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

Peel Island
Date: 16-10-2011
Launch: Pt Halloran
Distance: 27Km
Conditions: Wind Light NE
How do you lose a paddler in the mangroves on the NW corner of Peel Island ? I didn't think it was remotely in the realms of possibility. That was until Jurg disappeared.

Lightening had struck the night paddle to Coochie off the list of things to do. An intense band of cells ripped through Brisbane and out over the bay, more like a summer event and somewhat unusual at this time of year. It was the kind of event you tend to take a rather dim view of while lunching on Mud Island, thunderheads boiling over the mainland striking their way seaward.

Eight paddlers shared the consensus that Peel was a goer. The tide was coming in and there was enough sand to make a comfortable departure from the beach in front of the pine trees at Point O'Halloran. It was surprisingly hot out on the water. The bay remained a ruffled calm as we headed straight for Platypus Bay where we beached next to a small powerboat.

After the Moreton Bay Canteen opened, a few more small powerboats nosed into shore. I don't think they were after some caramel bun or rich fudge chocolate cake, more like geographical separation from the police zodiac which was conducting random checks of all of the boats anchored off the wreck of the Platypus. We half expected the contents of the newly arrived boats to go on a bush walk, naturally wearing a full complement of life jackets and taking with them the regulatory fire extinguisher, just in case of a bush fire.

It was hot enough to make swimming appealing and enjoyable. We then slipped out heading anticlockwise around the island for lunch at the disused jetty on the western shore. It was a simply glorious day. The mangroves around the northern side of Peel have large trunks, greater separation and are less twiggy than those flanking St Helena. What we didn't know was that they lend themselves to significant exploration, even in a 5.8m kayak. It was here that we lost Jurg. After waiting for a while, he was still nowhere in sight. We fanned out, some in the mangroves, others along the fringe retracing out course while Beatrice called out. You simply could not attribute it to the location. We were only in a foot of water. With three UHF radios in contact, it was strange, he was nowhere to be found. Jurg had simply disappeared. In the meantime Jurg thought it was the group that had disappeared. When he emerged from the mangroves, we were nowhere in sight. With a 2.4m high tide Jurg had unwittingly found a shortcut across the NW corner of Peel Island. Now known as Jurg's Passage, this is worth returning to on a king tide for further exploration.

Shoals of fish rippled through the waters around the mangrove, startled rays left plumes of sand in their wake, bait fish danced in applauding arcs while sea eagles squawked like ibis. Graham checked out the remains of a small catamaran with a cage on its deck hidden in the mangroves. Mark became the party boat festooned with the dreaded discarded balloons. We sailed by the remains of the western jetty coming ashore on the SW corner in the shade of the mangroves. The Moreton Bay Canteen became a party scene as word was out that Graham, Chris and I all shared a birthday within a week of the day. Carol did not think that the exquisite fudge chocolate cake was up to the celebrated standard so we all agreed when we got whiff that it might make a return appearance featuring less time in the oven.

After checking out the emergence of the underwater cable powering the island, the associated tin shed and sad sight of a long dead large loggerhead turtle we pushed off for Point O'Halloran. The NE was still in play and made for light sailing conditions. Two unknown paddlers, one in a kayak with a red deck, the other light blue, neither with a sail or rudder slid anonymously by. With wind against tide there was an occasional small chop that delivered a fun ride, once we knew where the car barge was going.

It was a beautiful day out in great company including the lovely legged Bear Glover, the Canteen's legendary cook Carol, and the disappearing Jurg, who proved with the following GPs track, that yes, you can vanish into the mangroves on the NW corner of Peel Island.
Getting ready
Ready steady there Bear Glover
Arrival at Platypus Bay
Happy Canteen
Setting off around the island
And into the mangroves
And out again
Skirting the fringe
Fibreglass amigos
Now that's a purist
Peel's royalty
Where's Jurg ?
Still no Jurg
Found him
Contented Chris
Checking out a wreck
Party boat
Easy sailing
Plus a bit of paddle
Passing by the old jetty
SW rocks
Party Canteen - lovely legs there Bear
It's a skinny little boat
Breezing back on the a NE
 
Peel Island Map
GPS Trackfile (OziExplorer .plt)