Author: Mrs A
Location: Moonee Beach
Moonee Creek was our destination this morning, just a few metres down a wooded slope from our caravan. Having left our beautiful fibreglass kayak back in Sydney, we inflated our pack rafts, sacrificing speed for the benefit of not having a 7.3 metre boat on the roof of the car. We were joined by fellow Zoner, Darryl and his boxer Dusty for a paddle. 
The creek is fairly shallow most of the way up, but Dusty preferred to ride on the front of Darryl’s boat rather than swim or bound alongside, while we were entertained with stories of Darryl’s adventures paddling around Cape York, in the far north of Queensland. Tales of large crocodiles, hammerhead sharks and three hour hikes before dawn to find fresh water reassured us we will probably not be paddling in our inflatable boats up in that part of Australia!
We returned for a BBQ brunch and a chat with our fellow Zoners, learning more about the individual tips and hints they had to share.
The afternoon was too breezy to get the boats out again, so we went for a stroll down to the water from the campground. It’s such a picturesque area, with the campground sitting up above the estuary of Moonee Creek, offering views across the water. It was approaching low tide, so we were able to stroll across most of the creek through its warm waters.
From the rocks at the mouth of the estuary you can see right up the coast along Moonee Reserve, the salt spray making the air look misty and atmospheric.
This is such a special part of the coast. We wished our family in the UK could be magically transported here – the children would love playing in the sandy shallows, and there is so much to do and see. Some people staying on the site were feeding the lorikeets with honey and bread [below: Scaly-breasted Lorikeets]
We concluded our day with another 6pm drinks o’clock in the camp kitchen with all the Zoners. We all reflected on what a success this weekend has been – some like us are relatively new caravanners, learning as we go, while others are seasoned experts with experience to share. I think we have all learned something from one another, whether it’s a new gadget or modification or finding a new storage space – along with the friendships made, the time here has been absolutely worthwhile.
We’re planning to advertise another date towards the end of April (thinking around 20th-23rd), somewhere north of or inland from Noosa where perhaps some of the Zone team could pop along and join us for an evening or afternoon. We floated the idea with the Zoners here, and there is already some interest and ideas of locations being suggested. If you’re interested in joining us and think you can get there, watch the ‘ Zone Owners – Zoners’ forum on Facebook for more details as plans firm up!
Off to pastures new tomorrow, Wooli Beach (as recommended by our good friends Rosemary and Richard in Sydney)…looking forward to finally getting our oysters there!
We toured down the river, stopping just before it went into Merimbula Bay, close to where we had been hiking last Sunday.
Just over twelve kilometres later we were back at our start point munching on a dozen oysters each. Well deserved this time!
There were a few abandoned camps along the river but we didn’t see a soul until we were back at our launch point three hours and 13km later. A couple of fishermen were staring longingly into the water hoping for a bite. The river was really beautiful, winding its way between sandy banks, very little breeze disturbed the mirror like surface.
I had read trip reports from people who had been paddling with a kayak guide who runs tours along this stretch, and from those was hoping to see kingfishers. Finally, on the home stretch we saw one. Our waterproof camera sadly doesn’t have a great telephoto so he escaped our lens. trust me he was a beauty, all peachy belly and deep blue back. Not a startling blue one like some we had seen down this coast, but still a lovely sight through my ever present binoculars. My eyesight is shocking, so without them I wouldn’t be seeing much at all!.
It really made us smile to see her so happy. It’s so nice to be away from crowded caravan parks, for all of us. We had been a bit tied to them running our car fridge on freezer mode, but gave that up today and switched it back to a fridge so we don’t worry about needing to be on electricity to feed the power hungry battery.
The rock formations were amazing creating some amazing backdrops for the paddle.
In the afternoon we headed off in cars to start a short walk up the coast though coastal forecast in Ben Boyd National Park. The roos were plentiful, the very lawn like grass indicative of a sizeable mob enjoying this grazing. Dolphins even obliged by appearing on cue, as well as an echidna and bush wallabies. A sea eagle soared overhead, while crested terns dived for fish in the bay.
This area of coast is one of our favourite spots in Australia. It does get busier every time we come, but there is still leaves plenty of space. We would only have seen half a dozen people on the entire walk.
Spending time outdoors in this serene and largely pristine environment is so good for our souls. It’s especially welcome as we mourn the loss of our friend. He’s on my mind a lot of the time, processing thoughts that move from angry to sad in a heartbeat. Our friends provide a welcome distraction, reminding me of the criticality of these relationships to our overall wellbeing.
After a fabulous team BBQ brunch, a group of us decided to try burning off some of the calories with a bike ride into town. Eden is famous for its incredible coastline with spectacular views. This means of course hills so we really did burn a calorie or two, but the views are worth it.
We rode down to the wharf where a large cruise ship had just arrived, and enjoyed coffees down there before heading back to camp.
After showers it was most certainly beer o’clock and the evening began. A delicious Ward spag bol was concocted followed by a very tasty dairy free chocolate birthday cake from Jenny. Much fun and laughter and a lovely birthday eve eve had.
We finally emerged onto the main waterway of the Bega River, and decided to explore upstream.
Minimal breeze meant mirror calm water, perfect paddling, with a few observers from the shore.
A quick ‘comfort stop’ and we headed back to our launch point, being carefully tracked by nosy roos and 13km under our belts.
It was time to move on again and make the short drive down to Eden, stopping en route at the beautiful little town of Perimbula for some supplies.We set up camp and shortly after, the gang arrived from Sydney. It was great to see them all after the emotional events of the last week. Nothing like old friends to help you get perspective.
So let the good times roll, after a short ride along the beach then back for some afternoon nibbles and drinks. We made everyone dinner and then some more friends from Canberra arrived. We had a full team.
We did a short 4km paddle before returning to shore, deciding that air conditioned surroundings would be more suitable on a 35 degree day.
The mercury remained high for the afternoon, so we retired to the air conditioned caravan to read and relax.
We caught the free courtesy bus both ways and are now safely tucked into the caravan as a huge storm has rolled in, taking the temperatures down finally, and making for a very cosy evening. Cheers folks!
The area’s traditional custodians are the Yuin Aboriginal people, and evidence of their use of the lakes as a food resource is evident in the piles of shells (middens) that we could see around its edge. Cormorants dived around us, black swans took flight even with our stealth like approach. Catherine spotted a bush wallaby looking apparently surprised to see this a 7 plus metre long boat disturbing his morning constitutional. The lake is so shallow kayaks are the only craft that animals would see on most of the water. Jellyfish were moving along in swarms, quite beautiful the way they just ripple along.
Nine kilometres later and we were back at our caravan, and me racing to turn on the BBQ. Delicious sausages brought from Orange, fresh eggs and of course baked beans resting on home made toasted sourdough. A brunch fit for paddlers!
We had followed our noses and found ourselves at Bermagui Fishermans Wharf. A $5M development funded by the government to try and support the fishing industry after revoking of licenses to try and create more sustainability.
We had ridden almost all of the way on dirt or back roads. What an awesome ride. Oh and just before we arrived back there’s a sign for the Camel Rock Brewery! It was meant to be. I ordered “whatever you’re brewing” and the barman said “we’ve actually run out”. Just as I was picking myself up off the floor the other bartender comes round the corner and says “the new brew is just ready on the tap”. It was just that kind of day. It was delicious. A cold beer and a cycle are a marriage made in heaven.
We parked up by a boat ramp and launched into the lake. This waterway is open to the ocean and therefore much clearer than Lake Tabourie, and also tidal. As we set off, the tide was rushing in, giving us a high speed boost on our exploration. There was plenty of birdlife on this lake, with pelicans, cormorants, black swans and also a juvenile White-Bellied Sea-Eagle. Much of the waterway is lined by Meroo National Park, making for some scenic paddling.
We returned to the cars after about 6.5km, yesterday’s purchase of prawns and fresh oysters calling our names. After a fabulous feast, we said our farewells, Mich and Dan heading back to Sydney, and us returning to camp to make some plans for the coming weeks. We did some research made some campsite bookings over a pot of tea, plus booked a boat trip out to an island for Wednesday – definitely lots to look forward to.
We noticed that the tide was low enough to allow us walking access over to Crampton Island, just off the coast, and headed over for an explore, returning as we noticed the first waves beginning to cross the sandbank.
We finished off our day by getting somewhat packed up ready to depart tomorrow, showering and cooking dinner, enjoying that with a glass of wine and our latest Netflix addiction…I wonder what tomorrow will bring?
It was a short paddle down the creek to where it nearly flowed into the ocean, only being prevented by a spit of stunning white sand. A quick look around and we were off again, with the wind behind us it was time to tease Dan and Michelle with a glide past under wind power, only because they didn’t have one. Finding a piece of equipment that Dan doesn’t have is quite a feat. We are brothers from a different mother.
We paddled up stream a few kilometers then turned round and headed back to camp for a lazy afternoon punctuated regularly by snacks and drinks.
The “Prawn Man” (guess what he sells) turned up to tempt us with fresh Clyde river oysters and Queensland prawns.
Which of course were served up with a superb Margaret River Brash Vineyard Sancerre style Sauvignon Blanc.
