Worst online company I have ever dealt with - CITIWIDE (rant warning!)

As a kayaker and a cyclist, I buy a lot of my gear online, and 99% of my online experiences are great.  That was until I came across an online shop that sells electronics and specifically camera gear - known as CITIWIDE (http://www.citiwide-online.com/).

After purchasing a NIKON AW100 waterproof camera from Citiwide, I started having issues within the first few weeks of using the camera (the camera would not open its shutter intermittently when you turn it on - i.e. envisage black pictures).  I thought it might be an incompatibility with the memory card so tried a few different options, but it would start working again each time I thought about returning it.

This went on for a few weeks before it started to over expose the photos.  I knew I needed to return the camera so started proceedings and contacted Citiwide.  I filled out the appropriate paperwork, took photo's of the camera as I couldn't find the serial number and sent this off to Citiwide asking if they would honour their warranty.

They emailed back and instructed me to send them the camera at my expense.  To cut a long story short, they said because there was no serial number sticker on the camera they wouldn't warranty it and sent the camera back to me, leaving me with a six week old camera that is useless and me out of pocket.

I'm not sure who is a fault here, Citiwide or Nikon for having a serial number which is a sticker on an underwater camera....seems like a fail proof get out of jail free card when it comes to providing a warranty on the products you sell.

Sufficient to say, I would never use this company again!

Well that was cathartic! Now to balance the post, I have some positive warranty stories as well.

Firstly, I broke my split Werner Ikelos (I'm not the first and won't be the last unfortunately).  Werner came to the party and replaced the joining components.  After some more use I broke the paddle again in the same spot - this is a paddle I had been using since 2010.  Werner (via Rosco Canoes -  http://www.roscocanoes.com.au/) suggested the solution was to replace the paddle with a new one with no out of pocket expenses.

Another supplier who I use frequently is Expedition Kayaks (http://www.expeditionkayaks.com/).  As a cyclist I have a bit of leg drive when I'm paddling and this caused the floating seat in my Nordkapp to break (a known issue with this design).  I told they boys from Expedition Kayaks what had happened and sent a photo and within a week my new seat arrived with some instructions how to install and get around this problem occurring again.

Done with my rant - off for a paddle!

Time for a new boat?

I have spent the past few years paddling a Valley Nordkapp.  It is a beautiful boat which has allowed me to undertake expeditions that most people only ever dream of doing.

From chasing small runners in the bay to sliding across the face of 6 meter waves 100 kms off the Australian coast, this has been my boat of choice.  Until recently, this boat was considered a fast touring boat, with a natural hull speed of around 7.5 to 8 km/hr on flat water.

The need for speed has seen new designs entering the sea kayaking market and now we are seeing a selection of boats that are incorporating aspects of ski designs with the traditional sea kayak, allowing for a more ergonomic and efficient paddling position.

The trouble I am having is that my paddling mates are making this transition which means that I am flogging myself to keep up with average paddling speeds over 9 and 10 km/hr.  Once you start pushing your boat past its natural hull speed you are expending a lot more effort for each minor increase in speed (law of diminishing returns!)

Whilst I love paddling a skeg boat, I am considering moving with the times and purchasing a boat with a rudder.  The main reason for this is when I am paddling an expedition laden skeg boat, the worse the sea state and longer the paddling leg, the more wear and tear on your body.  So for myself, I go with the rule of thumb now that up to 40 kms is fine in a skeg boat, but in excess of 40 kms I am starting to feel the effects of edging and correctional strokes and this could be counteracted by the use of a rudder which allows my energy to be concentrated on forward strokes.

The other consideration is space.  The Nordkapp has taught me the fine art of minimalist camping and creative packing.  Such fine lines and skeg box have to have some downside and packing volume is what you loose.  Having undertaken a 19 day remote expedition out of this boat I know it can be done, but the weight of that kit was too heavy for the Nordkapp to carry comfortably and had the boats sitting too low in the water, extending the water line of the boat and making it paddle like a barge.

So the current options in this part of the world seem to be Taran Rockpool and the Pace 17 Tiderace.  The Taran seems to have an edge on boat speed in rougher downwind conditions giving a more exciting ride, with the Pace 17 being a little bit more conservative and stable.

Whatever my final decision, I don't think I'll be looking for a new home for my Nordkapp!

Picture above was taken in 2010 on the first sea kayaking expedition to the Capricornia Cays, looking north from Lady Musgrave Island - we all paddled Valley Nordkapps given their expedition credentials.

Old Women (Mudjimba) Island

Old Women Island is a well known surf and fishing spot a kilometer off the Sunshine Coast.  The island itself is surrounded by rock platforms and rock reefs, and is home to around 2000 wedge-tail shearwater nests, commonly known as mutton birds.

Apparently the island was leased from around 1940, and you can see the remains of various buildings on the island.  On its day, this is one of the best reef breaks on the East Coast.  The swell wraps around both sides of the island and you can surf into an on-coming wave on the western side of the island.  Its not often you can get airborne in a 5 meter sea kayak, but this is the spot to try!

Access to the island is via a rock platform on the north-western side of the island - only rocks and more rocks!  The waves wrap around the island so you need to get your timing right, coming in on the back of the set and getting into the rock lagoon before the next set cleans you up on the rocks.  Not recommended for days with large swell and you only have access from half to full tide.  The white water behind Rowdy is where the two waves are meeting and you don't get swell much smaller than the conditions today.

The mutton birds have recently finished hatching their young and only the weak and dead remain as they continue on their migration. More and more of these birds are washing up on our beaches and there are concerns about the overall numbers of these birds diminishing.

Access to the top of the hills is restricted by a forest of prickly pear and the lower slopes are a mine field of mutton bird nests - so tread carefully and avoid the island when the birds are nesting.

Bring your snorkeling gear along as the on calm days the water visibility is great and the reef has a lot to offer.


Old Women Island - Nov 2013 from Paul Wilton on Vimeo.

Lady Elliot Island - Sea Turtles

We have skipped spring this year in Queensland and gone from a mild Winter into Summer.  The water temps in our local waters are fantastic!  My wet suit is packed away for another year; I spent a couple of hours in the water this morning surfing on the Sunshine Coast in a rashie and boardies.

Apparently the warmer weather and subsequent warmer water temps is messing with our Turtle population. According to an article about the turtle population on Lady Elliot Island, the turtles have arrived there in numbers and are mating earlier this year than normal.

I paddled out that way in 2010 and love the place.  Apart from the turtles, you have seasonal visits from Manta Rays and Whales as well as a myriad of different types of birds - though the smell is a bit overpowering in the breeding season.

The photos are from some of the turtles I came across snorkeling around Lady Elliot Island on that trip.

The smaller turtles were a lot more interactive than the larger turtles and would come over and swim around you, allowing for some close up underwater shots.

The following shot was taken of one stranded on a reef platform at low tide. It got itself off the reef on the next high tide so all was okay!

One of the unique things I came across was whilst snorkeling was turtle cleaning stations.  The following picture is a turtle parking on a bommie, letting some of the local fish come out and give it a clean - a symbiotic relationship of sorts where the turtles get a clean and the fish get a feed.

Just one of the amazing animals that we share the planet with!

Sea Kayaking to North Moreton Island - Trip Report

Moreton Bay is always full of surprises - this time was no different coming across a pod of whales including this very large specimen (you are looking at the tail end) that decided to swim under my kayak. This was one of a number of pods we came across over the weekend.

The trip plan was to paddle from Bribie Island up to North Point, a trip of around 26kms where we would camp and explore around the northern end of Moreton Island.  The first hiccup came when we found that we couldn't fit everybody in at North Point due to its popularity this weekend, so we booked the next campsite down at Yellow Patch.

The second hiccup was paddling up to North Point to find that Yellow Patch would have to be the worst campsite on Moreton Island.  After packing a cut lunch and a water bag to walk from the beach to the campsite across sand fly infested swamps, we decided to paddle back to Comboyuro Point to setup camp where it was less populated and a more laid back camping crowd.

We all slept well that night after the 37km paddle and the 10kms we paddled against the 3.5 knot current and head wind.  I slept extra well as I was chasing Taran's all day in my Nordy, or maybe that was the wine!

Day 2 came and we discussed a plan for the day.  After 3 hours of deep discussion where we perfected the art of doing nothing (very comfortably in our new Helinox camping chairs).  Eventually a plan developed where we surfed the tidal race down to Cowan Cowan to look at the battlements before some of the more energetic Taran paddlers decided on a race home.  An afternoon spent chillin' led to more of the same in the evening.

Day 3 saw the wind come up from the North bringing 1-2 meters of waves, so with a beam wind we surfed our way back to Bribie getting some great runs.

Camping at Comboyuro Point gives you access to running water, toilets and cold showers, albeit with a bit of a walk, as well as access to the shops at Bulwer which is around a kilometer south of the camp grounds.  There are bins near the amenities so you don't need to carry your rubbish back to the mainland.

The 16 km crossing itself can be a little daunting for the novice.  At max tidal flow, the shipping channel runs at around 4 knots and I like to do the crossing around the top of an incoming tide as the banks will start to have breaking waves depending on the swell size on a low tide.  I do the crossing back at the start of the ebb tide, heading for the southern tip of Bribie and using the current to carry you northwards to Woorim. I recommend crossing at the M4 channel markers as it gives a clearly defined channel and you can wait for any ships to pass before crossing.  Timing for the crossing will depend on the average paddling speed of the group.

There is always the barge of shame if you want to paddle around the inside of Moreton without the risk of the crossing.  Paddle with the tide as the tidal flow near the island can flow at around 3.5 knots according to the charts but local knowledge would set the figure higher at various points.

201310 Moreton Is from Paul Wilton on Vimeo.

Fraser Island East Coast

Just did the family camping holiday up to Fraser Island for the second week of the school holidays.  Didn't go exactly to plan, but it was a nice get away!

It has been a number of years since we had been to Fraser Island, last time being about 14 years ago with a V8 Range Rover and trailer.  This time we took a low clearance 4 cylinder Suzuki loaded to the brim with camping gear, fishing gear, kayaking gear, food, etc...

After 10 weeks without any rain I was certainly nervous about the inland tracks and the ground clearance given the amount of traffic on the island with school holidays and perfect weather. I went through the worst case scenario with the family before setting off on the track to Central Station after getting some 'erroneous' advice from other 4WD enthusiasts.

Enough to say that sinking feeling occurred when we got stuck behind a slow moving 4WD and we lost momentum and the worst case scenario became a reality.  Note to self - trust to your own experience!  With a little help from some friends I got off the track and got a tow out through a couple of spots which left the suzuki sitting high and dry with wheels spinning.

A new plan was hatched and we "camped" at the Eurong resort and spent time exploring the Eastern side of the island.  There was a lot a whale traffic heading south and they didn't seem to be in a hurry to get back to the cold waters of the southern ocean.  It was nice to do the fishing thing again with the family after many years away from Fraser.

The main differences in the last 14 years were; less sharks so assumably less fish to bring them close to shore, less dingos, less pippies, and more people - lots more people.

2013 Fraser Island from Paul Wilton on Vimeo.

Deloraine Island - Whitsunday Group

Google Earth is your friend as a trip planning aid - This is one of the islands that I included on my bucket list after poking around Google Earth looking for some alternative paths through the Whitsundays. Deloraine Island is one of the outside islands and whilst not wanting to over promote this island - it is a bit of a gem.

It has a north facing coral beach, offering protection from winds with any south in them.  It is surrounded by a fringing reef where spearing is allowed.

In the winter months whales can be heard passing by, and very little else as tourists, including charter boats don't venture this far out.  It isn't an ideal anchorage so you won't be overrun by the boating fraternity, but you will need to watch your tides and currents as there are over-falls created in this area by tidal action.

No water or facilities, but mobile phone access (try the headland or western beach).  Note that you usually loose mobile phone reception on the Eastern side of Whitsunday or Hook Islands so it was unexpected.

With a bit of planning, you can enhance your next trip to the Whitsundays - and treat yourself to some crayfish if you can catch them!

Some images below taken from and around Deloraine Island in 2012.



Deloraine Island - Whitsunday Group from Paul Wilton on Vimeo.