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

Upper Noosa River
Date: 20-08-2010
Some places and events have characteristics that remain immutable. The serenity of a windless Lake Cootharaba and the efficiency of Ray's packing. The frogs popped like a Siberian work gang and lake remained glassy while Ray waited patiently for me to stuff the remaining gear into the hatches. The 25 - 30 knot W - SW change was a no show, unlike the shoal off Elanda Point which is currently at a paddle blade depth a couple of hundred metres east off the white marker. Coming into Kinaba the floods have moved vast amounts of sands and large trees. Even kayaks do well to follow the channel.

Along the western bank around Fig Tree Point the rushes are burnt right down to the water line. At Harry's George's holler and a couple of toots on a whistle bought his son Scott down to the jetty. He happened to be camping with his family on the same weekend and was surprised at the good time we had made. The decision was made to meet tomorrow morning at Campsite One then walk along the Cooloola Trail to Wandi Waterhole. Just north of Harry's we came across what we had been smelling for a while. The bush was charred as were the reeds. The delineation and smell suggested this was a recent back burn.

While we had missed out on the wind, it turned out the forecast rain was on the button. We pulled in at Campsite One with just enough light to make camp when the rain started. One of the main poles for the Macpac tent snapped and ripped a hole in the tent. Brilliant. Just what you want on dark when it is raining. The other Macpac tent I have, a Celeste, is a delicate shade of it's former purple self, the fabric no longer keeps out the rain, the corner seams in base have worn through, the ends of the poles are flaring and starting to split. But after 25 years you get that. It seems that the reliability of some Macpac tents may not be immutable. My Citadel, was now onto pole break number two with lightweight use. Both sections have broken without being stressed beyond how the tent has been designed to be used. On closer inspection where the break happened, the ferrule appears to be missing an inner sleeve. Unfortunately the price was not immutable as you continue to pay a premium for what, at least in the past, has been excellent outdoor equipment. As for the so called "lifetime warranty", this will probably mean another instore debate as to the meaning of the the words "warranty" and "lifetime". Macpac no longer makes the Citadel. Mmmm wonder why.

It was a cool wet night which bought out a couple of tent bullfrogs. In the morning the toot of a whistle heralded Scott, Alannah and Henry's arrival at the jetty. They had Harry's to themselves overnight. Heading off on an election weekend is a great way to escape the media hype, and it seems, everyone else too. Henry was snuggled up in a lifejacket and continued to sleep soundly. After a short paddle downstream, all of the boats were hauled up at the log landing on the opposite bank. With Henry tucked up in his carry pack we set off along the trail which had a few squelchy places and water running across the track at the head of the Wandi Waterhole.

The wildflowers were starting to come out along the trail. The dominant form were the grass trees. Their spires were much smaller than those seen on Moreton Island and came in hues of green, brown and cream with the later attracting native bees and ants to their nectar. The hakea had again failed to regenerate. Their woody skeletal forms and ruptured cones remaining as they had been for several years despite further fires. We hardly heard a peep from Henry who at lunch time was happy to sit with Grandad and check out the grass.

It was a beautiful warm day and after the walk plunging a sun warmed body into a winter river was not easy. The delicate musical chatter of lots of tiny birds interspersed with screeches of black and white cockatoos and humans started at pre-dawn and faded after sunset when sky revealed the silent forms of bats flying across river. The air cooled quickly as we passed the bowls of nibbles and enjoyed a glass of red or white on the jetty. After another canned heat and eat meal was sussed out and the washing up done we were surprised by the agility and boldness of a bush rat. It ran up the leg of a full size camp table, scurried around the dishes in full view of four headlamps before deciding to continue on over the side of the table, down the opposite leg and off into the bushes.

The stars and moon promised a cold night so I released the green slug from it's tight confines. The Macpac down bag with single figure ratings, bought 25 years ago, unlike the tent is almost as good as new. It usually lives in the wardrobe but on a night like tonight it made a welcome appearance. Thanks to it we were nice and toasty, and to a fly over the hole in the tent, dry. I was so comfortable I didn't hear the resident bullfrog having a duel. It took the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to make the warm bed worth abandoning.

As usual we took longer than most to pack so caught up with everyone at Harry's Hut. Waved on by Scott, Alannah and Henry we headed off and took a detour up Kin Kin Creek. The water in this wide creek is murky from silt rather than tannin. It is not a place to dip a toe. Being a perfect habitat for bullsharks little wonder there is a bridge for the Cooloola Trail. We went as far as the remnant of the original swing bridge. George remembered that further upstream before the next bridge was choked with logs. By the amount of gouging of the banks, there was a possibility that this was even more the case so we decided to turn around here, a point marked by a particularly realistic loggodile. Mark and I trailed as the other three made quick work heading first for Kinaba for lunch and then the canoe launching point. We had our sails up to invite the NE to blow a little more, something it very nicely, 10 minutes after we had landed.

The Upper Noosa River is as lovely as ever, a welcome refuge from the media melee that climaxes with an election. Ironic, that on or return we find out that the song and dance might have another week to run.
Ray heads out
While we push off
Shades of wintry grey
Ray at Kinaba
Happy crew
Alannah, Scott and Henry arrive
Babe in the woods
Cooloola Trail
Did I stand in something ?
Grass tree spires
Sparkling with nectar
About to leave Wandi Waterhole
One very happy chappy
Erosion along Kin Kin Creek
Loggodile
Leaving via the channel