AUSTRALIA - Lake Conjola - December 2010 January 2011

We stayed at Lake Conjola for a week in the camping area.

 

The lake is very big and pretty. It branches off in a number of directions with islands interspersed at various sections. In parts, in was fairly shallow but navigatable by kayak. The fishing was very good. I had my first try at snorkelling from my kayak. I caught a few bream and chloe the same as well as a large leatherjacket.

The walk to the beach was either via the lake or the coastal heath. The latter had a boardwalk or bush tracks. The sand on the beach is very soft and white to red. The surf was only small when we were there but it was fun. The lake empties out at the northern end of the beach. That was fun to bodyboard down at high tide and running out.

Green island is on the northern end. the waves can be good but not this time. We had a walk around the island, Lots of rocks, pools and other coastal features.

 

One morning, I walked along the beach to Narrawallee Inlet. Nice walk and the views at Buckley's Point were good. The inlet was also very pretty.

Overall, a pretty place with a lot of natural activities to do.

CENTRAL COAST - North Entrance - windsurf - 18 december 2010

Good day for the lighter weights, big big boards or big sails. At one stage, the wind came up a notch and it was fun. Unfortunately, I broke a harness line and Lance went through his sail.

Sailors: Lance, Mark, Bill, Peter, Todd

CENTRAL COAST - Avoca Lagoon - KAYAK - 17 December 2010

Cloudy day with little wind. Off to check out kayaking at Avoca Lagoon.

It was still with the sounds of birds. The water level was a bit low but there were heaps of birds.

CENTRAL COAST - Wamberal - snorkel - 10 december 2010

An excellent sunny morning with no wind and tiny surf. Good for a snorkel. I tried the north point at Wamberal Beach but there were small waves breaking that made visibility poor further out from shore. Still there were some fish.

After awhile, I drifted over to a group of surfers and got some water shots.

Water was very cold.

AUSTRALIA - Gerroa - december 2010

We went to a relative's  wedding in Gerroa. The wedding was excellent and the backdrop of Gerroa made it it more beautiful.

Gerroa has a wide sandy beach and a rocky headland. A river empties out at the northern end.

CENTRAL COAST - North Entrance - windsurf - 27 November 2010

The north east wind was looking strong but once out past the second bouy, it was ferocious. Great flat water and wind-chop waves further out.

There were a few big wipeouts and a lot of sailing very close to the cameraman.

Sailors were Lance, Mark, Todd and Peter.

The video has a number of spilt scenes and slow motion footage of to-close-to the cameraman shots.

CENTRAL COAST - Copacabana - snorkel - 27 November 2010

The northern end of Copacabana was protected and off shore in the north east wing. The snorkelling looked inviting.

Generally, the water was clear with a small swell. It was fun looking at the bottom where i've surfed a few times. Shallow in parts, rocks jutting upwards and an irregular bottom.

Water was very cold.

CENTRAL COAST - Bateau Bay - snorkel - 26 November 2010

The NE wind was increasing so i tried a snorkel at Bateau Bay. It was protected from the wind but the water was a little churned up. Plus not using a snorkel made snorkelling difficult. Funny that!

CENTRAL COAST - Canton Beach - windsurf - 19 November 2010

The wind was from south east and looking good. There were about five of us out. fun day!

AUSTRALIA - Dunn Swamp - HIKE/KAYAK - November 2010

 

I spent three days camping on own at Dunn Swamp near Rylstone, NSW.

The swamp is really a small dam. The water backs up between a narrow gorge of sandstone rocks that look pagoda-like.

 

There are two good kayak trips - up or down river. The up river trip becomes very narrow and in parts is difficult to make headway due to the reeds and overhanging brush. The kayak down river leads past tall reed areas and tall sandstone cliffs. The early morning sun reflects the golden hue of freshly broken slabs of sandstone plus the morning mist and stillness leads to mirror like reflections. The trip ends in the buoys protecting watercraft from venturing to close to the dam edge. It is a long way to the bottom of the dam wall.

 

There are two main walks with some side tracks. Both follow the river to a degree. The upriver walk passes through swampy areas and very dry bush. It eventually leads to a gauging station for the river. Side tracks lead to a picnic area and various rock formations. the second walk leads down river and passes through amazing rock formations and steep climbs to the top of the cliffs that line the river in parts. The track leads to the dam (weir) and thee long cave, which is really a long overhang of rock that can be walked under. At an earlier stage of the track, their is a side track to pagoda hill which is a fun steep rock scramble. the views at the top are excellent.

The camping was very quiet and the night silent. One needs to bring water and there are toilets only provided.

 

While here i saw heaps of wildlife - various birds, insects, goannas, kangaroos, possums, spiders and turtles.

The most noticeable aspect of the place is the sense of quietness and peacefulness.

CENTRAL COAST - Wamberal - surf - 20 October 2010

This was a fun surf. A crew of older dudes in the water - jeckle, pest, me, glenn, daniel, geoff, ironman - all having a good laugh.

The video was fun to make and produce into a movie. Played with splitting the screen and slow motion fall offs plus out of the water action.