Kooringal Paddling

Felt like I was overdue for some island time so this weeks paddle had us heading off from Cleveland Point just before the turn of tide.  Our destination was South Moreton Island and Kooringal, utilising the outgoing tide taking us across Amity Banks for some sea life spotting.

We made good time up to the Rous Channel where we made the decision to go keep on paddling around Crab Island and back down Days Gutter to Kooringal, giving us a 30km paddle pre-second breakfast.

The folly in this plan was that the tide was well on its way out leaving us a few inches of water around Crab island to either shallow paddle or walk around (watching closely for razor clams which are all over the Kooringal flats).  Whilst it was interesting in seeing the amount of birdlife on Crab Island, it did take a long time to make our way into Days gutter.

When we came into the beach at Kooringal, we paddled over the shallow bank with the tide still going out for another hour.  After a quick feed at the gutter bar, the landscape had changed a little!

Look closely at the bank and you will notice the razor clams awaiting to slice unsuspecting feet.  You can also see why the banks are home to a number of dugong which were a little shy today, with only fleeting glimpses of them and no photos.

We saw lots of turtles, rays and shovel nose sharks as well as the occasional dolphin.  I would leave out the loop around Crab Island next time and cut through the mangroves on the southern end of the island which is great for spotting some large rays and shovel nose sharks.  The trip home was another 25 kms back to Cleveland giving us 55 kms of paddling for the day with a bit of wind and tide assistance.