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

Coochie Night Paddle
Date: 14-11-2008
Launch: Victoria Pt North Boat Ramp
Distance: 9km
Conditions: Wind Light Northeasterly

A short night paddle around Coochie had left the day free and sounded like a great the way to wet the boats again. Not reading the blurb (can be a good idea) left us embarrassingly unprepared to contribute gourmet finger food so we took a bonza bun instead.

Kayaks gathered on the muddy sand near the bottom of the tide to the north of the Victoria Point boat ramp. A steady NE was blowing across a turning tide as the group started to head counterclockwise around the island. However, this did not hold much interest for Mark nor I as we thought it meant a short stint before dinner. We did an about face and headed north and in doing so picked up a tail. Carol wondered if she had missed something as the direction she was paddling in changed without discussion. Fluid decisions like this bring a UHF radio into their own as they keep people in the loop.

Trundling up the island into a warm slop we scuttled alongside the reef looking for the marker. By now it was getting dark and our trail zig zagged as we picked our way along by paddle strike whilst homing in on the yellow flashing beacon at the end of the reef. Here we bobbed around holding position waiting for the tail to wind in. It was dark and with moon rise a couple of hours way it was inky. A steady small chop washed over the boat and it was like being rocked erractically in a wet hammock. Even had we read the blurb, we certainly had no intention of landing on the northern beach as the tide was still very low and those beaches have rocks a plenty. I was wondering about how far the NE reef stretched offshore. This this rocky little beauty had gouged large scrolls of plastic off both platypus and was heralded by small breaking waves in a paddle depth of water. It made for warm face slaps and nervous moments for possible boat strike.

Again UHF radios may have been helpful with the front of the mob passing back directions although I think most people would have kept their hands on their paddles and just followed the dancing lights ahead. The radios would have been invaluable had there been a man overboard in such dark conditions.

Rounding the eastern side bought a quiet following swell. Something large in deeper water rose up and bumped the bottom of Mark's kayak. Certainly wasn't mineral and thankfully did not return for identification purposes. Fish splashed around in the shallows as we rounded the SE corner and headed in for land.

Sheltered from the NE the southern beach was blissfully calm although we had to head in close to the jetty for a sandy landing. A beautiful spread of home made finger food graced the table next to which we placed the ungracious dumper of a cream and raspberry bun. The tidbits were exquisite. Even dumper was divvyed up. Ted kindly shepherded the boats up the beach with the rising tide. With everyone satiated on a variety of delicacies we headed back for Victoria Point. For a moment there it looked like we were going to have a welcoming committee as several cars spun donuts in the car park. At times there could be advantages to arriving on location enmasse wearing body padding and holding a paddle.

While the UHF are excellent for communication, they need to be held securely in a water proof bag so that the buttons are accessible in a predictable location at all times. They also need to work. While there were times when the signal was broken, this is not always the case. If you are bollocking your paddling partner, the others might just be maintaining discrete radio silence.

Gathering at Victoria Point
 
Coochie Night Paddle Map
GPS Trackfile (OziExplorer .plt)