While a warm bed is particularly delicious on a cold morning, an ideal forecast was beckoning for a paddle around Old Woman Island. Being Brisbane's Ekka Showday the traffic promised to be light, and as turned out, so was the company.
It was a clear run up the coast and plenty of parking off River
Esplanade where a council gang was enjoying a leisurely morning break. They slowly wound up as we paddled off. One pontoon was adorned with a glinting array of CDs - very eye catching but clearly of no concern for the resident cormorant. Discrete cover was provided for Crikey as we slipped passed the whale watching
boat from Australia Zoo and out through the river mouth.
It was a glorious day with a cloud streaked sky. The breeze was light and the sail marked time as we headed direct to Old Woman Island on an ebb tide. The sea birds were mainly gannets distinguished by their golden plumage, head splitting dives and
ability to remain under for a long time. As you get closer the island develops an androgynous profile. A small swell washed over the platform rocks, which, if you had a plastic boat, looked like it you chose the right wave would deposit you neatly in a great place to get out. Around the northern side people were playing on surf boards while others were out fishing in a few small boats.
The water was a beautiful clear deep green and it looked like a place to return with a snorkel.
On the way back to Cottontree a pod of three dolphins came right up to my boat with one diving under before they headed off. No footage as the degree of excitement is inversely related to the likelihood of being able to get a great photo. When we finally worked out where the river mouth was I sprouted a great set of
surf chicken feathers. Regular two to three foot waves were breaking at the mouth of the Maroochy River. Given that there was no need to land, the thought of getting wet had me preening
vigorously so we headed back for a lakeside landing at Mooloolaba
for lunch.
While there were only a few people wandering along the beach, the car park next to the beach was as full as ever. Warming up in the sun we watched a series of yachts, tinnies and fishing boats leave the river mouth. It was so calm that we took a look at the small beach on the other side of the rock wall, an area favoured by surfers which you normally can't get near. About 300m out beyond the rock wall was an officious looking red flag on a pole.
Wondering what it might signify made it worth a gander. Appearances can be deceiving - turned out to be a tattered piece of rip stop nylon on a bamboo pole shoved in a white float which had been anchored.
Returning to the river mouth at a casual 9Kph with the flood tide
we had the car park to ourselves. As we packed the wind was just starting to pick up at the end of what had been a remarkably still day.
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