Years ago, when I cycle-commuted to
work in Calgary, there was an unfortunate incident involving a patch
of ice, a bus trap, a bicycle, and the #37 bus. A bus trap, to those
not familiar with such devices is essentially a pit dug into the road
way wide enough for the wheels of a bus to straddle, but not a car.
Generally, they are about 40 cm deep and bridged with steel bars. On
this particular wintry day, I hit a patch of ice as I was cycling
beside the bus trap, and, in a flash, I was in the bus trap, with my
bike on top of me. As I was laying there somewhat stunned, I heard a
deepening rumble, the ground began to shake, and, quaking I looked up
and saw the #37 bearing down on me....
Rounding Red Point today on our way to
Cape Wollamai, I felt a bit the same. We had just endured being
buzzed by at least 20 jet skis, and now, as we were bouncing around
in their rebound, a huge tour boat was aiming straight at us. We
edged in closer to the rocks, as did the tour boat, and then, the
noise of yet another infernal combustion engine and a low flying
float plane - tourists gawking out the windows - skimmed by about a
metre above the wave tops. Our kayak trip to Cape Wollamai was not
exactly turning into a wilderness experience.
The paddle trip from The Narrows, down
Cleeland Bight, past Red Point and out to Cape Wollamai would be a
wonderful excursion if only ever other inhabitant of this country was
not permanently attached to an infernal combustion engine.
We launched from just south of the
bridge that joins San Remo to Phillip Island as we wanted to avoid
paddling back through The Narrows against a ripping current later in
the day. It's an easy paddle south down Cleeland Bight, and actually
not that interesting until you get to a pretty little cove between
rock outcrops near Red Point. Beyond Red Point the kayaking gets
interesting. There are sea caves and rocky islets as you approach
Cape Woolamai and the water is incredibly clear and aquamarine green.
You might see sea eagles or even seals. Once you round Cape
Woolamai you are out in the big southwest swell that rolls up the
coastline.
Unfortunately, I got vertigo again from
the ocean swells and had that "oh, oh, everything is spinning, I
think I am going to fall out of my boat" scene all over again.
That, combined with the insane amount of boat traffic caused us to
turn around soon after we had passed Cape Woolamai. The nautical
regulations actually mandate a 5 knot speed limit when passing within
50 metres of another vessel, but, most Australians seem to have those
numbers transposed and they pass within 5 metres going 50 knots.
After a number of very uncomfortable close encounters with stupid
boat operators we turned back and paddled into the sheltered waters
where at least the wakes would not dump us out of our boats.
In a rare lull between maniacal boat
operators, we did see a big fur seal fishing and watched him coming
up to the surface with a huge fish in his mouth which he proceeded to
bang about presumably to render it insensible so he could swallow it.
The kind of thing I'd like to do to a few of those boat
operators.....
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