Island-hopping

Wednesday 8 January 2014

This was a short day, yet nonetheless it seemed to bring a range of paddling challenges. Crossing from Cape Barren towards Preservation Island and then crossing to Clarke Island meant we would encounter a number of tidal flows and needed to be aware of which way the tides where headed.

There were serene sections passing by sculptural rocks; there were challenging sections where the white waters could have been due to reefs or to tidal flows and we had to work out which as we moved closer. There was a tidal flow off the south-west of Preservation that brought me back to my experience in the Gulf of Corryvrecken (Scotland) and finally there were the lichen-coated majestic rocky shores of Clarke Island and the calm waters of Spike Cove.

With hindsight, I wished we’d planned the day differently and actually landed on Preservation Island and had a closer look at Rum Island. Having read more of Matthew Flinders’ adventures in this area, and the tale of the wreck of the Sydney Cove, walking the sand and land of these places would have been a special treat.

A sunny afternoon in Spike Cove allowed for wandering and rambling, limited by the dense bush which, despite its low height, proved quite impenetrable.