2020: The Year Of Adventuring Locally

Sunday paddle day and the last paddle of the year before Christmas Day. With the recent Covid clusters springing up in NSW, there was, of course, a lot of talk about Covid, but many of us were also remembering our first Sunday paddle back in January when our coastal communities were smothered under a pall of smoke and the bushfires were lapping at the edges of towns.

The Perks of Sea Kayaking:  

Inaccessible Beaches Become Accessible

By the time the bushfires were finally extinguished almost all the National Parks and state forests along the east coast of Australia were closed due to fire damage¹. Following, literally, hot on the heels of the bushfires was Covid and the travel bans and lock-downs. For those of us who live to roam the wild lands, 2020 was the year of adventuring locally. Here is a non-comprehensive, completely subjective list (with some links) of my best of 2020 local adventures.

Best Multi-Day Paddle:

The Cave and Cove Tour. View the video here.

Best Day Paddle

MysteryBay to Montague Island with a circumnavigation of the island.

Best Multi-Day Bushwalk

Ettrema Tops.

Best Day Bushwalk:

Mount Talaterang.

Best Combination Paddle and Bushwalk

My home bay to the Clyde River, Buckenbowra River and walk up Sugarloaf Mountain.

Best Trail Run

Single tracks around and over Mount Pollwombra.

Best Mountain Bike

Mt Stromlo trails in the ACT.

Best Rock Climbing

Our local crag.

Best New Take On An Old Idea

Full Moon paddle on the Moruya River.

1A full year later many national parks and some state forests are still closed.