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: 13-02-2012
Mud, Mud, glorious Mud - how could you deny it on a day like today ?

Lapped by turquoise waters. Lagoons encircled by bleached coral shoals. The silence of whale bones. A place where turtles and shovel nosed sharks swim in the dappled shade of the mangroves. We thought we have no company until David pulled up thinking that he had missed the start. His choice of day to visit this misnomer of the Bay was superb.

It was already over 30C when we made direct for the mangrove passage. It was fascinating to see that the scum showed the direction of inflow did not change until a mere 50m from the opening into the Bay. Not only was David seeing the Bay from a new angle, he had been through the mangrove passage pretty much at the limit of its accessibility.

Our trip across to Mud was into a gentle 5Kn NE. A bevy of four black swans beat their exit. The water was broken by the silhouette of an occasional turtle as we made for one of the two southern creeks in search of the whale carcass. It was around 18 months ago when oil coated the water and the stench was putrid. This time there was no smell. The trail of bones lead to a silent jumble of what was once a gargantuan creature. The mossies took hold of their preferred paddler and proved to be persistent companions as we slipped along the inside of the coral shoals. The direction of flow has changed at the mouth of the eastern creek. Access is through a cluster of dead trees rather than an open mouth flanked by a coral shoal bank. The creek itself remains a surprisingly wide expanse of sheltered water with beautiful reflections. However, it is not that remote and the pandanus camping area had an abandoned tattered fly and tent. I collected a green boogie board from the mangroves while David collected various ropes hitched in the mangroves or from the campsite.

Mark and I had packed our snorkelling gear with the idea to have snoop around the NE lagoon. To my dismay the entrance was wide open to all traffic, hardly the shallow shoal that only let the turtles escape. A quick dip suggested a muddy bottom and the murky water soon kyboshed the idea of snorkelling. The tide was so high that the coral shoal rim to the north was submerged leaving a somewhat squitty exposed bank. We left that one for the cormorants and headed in to park up on the inside of the southern rim.

After lunch the NE was starting to pick up to the 10-15 Kn as promised. It delivered a gentle sail back with some scooting rides on the swell. Coming in around the SE corner where the reef extends off St Helena was a short fun paddle through a small tidal race. Riding the small waves while the water rushes by has you feeling like you are surfing 12Kph not single figures.

Being a fairly full tide, we had enough water to sail and/or paddle in a hurry across the muddy flats in a foot of water. We were not privileged to the shovel sign, although asked David to keep a look out for as soon as they appear, it means you are about to have a long unpleasant walk.

David had often wondered why a sailing mate of his insisted he visit Mud. Today showed him some of the reasons why this misnomer is one of the best places in the Bay.
Mud, mud, glorious mud
The changing Bay profile
In search of whales
The silence
Changing the view for the mossies
Eastern Creek
Exploring the tranquility
More rubbish for March 4
Sailing the lagoon
David enjoying Mud