Sea Kayaking The Nut and Rocky Cape National Park

The day after I wrote bemoaning theweather, the wind dropped to around 20 knots mostly from the southwest and we got out for what I called "paddlus interruptus" - a really nice paddle that was just too short. We launched the kayaks from Tatlows Beach (south side of The Nut) bumped our way past the large breakwater and then cruised calm water around the east side of The Nut under the large cliffs until on the north side we got into the full brunt of the wind and we battled into Godfreys Beach.

 Paddling out from Razors Beach in very calm conditions

We continued north up Godfreys Beach with mostly a beam wind and then got sheltered conditions again poking our way up to Highfield Point. This section of the coast is rocky with deep sea caves that you can paddle right into. Sea caves to kayakers are like pie shops to Australians, we just can't resist going in. There is a seal colony at Bull Rock just off-shore. We were getting blown out there and turned around and paddled back to Godfreys Beach. Rather than beating around The Nut into a headwind, I walked back to Tatlow Beach (about 15 minutes) and retrieved the car.

 Lots of rocky islets to paddle around

Next day, we woke to astonishingly calm winds (the forecast called for another 20 knot wind day with the winds shifting to the northwest from the west) and launched the kayaks from Razor Beach around 9 am. We wanted to paddle up to Rocky Cape (about 12 km northwest) along the National Park coastline. Conditions, apart from drizzly rain showers were really superb. We had calm winds the whole way to Rocky Cape and around to Mary Ann Cove. The paddling was super fun with lots of little islets, coves, and rocky passages to explore. At Rocky Cape you can weave in and out of little boulder gardens. 

 Approaching Rocky Cape

Paddling back past Burgess Cove, a big seal came up loudly near my kayak. We had lunch at a little pebbly beach just south of Cathedral Cove (at low tide there are scant places to land). The wind gradually increased as we paddled back to Razor Beach and by the time we were passing Anniversary Bay Doug was really flying along as he was getting his kayak up to surf on the waves. I, as usual, seemed to be lagging behind wallowing in the troughs, but, once I started paddling hard to get on the waves I sped up considerably. By the time we tucked into the shelter of Wet Cave Point the sea was whipped up again into a mass of waves and white-caps. 

 Paddling along Sisters Hills