Calendar


Trip Diary

08-2012 Peel Island (An Ekka tradition)
08-2012 Moreton Island
07-2012 Rocky Point
06-2012 Blakesleys
06-2012 The Bedroom
05-2012 Breakfast on Karragarra
05-2012 St Helena
05-2012 Perigee Bedroom
02-2012 Queen Mary II
02-2012 Mud Island
11-2011 St Helena
11-2011 Shorncliffe to Redcliffe
10-2011 Weinam Ck to Dunwich
10-2011 Peel Island
10-2011 Breakfast on Karragarra
10-2011 St Helena and Green Island
09-2011 Wivenhoe Dam
08-2011 Fraser Island
08-2011 Canaipa Passage
08-2011 Karragarra
08-2011 Stradbroke Island
07-2011 St Helena
07-2011 So long, and thanks for all the fish.
05-2011 Green Island
05-2011 Wivenhoe Dam
04-2011 Upper Noosa River Weekend
04-2011 Easter at Woodgate
04-2011 Mud Island
04-2011 Karragarra for Breakfast
02-2011 Bongaree
02-2011 St Helena
01-2011 Weinam Ck to Blakesleys
10-2010 Moore to Blackbutt Rail Trail
10-2010 Whitsundays
09-2010 Mud Island
09-2010 Redcliffe
09-2010 Girraween
08-2010 Upper Noosa River
08-2010 Potts Point
08-2010 Peel Island
08-2010 Gateway to City Bike Ride
08-2010 Mud Island
07-2010 Blakesleys Afternoon Paddle
07-2010 Kedron Brook to Scaborough (and return)
04-2010 Colmslie Beach
04-2010 Brighton Park
01-2010 Nundah Creek
01-2010 Blakesleys
01-2010 Upper Noosa River (with a difference)
01-2010 New Year Paddle
12-2009 Potts Point
08-2009 Raby Bay to Peel Island
08-2009 Wynnum Creek to King Island
07-2009 Sandgate to Redcliffe
05-2009 St Helena
04-2009 Wellington Point to Peel
04-2009 Breakfast on Karragarra
03-2009 King Island
03-2009 Mission Point
03-2009 Mud Island
01-2009 Morning Tea at The Pin
01-2009 Circumnavigate Macleay Island
01-2009 New Year Recovery Paddle
12-2008 Caniapa
12-2008 Pine Rivers
11-2008 Coochie Night Paddle
10-2008 Breakfast at Karragarra
10-2008 Girraween
10-2008 Coomera Falls Circuit
09-2008 Hinchinbrook Island
09-2008 Manly Harbour Festival
09-2008 Linville to Blackbutt Rail Trail
08-2008 Weekend at Blakesleys
08-2008 Old Woman Island
08-2008 Circumnavigate Macleay Island
07-2008 Upper Noosa River
07-2008 Weinam Creek to Dunwich
06-2008 Scarborough to Bongaree
06-2008 Wellington Pt to St Helena
06-2008 North Stradbroke Jazz Weekend
05-2008 Point O'Halloran to Blakesleys
04-2008 Upper Noosa River
04-2008 Aquatic Paradise to St Helena Is
04-2008 Eprapah Creek
03-2008 Paradise Point to Moreton Island
03-2008 Wynnum Ck to Tangalooma Point
03-2008 Amity Point weekend
03-2008 Bremer River
03-2008 Brisbane River - Gregors Ck to Barneys Rocks
02-2008 Play Day - Coochie Mudlo
02-2008 World Wetlands Day Paddle
02-2008 Brisbane River night paddle
01-2008 Australia Day Week
01-2008 Blakesleys 3/4 Moon Paddle
01-2008 Shorncliffe to Nudgee
01-2008 Brisbane River - Barneys Rocks to O'Sheas Crossing
12-2007 Raby Bay to One Mile via Blakesleys and Potts Point
12-2007 Diamond Head to Tipplers
12-2007 Wynnum Ck to Green and St Helena Islands
11-2007 Bike Ride Bay Islands
11-2007 Tingalpa Creek
10-2007 Potts Point Night Paddle
10-2007 Return to Gilligans Island
10-2007 Salt Water Creek and Coomera River
09-2007 Elimbah Creek
09-2007 Scarborough to Caboolture River
09-2007 Fraser Island Whale Watching
09-2007 Circumnavigate Russell Island
08-2007 Pine Rivers Night Paddle
08-2007 Linville to Blackbutt Rail Trail
08-2007 Brisbane River City Reach
08-2007 Peel Island
08-2007 Brisbane River
08-2007 Green Island Day Trip
07-2007 Pine Rivers Night Paddle
07-2007 Mooloolah River
07-2007 USS Kitty Hawk in Brisbane River
06-2007 Black Tie on Peel Island
05-2007 Harrys Hut Camping Weekend
04-2007 Theodolite Creek
04-2007 Upper Burrum River
04-2007 Circumnavigate Big Woody
04-2007 Walkers Point to Toogum
03-2007 Boat Passage to Big Sandhills
12-2006 Woodgate to Mon Repos
10-2006 Fraser Island Whale Watching
04-2005 Keppel Islands
12-2004 Fraser Island
10-2004 Munna Point Camping Weekend
10-2004 Mooloolaba to Maroochydore
09-2004 Coochie Mudlo Island
08-2004 Karragarra Island
07-2004 Wellington Point to St Helena Island
06-2004 Noosa River Camping Weekend
05-2004 Brisbane River Night Paddle
04-2004 Budds Beach to Moreton Island
10-2003 Bulwer to Tangalooma
05-2003 Eatonsville to Harwood Island

Links

SEQSK Discussion Group
SEQSK Newsletters
Adventurer Anthony Malloch

Mud Island
Date: 26-09-2010
Placid with limpid waters, the northern bay was at its Spring best. By 7:45 there was only one other kayaker at the boat passage car park. It was Janice, here for her regular early morning sojourn amongst the mangroves. Without time to come to Mud we saw her off with two of the day's cache of mulberry muffins. With no other takers we took our time for a successful trial of the new set up for the amphibious wheels then doddled off at an appropriately serene pace.

The turtles were bobbing, mullet jumping, birds of prey soaring, a bevy of swans mulling and the solitary paddler drifting. We headed for and paddled amongst the mangroves at South Point to come out to find that it was so calm, that even from this distance we could see Mud Island's entire profile. Turtles continued to break the surface and as we approached the southern creek two birds of prey cartwheeled in a spectacular dog fight.

The first clue to the day's hunt was a trail of tarsal bones. I called out to Mark asking about the direction of the creek and while distracted he almost did what we know as an Anthony. He just missed running up and onto what we then discovered looked like part of a cranium. Our suspicions were backed by the fragrance. Out of the mangroves, emanating from a massive macerated carcass was a putrid stench. If anyone wants to acquire a piece of whale bone to adorn their purist paddle, by the state of the remains they are deserved of what they get. Maybe wait another couple of years, although given where the carcass is located they are hardly going to be sun bleached. We were not interested in getting any closer to figure out whether this was one or more of the three carcasses brought to Mud to decompose. Instead we followed the creek until it widened to a shallow lagoon. There were some beautiful small loggerhead turtles swimming amongst the mangroves which were in a foot or more of water half an hour off the top of the tide.

Heading back out we continued our whale watching tour in an anticlockwise direction thinking about how difficult it would be the haul such a massive carcass into a small creek, especially if it was starting to disintegrate as suggested by the trail of tarsals, neck vertebrae and cranium. At the top of the tide the inner lagoon that skirts the SE corner of Mud Islands is a great place to paddle. Today the water was transparent, turtles a plenty. As we left the three kayaks each sporting a seal club were passing through one of the breaks into the outer lagoon, it looked like Damiano et al.

If you paddle next to the mangroves at the top of the tide, you do not have to port over the coral rubble. When you can go no further turn left and go bush as this will take you to the longest creek on the island. Emerging from the shrubbery we surprised a fisherman who looked like he thought he had the place to himself at the mouth of the creek. This creek widens out and it is unclear which is the most likely direction to take you further into the island's interior. With a falling tide it all became a bit academic and the symphony of mossies were amongst the most aggressive and plentiful I have ever seen. The concert was bought to an abrupt close with the fragrance Rid or Bushmans.

Next stop was the NW Lagoon for mulberry muffins. The northern coral bank was covered with commerants and as usual they left a pressie on departure. Charming. Eau de guano. Tiny submerged mangroves are starting to fringe the inner ring of this beautiful place. It will be interesting to see how they fare in the years to come. We watched Damiano et al paddle by their share of these scrummy muffins with freshly picked mulberries courtesy of BCC.

We didn't check the perimeter of the lagoon for whales, although being sheltered from the SE and with a wide creek mouth on the high I thought it might have been place to haul a hulk. A couple of hundred metres west of the lagoon looks like a brilliant place for snorkelling 101. Leaving earlier to avoid the heat and aiming for a 10am high could be a great way to spend a relaxed summer's morning. Here there is a coral rubble bank to secure the boats, a beginners area amongst the mangroves then out to a quick drop off with clear jade water.

Onwards we waved by Damiano et al perched on a coral bank on the northern side of the island. The limpid waters were exquisite, too bad all you had to look at was mainly coral rubble. We did see a graceful baby eagle ray with a measle of spots and an incredibly long fine tail. Someone has nailed what looks like pieces of white corrugated sheet iron to trees in about four places. Cheap GPS possibly - one small boat had taken it as a clue as to where to fish. The next fragrance to waft by was that of tobacco brought in by a gentle northerly that was starting to come in as predicted.

Close to shore the water was an opaque turquoise suggestive of a disturbed sandy bottom - don't be fooled, this beautiful colour obscures rock or coral waiting for a hull sample. A pied oyster catcher remained unperturbed as we moseyed around his neck of the woods. We plodded past a fascinating lagoon locked away on the NW corner and a suggestion of a stream, but didn't see or smell any suggestion of another humpback carcass. We called into the western lagoon for lunch on a falling tide, the moment to try out the Cooper nylon anchor Mark had been given as a birthday present having seen it demonstrated on the New Inventors. After looking at it in the picture it is now called Yip. Mark had to explain why because as kids we were limited to Basil Brush on Sunday or the nightly News. Needless to say we were big fans of Basil.

We enjoyed lunch in ergonomic comfort, felt the northerly pick up and watched Damiano et al pass by another muffin break. To my surprise someone with a seal club had a sail - I thought the two items were mutually exclusive and that sails were only used by flagrant heathens like ourselves. Ali worked well although the deck rope also entangled coral snags as the Raider bossed the Marlin around in the fickle breeze.

The trip back was placid, the breeze slight and the swell tiddly. At 2 1/2 hours before the low the shovel sign was well exposed. However, there appeared to be a reasonable amount of water and the channel marker seemed awfully close compared to the Darcy Light. At a stick we made a right turn and chanced it. Of course we didn't make it and we ended up walking the boats across firm sand with some seagrass through ankle deep water. A jet skier later thanked us saying that if it was too shallow for us then he wasn't going to even contemplate it. I got back in the boat not a moment too soon, one paddle stroke had the water boil as a large ray shot through. The mangrove mud around the boat passage had us get out next to the ramp and do a reverse amphibian with the Marlin. The wheels worked a treat, I only hope that they perform as well with a laden boat.

As the last paddle before a much anticipated first sojourn to the Whitsundays in kayaks, today was a success for whale watching, the new gear and a test for recent repairs. It will be a trip of a lifetime if we score on the weather and visibility like we did today.
Packing with mulberry muffin cache in foreground.
How's the serenity ?
Sole kayaker and the bevy.
Sneaking through South Point mangroves.
St Helena.
Mud Island.
So much serenity.
Possible first rib.
Putrid carcass.
Almost Mark's folly.
Whale watching.
The inner lagoon.
Mud's largest creek.
Blame that one on the mossies.
Heading out the creek mouth.
Damiano et al.
Mmmm muffins.
Rocky bottom.
Casual oyster catcher.
Introducing Yip Yip.
Lunch with a view.
Turn right for a walk.