kayak adelaide

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Spring Equinox paddle

Sea kayak Day Paddle –  Seal Island Victor Harbor. Well not so much a day paddle, more like a morning sojourn which can be everything from calm to crazy. Today it was moving towards the crazy side.

It’s the Spring Equinox today and you would think we could rustle up a little spring weather for our Spring Equinox paddle but it was nowhere to be seen. It was another of those strange days you get at Victor Harbor in Spring, where it promises sunshine but delivers cold overcast skies. The forecast was for gentle 10kn SE’ly winds with clear skies but the reality was a 15-18kn SE’ly wind opposing a 2 metre SW swell, overcast skies and a temperature around 13C.

Not ideal conditions for this area today and even under ideal conditions you should have good “sea kayak skills” to paddle this area. However, two of us were standing on the beach with not much else to do except get cold and wet so off we went.

The plan was to paddle from Kent Reserve towards Granite Island, skirting an area of reefy breaks and bommies, then head out to Seal Island, returning via the eastern side of Granite Island.

We headed out getting some protection from Granite Island.

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Although the seas soon became confused with wind against swell.

Seal Island in the distance

Seal Island in the distance

It then became impossible for me to take photos as I was tossed in the steep waves from the wind driven SE hitting the SW swell and also being thumped by occasional large clapatis waves from Granite Island. “BHOP time” (both hands on paddle)

We worked our way out around the various reef breaks .Seal Island is protected by a number of reefy breaks and today all of them were savage.

Nearing Seal Island

Nearing Seal Island

We reached a small protected area near Seal Island.

Reaching a calmer area

Reaching a calmer area

Even the seals decided it was too rough to come out and greet us.

Too cold and wet even for the seals

Too cold and wet even for the seals

Steve was a very happy boy to find a little sheltered spot.

A short respite from the wind

A short respite from the wind

After our short visit with the seals we headed back towards the eastern side of Granite Island with a large lumpy following sea. Again photos were a little difficult to get.

Riding the crests

Riding the crests

Once around the breakwater we were in calm water.

Rounding the breakwater

Rounding the breakwater

Calm waters

Calm waters

Then onward past the jetty.

The boat wharf.

The boat wharf.

Under the causeway

Under the causeway

We watched the tourists on their way onto Granite Island aboard the horse drawn tram…..

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…and then spent some time playing amongst the rocks.

Protected waters

Protected waters. Encounter Bay township in the distance.

Getting up close and personal with granite boulders

Getting up close and personal with granite boulders

Sliding on the swells

Sliding on the swells

A great morning of paddling to celebrate the Spring Equinox. Now where’s my mountain bike ? I’m heading north to where it’s warmer.  Ian…Paddling South.

Starting point. Kent Reserve Victor Harbor

Distance. 8.5km

Seal Island Victor Harbor paddle

Seal Island Victor Harbor paddle

Hazards. A number of dangerous rocks are charted as well as reefy areas. Clapatis from Granite Island can make for a very confused sea in some places. Swell may break near Granite Island. Consult marine chart before attempting. Avoid paddling close to south side of Granite Island due to large swells breaking and dangerous currents.

Chart AUS 127

pope2king

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paddlers and photographers

Ian                                              Steve

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Sea kayak day paddle. West Island Victor Harbor.

 Some of my favourite paddling areas are along the coastline, south of Adelaide.  Accessible for paddlers with appropriate “kayak sea skills” and a properly fitted out sea kayak the West Island of Victor harbor is a perfect day paddle…. Ian “Paddling South”.

I had been invited to join 3 paddlers who were spending a beautiful spring day exploring the area of West Island, just offshore from Victor Harbor, which is 83km south of Adelaide.

This is a great place to paddle in calmer conditions and can test your ability in fresher conditions due to the prevailing swells from the Southern Ocean and clapatis from the granite headlands.

Shauna, Steve, Shaun and myself set off in what was predicted to be a 10-15kn Northerly wind , but was actually a 10-12kn South Easterly. That’s fairly typical on this southern coast where things rarely go to plan, and there is always the possibility of sudden and sometimes severe weather changes.

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Shauna leaving the Davenport anchorage

Leaving Kent Reserve in the Davenport Anchorage our plan was to pass on the inside of Wright Island, head out through Shark Alley which is the passage between Wright Island and the mainland Bluff, then head along the coast to West Island.

Steve on his way to The Bluff

Steve on his way to The Bluff

The SE wind made for good time to Wright Island where we passed close to its’ small beach.

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Wright Island beach.

I was able to pass very close to its’ western side.

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The western side of Wright Island. Calm today but normally hit by SW swells.

As we cleared the wind break of the island the winds and opposing  swell, combined with clapatis from the Bluff to give us a bumpy ride. (If you are not totally comfortable here, turn back now !!).

We were able to get in quite close to the south side of the bluff and could see a group of rock climbers on top of a large granite slab.

Spot the rock climbers?

Spot the rock climbers?

We could see West Island ahead of us.

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West Island ahead

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King Beach on the right as the cliffline starts

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Steve spotting wildlife

West Island is a 10 ha granite island that rises to a maximum height of about 40m in the south-west. Its main conservation value lies with its seabird colonies and small marine research station.

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West Island research station

During the 1880’s it was quarried for granite to construct the foundations of Parliament House, Adelaide. From 1913 until the mid-1960s it was zoned as a Reserve for Government Purposes and, for a short period, was used by the Adelaide University Regiment as a target for gunnery practice during field exercises. In 1966 it became a fauna reserve. It was declared a Conservation Park in 1972 and in 1973 and 1975 Pearson Island rock-wallabies were introduced to the island. I am still to spot one of the wallabies on the island so maybe they have not fared well.

The island has a number of NZ fur seals who were lazing on the granite boulders or swimming around our kayaks.

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Seals coming out to greet us

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…and coming in for a closer look

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Shauna tries to capture this guy on film

Breeding seabirds include Little Penguins, Silver Gulls, Caspian and Fairy Terns. The Little penguin population has suffered a dramatic decline since the 1990’s. In 1992, the population was estimated to be around 4000 penguins. In June 2011, the population was estimated to be less than 20 penguins.The decline echoes the decline of the colony on nearby Granite Island and many other island in the southern ocean and the cause is still largely unknown.

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Shaun investigating where granite has been mined in the past

With the wind abating for a short period we circumnavigated the island……

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Western side of the island where the water is 30m deep

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Granite boulders in strange stacks

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Shaun having a closer look at the coastline

It's getting a little bumpy now

It’s getting a little bumpy now

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Granite seascapes

………….with Steve playing for a while in “rock gardens”.

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Now be careful Steve

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Having FUN

We then steered a course back to Wright Island and its’ small beach as the wind started to swing to the predicted NE direction. A great spot for lunch.

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The predicted wind finally arrives.

Lunch on the beach ……….

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….followed by a head wind paddle back to our starting spot made for a very enjoyable day.

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This is an excellent place for exciting paddling especially as the swell and associated clapatis increases. It should only be paddled by those with the appropriate sea skills and of course a properly fitted out sea kayak.

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Starting point. Kent Reserve Victor Harbor

Distance. 13km

Hazards. A number of dangerous rocks are charted as well as reefy areas. Clapatis from the headlands can make for a very confused sea in some places. Swell may break in some parts of Shark Alley. Consult marine chart before attempting. Avoid Petrel Cove, west of Rosetta Head due to rips and dangerous rocks.

Chart AUS 127

Paddlers and photographers

stick shauna

kingpope2jim2

 

 

 

 

 

Shauna                      Steve                      Ian                        Shaun

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Seascapes

It was  one of those strange sort of days where you stand on the beach ready to launch, still unsure that the weather will behave. That strange bank of low cloud on the horizon, the headwind whipping up a small chop offshore and the thundery looking cumulus clouds to the east.

The winter has been cold and windy this year and we have had to cancel many planned kayak trips, instead spending the time on mountain bikes, (some of our photos are here and here) so we were looking forward to getting a couple of days on the water.

A check of the latest forecasts and current weather observations, for the next 2 days, was certainly within our limits, so it was “Westward Ho”. For Rodney and Steve it would be their first visit to the south western coast, with Ian having explored there many times over the years.

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The first thing that we encountered was the possibility of paddling blind in a sea fog, because sure enough that low cloud was a sea fog rolling straight at us.

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Luckily it just seemed to skirt around us, leaving us an easy passage, in a slight headwind, towards the exposed western side of Wardang Island. After a couple of hours paddling the wind did as predicted and moderated giving us a beautiful day of paddling along the coast.

We visited the local Pied Cormorant colony.

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The thundery clouds passed us well to the east, making Rodney a happy boy.

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The beauty of this area is definitely the seascapes and the exhilaration of paddling among the  jumble of jagged rocks, passing the graves of several ship wrecks. It’s hard to do the area justice with  just a “point and shoot camera”, bobbing around in a kayak but we hope you like our efforts.

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There are always places you have to explore more closely.

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Our lunch spot couldn’t have been more idyllic. A protected beach on a deserted island.

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The afternoon light on sea stacks made for interesting effects.

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Sometimes it looked like collapse was imminent…….

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and other areas had long since collapsed.

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Legend has it that munitions were stored here during WW2, although I have never climbed into the chamber to confirm.

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We finished the day camped on a smaller island.

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Watching the sunset whilst enjoying some classic Shiraz wines, from the McLaren Vale and Clare Valley wine regions, along with local cheese and olives and lots of other goodies. What could be better than that ?.

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Next day the wind failed to cooperate, being head on all day. We explored more areas along the coast…..

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….before heading across open water to check out Green Island. Locals say that 60 years ago a hermit lived on the island in a small house he had built from shell grit and cement blocks. The house is  still standing (just) and you can also see where he had built rock fish traps.

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So we said farewell to the Pied Cormorants and started the headwind slog back to civilisation.

Paddlers and photographers.

Sir Rodneypope2

 

king

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rodney                               Ian                                        Steve

 

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The Shorebreak

The Autumn weather arrived in Southern Australia this week bringing a mad search for thermal paddling tops, waterproof jackets and beanies. Those who ventured out were rewarded with a blustery beach launch and some light drizzle.

Overcast skies and choppy sea conditions were the order of the day as we gathered our kayaks for the launch.

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Do you think the shorebreak will get any worse ? It seems easy enough to get out but will be a little larger when the tide comes in.

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And sure enough; It was a little more fun landing.

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Has everyone landed…….or are we missing someone ?

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See, I told you it would calm down as soon as we got back on the beach !

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Just another day “Paddling South”.

 

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Maippunga. Place of high cliffs.

It was some time after dawn and I could hear the wind whistling through the trees. I stuck my head out to feel a good 20 knots of wind which was supposed to have abated by dawn giving us a nice 10 knot SE breeze. Well that was the forecast anyway, but maybe things would calm down as the morning went on and the sun warmed to the predicted 25C.

Gavin and Rodney arrived with the wind dropping and our paddle to Maippunga Beach was on. The 16 km return trip is mainly along cliffs fronted by a narrow rocky  beach and is a lovely paddle in most conditions. Beware of anything over 15 knots from the SW which will give a short confused sea and testing paddling conditions, but today was not that day.

The wind had abated and close inshore is protected from the SE’ly winds by the high cliffs, so we were assured of a easy paddle at least until the predicted 20 knot southerly winds arrived later in the morning; hopefully providing a little fun on the way home.

The sky was mainly overcast with the sun poking through occasionally to light up the cliffs and give us the chance of a few nice photos. The water along this coast is often very clear and takes on an interesting blue colour as the light changes.

Looking south from Sellicks Beach

Looking south from Sellicks Beach

Calm seas

Calm seas

Maippunga is the Kaurna aboriginal name for the Myponga area and translates to “place of high cliffs”. The Kaurna people lived on this land before white settlement in the area about 1840. Before settlement the hills were covered with gum and wattle trees however large tracts were cleared by the first farmers in the area.

Our start on Sellicks Beach is at the outer limit of the Adelaide metropolitan area and was a place that I had spent holiday time as a child, although then it was just a few houses above the beach. Myponga Beach is a small beach area with a few holiday houses dotted along the shore and surrounding hills and has now become a premium place to have a holiday shack.

We paddled past a couple of dog walkers on the beach.

Beautiful morning for a walk

Beautiful morning for a walk

View along the coastline

View along the coastline

Clear water and limestone cliffs

Clear water and limestone cliffs

 

Gavin admiring the morning view

Gavin admiring the morning view

We were able to get in close among the rocks and check out the rock strata. Most of the area is sedimentary rock, formed from layers of sand, mud and limestone deposited on an ancient sea floor between, roughly, 1000 million and 600 million years ago. Geologists know this era as the Proterozoic era, meaning ‘first life’and until very late in the Proterozoic, the only life in the seas was blue-green algae, still familiar to us today.  The youngest rocks in the area belong to the Cambrian period (600 to 500 million years ago) when then-abundant marine animals evolved hard shells and thus began to show up in the fossil record. Fossils from Myponga Beach  were the first proof of Cambrian-age rocks in the greater Adelaide area.

Paddling amongst the rocky outcrops

Paddling amongst the rocky outcrops

 

Heading in for a closer look

Heading in for a closer look

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Eroded cliff face

Eroded cliff face

Finding a new path

Finding a new path

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We met some of the local inhabitants. There are rookeries of Pied Cormorants along the coast with numbers varying with the seasons. Pods of dolphins are also common offshore and there has been occasional sightings of Southern Right Whales in winter.

Pied Cormorants

Pied Cormorants

Meet the locals

Meet the locals

 

Stranded like a Shag on a rock

Stranded like a Shag on a rock

Myponga has a boat ramp for launching small fishing craft at high tide as long as you own a tractor and is now a favourite spot for a holiday house for those that can afford it.

Houses on Myponga Beach

Houses on Myponga Beach

Near the southern headland is the ruins of the old jetty which serviced a healthy shipping trade for 30 years exporting local wattle bark for leather tanning, livestock and wheat. The jetty opened in tragic circumstances when a woman nursing a baby fell off onto the rocks. She cushioned the fall of the baby which survived, but unfortunately she was killed. Eventually the ketch trade weaned and a big blow tore the jetty apart in 1900.

Remains of the old jetty

Remains of the old jetty

On our return trip we headed a kilometre or more offshore to pick up the predicted southerly wind. This is a great easy sea kayak paddle in the right conditions, but can be a very difficult paddle when the SW winds blow causing a confused sea, clapatis close inshore and is often affected by catabatic winds along the cliffs.

Photos by Gavin  Rodney and Ian.

Hagar pope2 Sir Rodney