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

Karragarra
Date: 13-08-2011
It was a bit like Goldilocks. First stop Masthead Drive Raby Bay. Nah, too much like hard work batting into the SE which by now was more than rippling the palm tops. Second option Point Halloran. Nah, still too much like hard work punching over to Coochie. Option 3 Weinam Creek. Karragarra for AM tea and lunch on Russell. Just right. The wind was whipping a beam reach to the Garden Island passage and there was the promise of a wicked sailing return. Whoo ho. This looked like FUN day out, if my sail could survive the distance.

Bazr et al were already parked up at Weinam Creek. We didn't recognise the cars, but neglected the temporal clue. Saturday = Sandgaters. A chilly little wave obligingly became my tactile travelling companion for today, hopping inside the cockpit just as I pushed off. We sailed a steady beam reach to the entrance of the passage which was marked by bird of prey, likely white bellied sea eagles. Here we converged with a South African paddler in the shallow water. Just enough tide to say hello, wish him well in his quest for lunch before scooting through to the shelter of the mangroves before Karragarra.

My attempt to sail the last open stretch lined me up with a ferry rather than gave a satisfying ride. A quick flick of the stick was required to beetle out of the way and converge on the beach where a neat array of kayaks weas parked up. While we recognised the orange shirts with directions on where to return the wearer to, the only face we could place was Selwyn. We had last met in 2005 at the Keppels. Mark and I had been the resort paddlers he and Keith intended to mow down, only problem was that they didn't seem to gain any ground. It was the source of much mirth when we met up on the beach at Humpy Island.

The Sandgaters had come from the other direction and had had a great time surfing / sailing the stretch I was fanging out for. We enjoyed our coffee and a chat seated at one the beautiful new green trestle tables under the shade of a hibiscus tree. After a convenience stop at what would have to be the loveliest loo on the Bay it was around to Russell Island. However Russell was not all that appealing. What beach there was was tiny and had a muddy skirt and the park was full of screeching ankle biters. Nah. Move onto the next boat ramp. Nah. The doof doof blew that option away. On the southern side of Karragarra below the cable crossing sign a deserted beach with a fine gravelly topping beckoned. That will do. Just right. It was the foreshore of a grassy park at the end of a street. We enjoyed our lunch in the sun, sheltered from the SE which continued to whip across the top of Russell Island.

As we headed for the Ws the final leg was looking alarming calm. The wind had dropped to 10 knots. Talk about ripped off. Certainly no threat to blowing out my rotten sail. A radio call pulled Mark up. No way I was going to be run over by a ferry on my pat malone. Hide behind a channel marker or go for safety in numbers - whatever keeps your boat afloat. I went for both.

Three whistling kites engaged in a spectacular cartwheeling dog fight that made the dispute between three pied oyster catchers last Saturday look positively tame. The oyster catchers relied on a lot of screeching. The only surprise I had was when I came across turbulence in around 3/4 paddle depth of muddy water. It was a dugong. We saw it break the surface as it headed out to the channel. Poor creature, it could have done without being disturbed, as it probably needs all its energy it has to eke out what sea grass is left. As we came into Weinam Creek the mud bar had us go in close to the breakwater before coming ashore at a very muddy ramp. All in all the third choice turned out just right.
New tables at Karragarra
Puddling along the shoreline
Sailing around eastern Karragarra
Just right for lunch
Sparkling mud pack
Leaving the go slow area
Into the Ws
He's off
Oi wait for me . . .