Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Agnes Water Kayak therapy Feb/march 21

 

After seeing Rosemary and Marcus and doing some camping with both with the troopy, I went to this old haunt which I had good memories of Kayaking in the long swells in the bay, sunsets and a small 80s style town.  

Was hot, and had to use my rear drop down Mosquito net to the max with both rear doors open at night .  Hammock camping would be ideal at this time of year.  Pref with included mossie net.  

I slept in my old Malay hammock a little,  with a new full box mosquito net with a groundsheet and side entrance. 

5 days in Eurimbula ck  Np,  then 2 night at middle creek (great stars, few places, good mangrove paddle up the creek.  

Some good practice with mild surf,  capsized and got back in with wet entry roll using the paddle float (new way).  Also some good rolls.

My old 200W foldaway soft solar panel died after strong rain... important for my fridge when not driving much.  

But got a 100W hard one sent up at no cost from 4WDsupacentre.   Arrived after 2 days...  at a backpackers where I stayed briefly. I was not sure where to put it on car ... to bolt it to car boot ?   But had an easy solution: to strap with 2 stretch straps with biners on top of my trunk . Worked well,  could take of easily and put at angles to sun when I camped for a few days.  

When bopping around town or camping in Parkings, I kept it on top and it trickle charged my second battery.  This was something I had been wanting for quite a while. 

Used the old cables i had,  got an electrician to do a few mods to plugs to make life easy and not have to open boot to plug voltage controller each time... voltage controller now in passenger area, with solar cable coming thru window. 


2day trip with big surf and capsize

Did a 2 day trip with tent... windy days and had to land just south of middle creek in fairly large semi dumpy surf... went sideways, held for a bit then capsized... had all gear onboard,  grabbed kayak and let surf push me in , then some swimming.  Lots of bailing of water once I was on beach. 

then carted up my drybags with big bunning bags, set up tent and had dinner. 

next day was pretty nervous re getting out , got out quick , skirt put on then out into open water. then 3hr paddle into strong wind...  to get back to Troopy and camp.

Night kayak adventure... 

Also had an another adventure coming back at night from Agnes to Eurimbula ck camp area... did not know exactly where to land, landed south 1.5 km, took me 1 hour of walking beach North/South to realise I was south , kayaked back up to river entrance.... Lesson:  take Gps and mark your park point, treed land looks very similar from sea, especially at night. Arrived tired but very relaxed from hi energy adventure...

Days at 1770 

I camped 3 days at the beachside camp at 1770 (15 minutes North of Agnes water, just south of sunset lookout car park). 

Fibreglassed my rear mudguard together (got hit by kangaroo when exiting Halls gap).  And did some rust work in that area. 

Every afternoon, went out and kayaked up to the sunset point - nice easy swells to catch and surf. And sometimes Dolphins.  Great sunset also. 


Once On return, I saw a young girl playing Ukulele on the beach... a good player. Stopped and talked for a long time, life story,  how she had taken too many psychedelic drugs one instance... and she knew the town of Port Marly where I grew up (!)  as had visited it with a boyfriend when she was in France. Quite a coincidence.. 

I also found her mother's sunglasses the next day on the beach and got them back to her.  

Met quite a few travellers, talked re fruit picking with some. Especially at the sunset point.. small groups sitting down.  




Eurimbula Creek NP camp











2 day kayak trip 


 

3 Below:  walk from spring beach to red rock. 






Below:  Sunset from 1770 Marina





Cape Hillsborough April, Near Whitsundays

 

3 days in a National Park camp, Just North of Mackay Town, mining central. easily accessible by 2WD.   Very peaceful .  Huge tidal differences with big flat at low tide.  But paddlable +/- 2 hrs or so of low tide. 

Also the water at the Tap is fully drinkable, unusual.  

Did a short paddle to the south, across rocky and foresty wild area. Many largish islands 20km or away,  leading up to whitsundays within view North. 

On my way back I saw dolphins fishing about 50m away, close to beach.

Full Moon at night,  fresh nights and much fewer flies than when I was in Agnes Waters in feb/March.  

walked south along beach for 300m, found track ... vague track with pink, yellow and blue markers.  goes up into jungle with boulders and then up cliffs.... old school small rough track in QLD,  no signs.