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Stingray Creek, North Haven

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Stingray Creek, North Haven

Our paddle last Saturday was on Stingray Creek, North Haven.

Twelve of us enjoyed the morning on the water & Greg led us on a different route, veering west to explore a large, meandering lagoon then rejoining the creek for awhile before veering west again into another large bay just before the entrance to Queens Lake. A good run in tide enabled us to paddle these large, expanses of water, the first home to lovely sandy shallows which nurture juvenile & sapling mangroves, the second sheltering oyster leases.
Stingray Creek is part of the Camden Haven river system. The Camden Haves rises in the Great Escarpment & Comboyne Plateau & flows east for 72.4kms, descending 698m. It is described as a small but scenic river which broadens considerably as it nears the coast. It becomes part of an expansive & interesting waterways system including Watson Taylor Lake. It then joins water from Queens Lake, travels through North Haven & Dunbogan before entering the Pacific Ocean at Camden Head. It is referred to in Wikipedia as ” an open & trained intermediate wave dominated estuary”.

We started our paddle under the ‘new’ North Haven Bridge over Stingray Creek. This bridge cost $26 million to construct & was officially opened to traffic in February 2017. The original bridge over the creek was built in 1925 & was described as a “pack-horse” punt pulled by hand. After this old punt sank, travelling to & from Laurieton reverted to a rowing boat until 1931 when the Humpty Back Bridge was opened to the public.

Our paddle was very easy on the eye & some enclosed sections were quite ‘dreamtime’ with tree covered hills in the background descending down to lower areas of different  vegetation types. There were some lovely old mangrove trees along the way & shallows dominated by  mazes of the pale, spindly trunks of younger trees. Despite knowing that the local suburbs were just behind the tree line, you could feel a quiet solitude & sense of isolation in many sections with simply trees, water & hills all around you.

After exiting the second bay area we headed back up the creek, past two little side creeks which lead back to the lake but were too shallow to navigate. We pulled up for a leg stretch next to one of these creeks on a lovely sandy spot with a grassy area, shade & lovely views back up the main creek. Several black swans were gliding around & I spotted a beautiful white bellied sea eagle surveying our progress from on high. Bill checked out the lake but it was too shallow to get around to Limeburners without going right out towards the centre.
After loading kayaks etc back at the bridge we headed to the café under the North Haven Surf Club where we enjoyed ocean side refreshments of coffee & a variety of burgers which were very generous in their proportions!!

Thanks Greg for leading this paddle & showing us a different part of Stingray Creek.

Caroline

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Blackmans Point

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Blackmans Point

Hi everyone,

Last Sunday two groups comprised of five paddlers each checked out the Maria River between Blackmans Point & Hacks Ferry…a section of the river that tends to be omitted from our paddling schedule. The five of us who launched from Blackmans Point paddled up river & into the back channel between Boomerang Isl. & the mainland, past The Hatch, into the top lagoon & on up to big log where we pulled up on a white sandy beach ( yes, it’s true!!!) for a quick leg stretch before being driven back into our kayaks by hordes of ravenous mozzies. Just a little bit of background information. Blackmans Point is thought to be named after James Blackman who travelled with John Oxley on his journey to Port Macquarie in 1811. The ferry that used to operate from here across the Hastings River to the Fernbank Creek ramp was the vehicular transport point between Port Macquarie & areas to the north prior to the opening of the Dennis Bridge in 1961. This resulted in a major change to the Pacific Highway route impacting people in Port. With travellers no longer having to use the ferry to cross the river, the ferry was closed & Port was officially by passed. As well as the bridge the project included a 10 km deviation of the Pacific Highway & a 3km connecting road from the old highway to the new ( Hastings River Drive). There were often mishaps on ferry crossings & I have included an old historic photo which shows a car from Sydney that ended up in the river after bumping open the gate!!

The Aboriginal name for Blackmans Point is “Goolawahl”. It is alleged that a massacre took place here between European colonists & combined members of the Biripi, Dhungutti & Gumbaynggir peoples. There is a plaque & three rocks at the Point acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land. I have included a photo of this plaque complete with inscription. I could not locate an English translation for Goolawahl but further north is Goolawah National Park, a narrow strip of mainly beachfront land which runs from the outskirts of Crescent Head to Racecourse Headland where it links up with Goolawah regional Park. Goolawah means ‘yesterday’. I do not know if it is connected with the Blackmans Point ‘Goolawahl’.

We continued our paddle in perfect conditions which was great for Bill V who was giving his new Time Traveller its first long run. We had a great run in tide, calm water & a light breeze. It was interesting to paddle a different section of the river which in this area consists largely of farmland & treelined banks & the odd old shack here & there. It was quiet & peaceful as we had the river to ourselves. We paddled into the small creek which is the only one between the lagoon at the top of The Hatch & the Anabranches at Hacks Ferry. It started with a lovely small bay from which the mangrove lined creek ran off & while it was secluded & pleasant, once again after a cursory look around, voracious mozzies drove us back out into the main river. As we exited the other group were coming towards us. Not long after the light drizzle got a bit heavier & we paddled up to Hacks with an increasingly overcast sky & the rain casting a veil of water vapour over the river ahead; a bit of a mysterious look & another mood of the river. Although not heavy rain, it was enough over the distance to wet us all thoroughly & as it was still drizzling when we got back we had to abandon our planned picnic by the river. A shame as it is a great spot with a big long table. (As Murphy’s Law would have it, the rain stopped & the sun came out about 30 minutes later!!) Not much information is available online about Hacks Ferry except that it was named after the Hack family who owned land on the east bank of the Maria River. The ferry, which linked the east & west banks of the river, was probably built in the late 1800’s. I am still hoping to find some old photos of the ferry…maybe in the local history section of the library.
Thanks Greg for doing the car shuffle for the longer paddle & for leading his group.

Hope you enjoyed the outing.

Cheers
Caroline

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Herons Creek

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Herons Creek

Hi everyone,
After closely monitoring the wind forecast for Sunday, 13 of us set off from Lakewood to paddle tranquil Herons Creek ( sorry about the mud & weed but at least we were well protected from the SW wind).
We paddled the short distance across Queens Lake to the entrance & then enjoyed a pleasant 14kms return paddle in this lovely part of the world. It is a wide creek for the most part..as wide as some rivers… flanked by tall trees interspersed with glimpses of properties along the way. Some of the homes have enviable private water frontages to the creek. A big osprey flew ahead of us at one point & there were black swans on the lake, their cries haunting on the wind.
As we got to the far reaches of the creek the going got more difficult with submerged tree trunks lurking just below the surface & other fallen timber. We turned around & paddled back to the 5 kms mark where we got out for a snack & a leg stretch. Bill & I paddled down a little side creek which was very picturesque but choked with fallen timber.
Back on the water we headed for Lakewood & into the S Westerly which was cooling as despite the overcast day, it was still hot out of the breeze. When we got to the opening onto the lake we travelled across in small, tight groups pointing up into the wind which was not too challenging.
Back at Lakewood we negotiated the mud & weed again & after washing down the kayaks & loading them, enjoyed lunch in a shady spot beside the lake with a bit of a cool breeze.
Thanks to those who joined us; we hope you enjoyed the day on the water.
Cheers
Caroline

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Killick Creek

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Killick Creek

Eighteen of us enjoyed a leisurely paddle around Killick Creek at Crescent Head last Sunday.
I drove up via Maria River Rd. where it was lovely to see paddocks dotted with beautiful Christmas Bells which were being hand harvested.
There have been a few changes since we last paddled this estuary, the most noticeable being the emergence of a large sandbar right in front of where we turn into the main creek from the Reserve. Even though we paddled up the little creek to our left first, we still grappled with very shallow water getting across in the creek proper.
I always love this paddle which is memorable for the wonderful twisted shapes of the old melaleuca trees with their gnarled trunks & contorted limbs, peeling bark as well as those fallen trees, still majestic & eye catching. It is pleasant paddling behind the sand dunes, listening to the roar of the surf & the pounding of the waves in the background. A  nor’ easter was up which kept us cool as we paddled up the longer creek, nosed into a few shallow bays & dead ends & continued as far as we could go up the main creek, enjoying the scenery & the relaxing nature of this area.

After navigating our way back through the shallows, hugging the bank, we enjoyed a picnic lunch under the trees in the shade.
Thanks to everyone for coming along.
Cheers
Caroline

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Brimbin Nature Reserve

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Brimbin Nature Reserve

Hi everyone,
Our paddle last Thursday on the upper Dawson River from Brimbin Nature Reserve was like being plunged into scenery from The Lord of the Rings. This is a magic area, a small stretch of water hidden from time & ‘progress’. Sheltered by towering trees & situated for the most part well down below the reserve, looking from above it was like peering into a well camouflaged gorge. Getting in to it was a bit of a challenge for some vehicles as the road is not well maintained, which is a shame, as the facilities in the reserve are immaculate.
The area itself has that timeless feel to it with winding bush pathways snaking down to the creek, rocky outcrops & general seclusion…all the ingredients for an atmospheric paddling experience.
It took us awhile to get onto the water as we had to wheel, carry or slide our kayaks down a track before launching from the pontoon. It was lovely on the water but unfortunately large rocky outcrops thwarted our progress up Tommy Owens Creek. I half expected to see Gollum (Lord of the Rings) scampering over the rocks looking for his “precious”. We explored as much of this creek & another branch as we could before paddling back down the top end of the Dawson which is very beautiful.
Brimbin is an Aboriginal word derived from ‘Boremit’ meaning stringy bark, a tree common in the reserve. The area is of significance to the Biripi people. There are a large range of plant communities in the reserve & many birds including waterbirds, raptors, woodland & sea birds as well as the largest owl in Australia, the Powerful Owl. There are lovely views down to the water from the reserve & several walking tracks. One of the walks, Mrs. Kelly’s, begins at Tommy Owens Crossing, passes through a dense area of swamp oaks & follows part of the Old Port Macquarie Rd. In the 1820’s this historic route allowed bullock drawn vehicles to cross the Dawson & continue to Port Macquarie. The track is named after Isabella Kelly, New South Wales’ only independent female colonial settler. Parts of Brimbin were originally the Travelling Stock Route of a stock camp sold in the 1960’s. Old Port Maacquarie Rd. follows a section of that track.
After paddling around peacefully for an hour or more we returned to the pontoon & got ourselves & our kayaks back up the track. Thanks everyone for helping out. After loading up we headed into Wingham for a lovely lunch at The Garden Grub café.
Despite a few challenges, I am glad we explored this picturesque & historic part of the Dawson River. Thanks to those who joined us on this exploratory outing.
Cheers
Caroline & Bill

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