myself and achieved a perfectly working float.

Rubber cut and marked out prior to gluing.

After gluing the sheet is folded and held in place with weights until the glue has set.

The completed paddle float stitched on the glued side, with Greenland paddle inserted, ready for use.

Swan Canoe Club Broke Inlet Trip.

This years trip took place over the Australia Day Weekend and six intrepid members made the long journey south. Geoff Emery, Kerstin Beckmann, Ian Viapree, James Chapman and Gill & Geoff Palmer.

 It should be noted that Gail and Colin Priest were unable to attend this year, as Gail has had an operation, their attendance was missed by all and we wish her a speedy recovery.

The water levels were low, we have been very lucky in the past few years with relatively high levels. So navigating the Inlet was not always in a straight line between two points,  as it was necessary to paddle off the route at times to find deep water. 

We all decided that Windy Corner gave the best possibility of deeper water paddling and we were soon making our way to the the campsite and had everything set up by late afternoon. There was even time for Geoff E and James to have a leisurely  paddle to Shannon Island and back, or maybe it was a time trial?

The weather forecast was very favourable to us for the trip, with mainly light to gentle breezes predicted.  However, we were perfectly positioned for the last day, even if the wind did increase, we could even walk the kayaks back to Camfield where we had launched, the water level was that low.

Our first trip was to Clarke Island, always a popular campsite, but this year the low level made the approach hard work and eventually most paddlers opted for the walking option. Many of us decided to walk and tow our kayaks to Bald Island and one of the party even continued walking to Birthday Beach, just so he could say he had done it! Maybe not the first to walk between the islands, but a novel experience even so!

        Gill & Ian Walking From Clarke Island to Bald Island. Water Levels Were Low This Year!

It was a very hot day, and with little wind for relief, plus shallow water to paddle in, the conditions soon took their toll. We all met at Coal Point, before paddling to the River Mouth, but half of the party decided that enough was enough and went straight back to the camp. They were the sensible ones. The two Geoff's and James continued on to the the sea, and then the long slog back in hot conditions and shallow water. Of course, James and Geoff E weren't racing, but it was amusing watching them sneak looks at each other, and increase their paddle rate when the other wasn't looking..........

We all rested for the remainder of the afternoon in our saunas/tents, as the wind was calm and the heat high. Geoff E emerged at regular intervals to cool off.

The party split for the next paddle, with Gill, Kerstin and Ian heading for the River Mouth and the two Geoff's and James for the Shannon River. Both groups had a good morning paddle, the trip to the sea went well and Gill and Ian swam in the sea before returning. The Shannon River trip was a pleasant surf virtually the whole way, with the wind behind us. Navigation was the key to finding the hard to see entrance of the river and 318 degrees will forever be etched into our minds, as this is the course required from Shannon Island.

With good water in the river we soon made the campsite where the river splits in two, and had morning tea, mainly devouring Geoff E's fruit cake which was delicious. We were wary of the wind conditions as we approached the Inlet for the return paddle to Windy Corner, but to our delight, the conditions had eased to a gentle breeze, but with strong gusts. The competitive element eventually took over with James taking right bank and the two Geoff's staying centre channel, and Geoff E and James were soon pacing each other again - not that they are competitive!

On two occasions over the weekend, we were impressed with James's attention to the welfare of wildlife on the Inlet. Firstly,  with the Emu's we sighted in the Cut to the River Mouth, where he steered us away, as we may have frightened them. Secondly,  in the Shannon River where he guided us away from a possibly injured swan. 

               The Homeward Journey Begins - But Which Way Is Home?

This trip is not just about the paddling, it is also a real get away from it weekend. Each paddler has to take their own water, food and equipment, as we leave the cars behind and pack everything into our kayaks, which makes it something special.

The company made the weekend one to remember. Thank you to my fellow paddlers for a very enjoyable time