Plan B: Narooma to Bermagui

On Sundays I organise a sea kayaking trip. I have an email list of about 26 people who get an invite. Some days we have a big group, some days it is just two of us. The point is not necessarily to have the biggest group, the toughest trip, or the most social media worthy experience; the Sunday paddle is about getting together with friends - new and old - enjoying the sport, the scenery and the company.

Strange rituals on the Sunday paddle

This past week, the email went to a much reduced list of possible participants because I was planning a more committing trip out to Montague Island. In a direct line, Montague Island is six kilometres off shore, but, most trips leave either from Mystery Bay or Narooma, from which the distance is nine kilometres. The East Australian Current runs south between Montague Island and the mainland and is strong enough at times to drag kayakers well off course.

One of the many reasons why paddling to Montague Island

is such an outstanding trip

Through the week, the forecast winds slowly built from light to moderate until finally on the day of the trip we had a strong wind warning. A long time ago, a fellow adventurer said to me "I try to never be involved in any incident where I can not explain the circumstances to rescue personnel." Now there was the incident of the stuck knee on a big mountain in a far away range which did have have our rescuers raising their eyebrows just a tiny bit, but, other than that, we have self-rescued from any and all other incidents, and I see no reason to blow that record now.

At least it was a stunning place to get a body part 

stuck in a crack

Nick had come up with a plan B, which involved paddling out of Narooma as planned but taking an inshore coastal route past Mystery Bay to Bermagui. The car shuttle was only slightly longer and fairly efficient with a party of four paddlers and we would have some time for rock gardening before what promised to be an excellent down-wind run.

Down wind running

This trip ended up having two parts, the first, between Narooma and Mystery Bay we had light winds and were able to wander around in various gauntlets and sea caves. A few winters ago, we paddled this section of coast in really calm conditions and got into all the slots and sea caves. Conditions were not so friendly this time and we did not get into the most interesting gauntlet which consists of two very narrow slots on either side of a detached rock block.

Exploring the coast south of Narooma

The second part, after lunch at Mystery Bay, the wind had built to 20 to 25 knots from the north and we had a cracking downwind run. A downwind run in a sea kayak is analogous to skiing powder snow in the backcountry. It is just so much fun. With a sail, catching runners is easy and the kayak really flies along. Nick is a fast paddler and he was catching runner after runner without using a sail, while Doug and I cheated and used a sail. Neil progressed in a much more sedate fashion.

Doug catching runners

It was a hoot, and when we pulled up on the beach at Bermagui we had the biggest smiles.