Misty Hill Blog: The Grip Is Loosened.

Well we have made considerable progress since the last blog post, having arrived in Strahan at 5.30 yesterday after a 10 hour day from Granville Harbour.

Hanging out at Arthur River was sort of entertaining in a boring way, we got a lift into Smifton one morning and hit the Online Centre where I posted the last blog update.

We also got chatting to the Parks Ranger at 'the River' and ended up getting a lift with her up to Marrawah to the Cold Water Classic surf comp as she had to manage the access to the dunes and middens. Here we had one of those classic Tasmanian experiences bumping into two different people we knew, one of whom we had not seen for over 20 years, when we were guiding for World Expeditions.

The wx looked like it was settling down as the week progressed and more to the point the swell was dropping to a size (3 meters or less) that would enable us to get into the Conical Rocks 'harbour'. We had sort of lost track of the days so had left it a bit late to get back to the kayak for Thursday when northerlies/nw were forecast. With such wind we would in theory sail the 40km down to 'the Connies' by lunch time.

We had arranged with the Arthur River shop owner to drive us down to Temma to reduce the walking time back to Sandy Cape but then he put us on to some Telstra technicians who were heading down to the Cape in a helicopter on Wednesday. The next morning I had a chat to the Telstra guys and they didn't care and were quite happy for us to hitch a lift, then when the chopper arrived I realised I knew the pilot from Parks work - so we were set! It had taken us a day and a half to walk to Arthur River, it took 12 mins to get back. Cool.

The next morning we were off into the jobblyness of rebound, steepening swells and the roar of surf at 7.30. Once around the Cape both sails went up and we were off for an amazing downhill run to 'the Connies'. Being unfamilar with the area and knowing it can be tricky to get into, nervousness abounded - will we find the way in through the rocks? ... has the swell dropped enough? ... how much will the sea state with the N wind effect the entrance? ... and will we get there before the wind comes around to the NW and strengthens? Off the Pieman Heads the water was stained deep brown from the river water for kms offshore and surprisingly there were even signs of current too. Sails came down so we could see clearly where we were going; the basic instruction for entering Conical Rocks is to hug the shore and keep inside the sheltering offshore rocks. Easier said than done with 2.5/3.0 m swells breaking on the very rocky (but scenic) shore to our left. Suddenly there is the gap, between the mayhem of white water on our left and one rock ahead to the right which the swell waves were breaking over. The sea and swell were steepening in the gap but thank goodness didn't seem to be breaking and the white water spilling over that one rock wasn't extending very far. Go for it into what we later voted the jobbliest (technical sea kayaking term for rough unpredictable sea state!) water of the whole trip so far. Very very confused sea, going everywhere, the surface covered in foam from the waves breaking all around from the swell on the offshore rocks to our right, the rebound from the shore on our left and the sea waves from the wind right behind us. A 100m or so of lurching up, down, sideways and the surface calmed - we were in. Phew! I wouldn't have liked to attempt it in any even slightly bigger conditions.

Conical Rocks is an amazing place; once into what the locals call the 'Pop Hole' (for good reason) the water was mirror calm, with the crash and roar of the surf on the outer rocks only 200m away. We were still in our paddling gear chatting to some campers/fishermen who had watched us come in, when the wind changed north westerly and picked up a good few more knots. If we had been a few hours later once the nw sea had built up it would have been much more interesting getting in. Welcome to West Coast sea kayaking. Although in this instance we could have continued on to Granville Harbour 16km further south, if we couldn't get get in here, we probably wouldn't get in there either. We knew the next day was a no paddle day with strong SWesterlies forecast but the following day Saturday was a good day to continue on to Granville Harbour.

It was lovely a place to hang out; I even had mobile reception with my ordinary digi phone. Lynne's 3G phone battery was dead. Thanks to Kevin and Dave for texting the coastal water forecast as we are now well and truly out of range of the regular wx broadcast from Smithton on the marine vhf repeater network. In fact we won't get those again until we round SW Cape. To get that phone reception I did have to walk a km to a big granite boulder and stand on top with the phone held up above my head. We walked north over to the Pieman Heads in the afternoon, wild wild country.

With the swell dropping we were happy continuing to Granville Harbour on Saturday, where the swells if big can break right across the entrance. A headwind was forecast but as it was only 16km we had a cruisey morning and set off about 9.30. All morning it had been very still, not a breath of wind, until of course we turned south off Conical Rocks. We paid for our slack morning with a 3 hour slog into the wind. Again the nervousness of a new landing, as Granville is a spot that can be very tricky in big swells. Lots of breakers as we approached off the northern extent of the harbour but only the rare biggest swell was steepening enough to have a rim of white water along its top so we were fine; in fact all the rest of the afternoon we only saw two or three biggest swells steepening to that extent and they were still a long way off breaking.

The forecast was pretty perfect for the next day to Hells Gates and Strahan. It was going to be a long one, so the anticipated N/NE at 5 - 15knots with a NW change up to 25knots in the afternoon, would be perfect sailing for us. We were on the water at 7.20 out into a smooth windless day and calm seas, the endless swells even though 'small' still seem like mountain ranges rolling in from our right. They are so magnificent.

An hour or so south the coast changed from rocky to steep cliffs and we started heading out to sea away from the horrible rebound effect from the swells bouncing back. It didn't really abate until we were 3 or 4kms offshore. We didn't see much of Trial Harbour from this distance.

We paddled in the windless hot conditions well past Trial Harbour; our usual routine is a stop every 3 hours for a drink and something to eat. As we sat there I said, "whoever sees Cape Sorell lighthouse first doesn't have to buy the first round in the pub tonight". I had only just made that comment when without even trying, there it was, a thin white line visible only from the top of the biggest swells. Your round Lynney!

Just as we were setting off again there was a noticable change in the sea state but seemingly for no reason, then suddenly from the NE/ENE came the wind. Dark water spotted with white horses, sails up and in five minutes we went from hot windless boredom to the tension and struggle to stay upright in a straight line with a short steep beam sea. For an hour or so until it slowly dropped out we rocketed along, too fast to paddle as well at times, really nice to have the kms tick past without the slog of a calm sea.

As we neared Cape Sorell and Hells Gates more and more features became visible; the two lights marking the entrance, the headland itself and the dunes at the southern end of Ocean Beach. We were still 10 or 15km off Hells gates when I realised we were drifting south towards the lighthouse; there must have been a current coming south parallel to Ocean Beach. As we came closer we also realised we had an opposing current as our speed was down to 6kph - we should have been moving at around 7/8kph. Presuming it was the tide exiting Macquarie Harbour we anticipated a battle to get in through Hells Gates. Reaching the breakwater just outside the entrance we stopped for a rest and more to eat; 6 hours exactly since we left Granville. The anticipated hard paddling against the current didn't eventuate; we were up to 7kph + so the current that had slowed us out at sea mustn't have been the water leaving the Harbour.

Quick stop for lunch on the beach near the campground at the Heads and we were off on the last section to Strahan itself. There followed a farcical frustrating time with a huge area of shallows before rounding a point and Strahan was in sight.

Everyone knows the saying not to count your chickens and this is so true with sea kayaking. The day is not over until both feet are on dry ground and the boat is above the high tide mark. However close one is to the shore don't take it for granted that you will actually get there.

We rounded the point, Strahan in sight about 12km away, and we could even see the pub and relax - 'we've done it'!

Then the NW change arrived, the water turned white and it was a 3 hour slog virtually all the way to the beach near the caravan park. Lynne was storming along, I was having trouble keeping up at times, we were going to get there if it killed us! Relax, patience, concentrate on a perfect paddling technique so not a smidge of energy is wasted, don't watch the shore creeping past at a snail's pace as it is far too demoralising and put your mind anywhere else but Macquarie Harbour in a gale.

We hit the beach just short of 5.20, ten hours since we left Granville, 70km covered, our longest day (by 2km) so far.

Food and beer beckoned, so in the dreary grey drizzle of a west coast afternoon we put up the tent, jumped in the shower still in our kayaking gear and went to eat and drink.

What a day, what a place, amazing.