Matty's Tasmanian Adventures

Huon River - Southwood to Huonville

2009-04-08T10:16:00.003+10:00

I had sat up through the night watching the rain levels for various south-west sites and also watching the river level rise on the Huon River at Tahune & Judbury. I packed my car with my Grafton Time Traveller and my mountain bike.

The plan was to leave my bike at Huonville and then drive to the Southwood Bridge which is 28km upstream.

At the Southwood Bridge I could immediately see that there was a good flow down the river. It was still raining and the river height was just over 2m at Judbury. I headed off in my time traveller and started by paddling against the current for a few minutes to get the feel of things. I realise that it isn't a good idea to paddle in whitewater by yourself but you can't always find people to paddle with and it is better to get out there than sit at home.

I could only just make progress upstream in the strong flow and as soon as I turned downstream I was going around 20km/h on the gps without paddling hard. There were continuous waves and it was quite enjoyable. I found that the more you 'attack' and paddle hard into the waves the better. Some of the standing waves were over head height (from my sitting position) and really wakes you up at you are smacked in the face by a series of stationary waves at 20km/h.

At Judbury Falls there were no falls as the river was high enough to cover them. There were still waves there. It was good fun as I sped down the river with little effort. I stopped to surf some waves on the way so it wasn't over too quickly.

Before I knew it I had reached Huonville. I got out and hid my kayak where I had earlier hidden my bike and headed off again. I rode up the Ranelagh - northern side of the river up to Judbury and then crossed over to the southern side. I could see that there was a track on my map. I hoped that I could find my way and I wanted to avoid all of the trucks on the other side.

It was fine for the first about 8km on She-Oak Rd but then I reached a gate. It said 'for motor vehicle access call ph xxxxxx' I thought this was a forestry phone number but I wasn't sure. I continued on with my mountain bike. Initially I went through a paddock, surrounded by cows and then the track became rough where there was a washed out/broken bridge on possibly Frying Pan Creek. I scrambled across the creek with my bike and then followed very rough tracks for the next 3-4km to get back to the southern side of Southwood Bridge to my car.

The whole adventure had taken a lot more time than if we had done a car shuffle but it was more satisfying. I dropped the bike off at Huonville at around 7.30am. I started paddling at 8.30am. I finished the paddle at 10.15am and finished the ride at about 1pm - happy (but tired) after a good day.

Meadowbank to New Norfolk training

2009-04-04T17:36:00.004+11:00

I have just got home after a long day on the river. I drove to the Derwent River just above New Norfolk and dropped off my bike and then drove about 40km upstream to the base of Meadowbank Dam. I was hoping that the power station would be running which means the river will have more water in it - sadly it wasn't and the river was low with lots of rocks exposed.

I was paddling my Dagger RPM which isn't the ideal kayak for a 40km paddle - but I planned to stop at the rapids for a play on the way down. As I drove past the Meadowbank Vineyard and reached the gate to the ski club a guy arrived and opened it. Normally I would leave my car here and carry my kayak over the fence and down the hill about 200m to the river where there is thick scrub and a 2 foot drop to the water.

Luckily I could drive along the gravel road and then almost up to the dam wall to start.

I plodded along on the flat sections and stopped to catch the waves on the rapids and had a good time. I had a lunch break at Gretna and finished at 3pm near the water board building upstream from New Norfolk.

I then had a 2 hour ride into a strong westerly headwind to get back to the car - after hiding my kayak in scrub.

I was tired and relieved to get to my car again and relax as I headed back to collect the kayak on the way home.

I hope to do a similar trip on the Huon River in the next few days with a 'bike shuffle'.

blog from mobile phone

2009-03-24T02:50:00.000+11:00

i bought a nokia n95, 8gb recently & have found it has great coverage and web access, and i can update the blog with my phone.

yay ... my first heat pump

2009-03-24T01:46:00.002+11:00

Today an electrician came and installed my new Panasonic heat pump ( & a/c). It works well and I won't miss cutting firewood at all (I would have preferred that someone cut my wood for me and start the fire before I get up each day and before I get home from work). I love the sort of heat you get from a wood heater but I can't be bothered cutting the wood & getting the fire going.

It seems to work really well and it is very quiet. We will have to see how it goes through winter. It is still supposed to work with -10 deg C outside.

Recent trips - Lake Barrington & Robbins/Walker Islands

2009-03-22T23:45:00.003+11:00

I was heading up to north-west Tasmania for a paddle at Robbins & Walker Islands with is as far as you can go away from my house and still be on the same island. I thought that if I would go up a day early and do a paddle on Lake Barrington.

This is a 20km long lake (and hydro-electric dam) where there is a rowing course. I initially planned to do a lap around the whole dam. I arrived at 8.30am and headed off in my Grafton Paddle Sports - 'high-deck' Wizard kayak. I also had a Paddling Perfection - Slingshot sea kayak for my Robbins Island trip later.

I started off from the boat ramp on the eastern side of the lake - about 6km from the northern (dam) end. I started off heading down the eastern side - exploring all the nooks and quickly reached a sharp left-hand bend near the dam. There is a floating wire to stop people getting close to the top of the dam. Looking at the dam from the water didn't look like a big deal but when I got out on the western side and walked to the dam wall it was an awesome site over the top.

The water was about a foot away from spilling over the top and the dam wall drops down 84 metres to the outlet river below. Down each side of the dam were a series of ladders and steps. These could take you right down to water level or about 3/4 of the way down where there is a walkway to the other side.

It looked like the water would fall down beyond this walkway and it would be like walking behind a giant waterfall. It would be an awesome, scary sight seeing it spilling over.

I returned to the kayak and headed back up the lake and found the Forth Falls. I had read about this spot years ago in a kayak magazine where people were paddling down the Forth Falls Creek and landing in the lake.

I have no idea how hard or dangerous it is but the final drop looked at least 5 metres and other photos make it look challenging.

After a day of exploring the lake I headed off towards the far north-west corner of Tassie. I had a detour at Burnie due to a serious crash where a log truck collided with a cyclist.

I arrived at Robbins Island Road and packed my kayak. The next day was a cruisy paddle up to Mosquito Inlet followed by some rolling practice in my slingshot.

During the return trip, I was surrounded by thunder and lightning and some torrential rain. It was quite scary for a while. When you are out in open water there is no protection from the lightning.

By the time I reached Robbins Passage again the sun was out and it was very pleasant - followed by a 6 hour drive home - thanks to lot of slow campervans.

SW Tasmania Expedition

2007-12-15T17:50:00.000+11:00

Days 3 & 4 - Saturday 15/12/07

Matt rang at 5.30 pm to let us know he was safe at the southern side of Bathurst Narrows, enjoying the peace and quiet of a sunny afternoon.

Apparently, he has injured his left ankle which made wearing boots uncomfortable. Since that incident he has been wearing sandals, until one broke, so he is back to boots again.

All being well he should reach Melaleuca tomorrow (Sunday) when he will reassess his injury. If the food parcel has been left for him by Par Avion he will then need to make a decision as to whether he is fit enough to continue on to Cockle Creek or get a lift out by plane.

SW Tasmania Expedition

2007-12-12T23:10:00.000+11:00

Day 1 - Wednesday 12/12/07 - Port Davey Track

A new adventure starts!

Today, at 12.55 pm, Matt started out from Scots Peak Dam on the first leg of a walk down to Melaleuca and, maybe, on to Cockle Creek.

Weather was fine, slightly overcast, with not too many march flies to bother him.

His aim for today was to walk to the junction of McKays Track and the Port Davey Track (maybe 3 - 3.5 hours) and camp there. He expects to take 4 days to get to Melaleuca, then 6 or 7 to Cockle Creek.

I don't expect daily updates, especially bearing in mind the problems he had on his previous attempt to paddle down the west coast but, as information comes to hand, I'll keep this site updated.

According to the registration log book no other walkers were planning to do this trip at this time, so he may not meet many, if any, other walkers.

SW Tasmania Expedition

2007-12-13T18:09:00.000+11:00

Day 2 - Thursday 13/12/07 - Port Davey Track

Just a brief text message from Matt today via sat phone - "At Watershed Camp. 20kms today. Sore and tired but OK."

I tried to call him immediately I received the message but unfortunately there was no signal. I would expect he is limiting his phone usage to preserve battery power, even though he has a flexible solar panel to re-charge batteries whenever possible. I hope he wasn't standing around staring at the phone screen for 2 hours waiting for enough bars to appear so he could send his message.

West Coast Expedition

2007-12-07T11:48:00.000+11:00

Day 6 - Friday 7/12/07

Matt rang (CDMA from Macquarie Heads - thank you Telstra for closing this service from Jan 08!!!) to say he had arrived at about 10 am after a very difficult struggle from his last night's camp site 2 kms north of Sloop Point.

He was up at 4.45 am after enduring a night of strong winds, expecting the wind might drop early in the day. No such luck, so he set off, hugging the shore to gain some protection from the N-NE winds.

As he rounded Cape Sorell he was met with the full force of the gale wind and steep seas. A front came through and turned n/w - which was a gale force TAIL wind (coming from a 7-8 o'clock angle behind) with torrential rain. The wind was so strong he couldn't avoid being hurled down the steep breaking waves so he had to brace for the ride.

As he approached Hells Gates in gale force winds a tourist boat poked its nose out - the tourists must have wondered just what they were seeing as Matt paddled into Macquarie Harbour, apparently having come from the open Ocean.

He now intends to re-assess his plans for the remaining 6 weeks of his holidays but said that he would have gone insane if he had to spend 5-6 weeks by himself back on that section of coast again - when you are so spoiled kayaking and you can do the same thing in 2-4 days.

He now plans to do some more 'normal' trips like Precipitous Bluff 'circuit' (out Moonlight Ridge & back via South Coast Track), Mt Anne Circuit, Frenchman's Cap, and a two week paddle trip to Albatross Island area - n/w Tas.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks Phil for the suggestions. I mainly decided it was best for the little remaining sanity that I have left, that it wouldn't be smart to spend 5 weeks by myself bush-bashing through dense scrub with no tracks. I have heard that someone was stuck in the section near the Wanderer River and was praying for a fishing boat to pick him up to escape it.

Regards
from Matt W.

West Coast Expedition

2007-12-06T20:23:00.000+11:00

Day 5 - Thursday 6/12/07

First, a note of thanks to Phil for helpful suggestions of how to protect food when left in a remote area - I'll pass on to Matt at first chance.

Gale force winds today would have made 'progress' very difficult for Matt - from the north to north-east. However, I heard from my wife Suzanne, when I had returned from a day trip to Melbourne, that Matt had made it to about 12 kms from Cape Sorell lighthouse (20 km from getting back into Macquarie Hbr) during the afternoon.

Apparently, if he has a chance he will attempt to get up through Hells Gates during the evening - if the strong winds ease up as it cools down. He thinks the strong wind might be due to a hot day and strong sea breeze.

I hope he doesn't get "homecoming fever" and try to do too much too soon. I would rather he waits a day or two close to Strahan than push too hard.

However, he is his own man and I know he will take care.

West Coast Expedition

2007-12-04T21:26:00.000+11:00

Day 3 - Tuesday 4/12/07

This must have been a very frustrating day for Matt - he is still at The Shank!
I received only the briefest of phone calls from him and 2 text messages:

5.58 pm "Still at The Shank. V strong gusty wind. Next 3 days wind?"

7.35 pm "I am not getting any radio signal for news, weather. Sat phone 1 min per hour."

He apparently tried many times to get a signal and, when he did, I happened to be tending a small fire to get rid of rubbish and did not have the forecast printout with me that I had sent.

The coastal weather forecast I sent by text would not have given him any joy either (if he was able to get it). It started off with:

"A gale warning is current."

I tried many times during the evening to get through to his sat phone but only got the unavailable message. Not a good recommendation for a sat phone in a remote area I thought.

I don't think Matt is running out of time for this food supply trip but I know that hanging around waiting for the weather to improve isn't his favourite way of spending the day in the wilderness.

(from Matt) - I was waiting at the Shank and had no idea what the weather was going to do as I hadn't heard any forecasts. I could see that it was very gusty and would have been messy off Low Rocky Point. After I had watched the weather for the whole day I realised that in hindsight I could have easily coped with the conditions - but I couldn't predict that. It really does drive me crazy when I get stuck at a place. Even though the Shank is sheltered for landing a kayak, it isn't a pleasant smelling place. There is a lagoon full of rotting kelp that smells like poo. The lagoon had a stream of flowing rotten kelp past my camp. After a while you get better at breathing without smelling as well. There are the marks of lots of 4 wheel bike tracks near the Shank from bikes that come down the old mining exploration track from Birchs Inlet (Macquarie Hbr) to Low Rocky Point. There is also fishing rubbish everywhere.

West Coast Expedition

2007-12-03T21:09:00.000+11:00

Day 2 - Monday 3/12/07

Only a sketchy report from Matt today when he rang at 9.05pm due to the appalling coverage by his globalstar satellite phone.
He is at The Shank, about 35 kms SE of Point Hibbs. He left Point Hibbs at 9am after packing and leaving his food parcel for the walk later. He left a second food parcel at Hartwell Cove, about 20 kms SE of Point Hibbs. It had been raining heavily during the paddle and he sheltered in Hartwell Cove for a while waiting for things to improve but after a while he left because he decided he may as well be wet and get warm paddling rather than stand around getting cold and wet.
As well as the rain, it was very misty with only about 2km visibility, so he followed the coast as closely as the large breaking waves would allow.
Yesterday it took him over an hour to get a satellite phone signal before he was able to get through to report progress. Today it was over 2 hours and then the signal dropped out after 2 minutes due to a lost signal. "Thankyou Globalstar." You are improving Telstra/Iridium's business by the day! Even Globalstar Australia's website lists in the coverage details the optimum times of the day that you will get coverage for the location that you enter - maybe once every 45 mins or so in some areas for a minute or two. It is a shame that there satellites are failing (see media reports that they may not be working by 2008)

Even though he is well equipped, with a solar panel to charge batteries, if the sun's not shining when he stops paddling then there isn't much chance to re-charge any batteries. When he landed at the Shank he cleared the braken ferns from an old fishermen's campsite and watched the waves breaking on all of the reefs that make this area sheltered.

West Coast Expedition

2007-12-02T21:32:00.000+11:00

Day 1 - Sunday 2/12/07

After what must have been a nightmare organising gear for two trips at the same time, Matt left the camping ground at Macquarie Heads at 11am with his Mirage 580 sea kayak packed with not only his supplies for up to 2 weeks of kayak paddle, but also food for four (weekly) supply drops when he walks down the coast.
He phoned at 9.30pm to let me know he had made it to Point Hibbs, the first drop-off point, at 7.30pm, very tired.
He had head winds out to Cape Sorell, then light to moderate SW winds during the afternoon. At about 6pm the wind dropped to calm conditions for the final stint to Point Hibbs. Upon landing he set up camp on the beach but was annoyed that he didn't have his sand pegs (snow pegs) as they were in his walking pack - back in the car. He used buried sticks with rocks over the top of the sticks in the sand instead, which held his macpac microlight tent firm on the beach.
Distance covered today was about 60 kms.

West Coast Expedition

2007-12-05T10:47:00.000+11:00

Day 4 - Wednesday 5/12/07

Despite repeated attempts last night no contact was possible with Matt.

I sent the 5am coastal forecast early today in the hope he might be able to get a signal to read that conditions are expected to ease somewhat.
However, at 7.30am I got a phone call from Matt to say he thought it would be insane to continue and undertake the walk as planned. He did not get the text message though.
His reasoning is that he checked the food box at The Shank (where he spent last night) and found that animals had attacked it and water had got into the plastic box even though it was sealed with strong fabric tape.

Imagine the despair if he had found this after 7 days walk and then no food re-supply for the following week!

His plan now is to back-track, maybe to Point Hibbs today.

More news as it comes to hand.

Update from later in the day - Matt has reached Point Hibbs in worsening conditions. He reckons he might try for Strahan (Heads Camping Ground) on Thursday, weather permitting.

Tasmanian West Coast trip - preparation 28/11/07

2007-11-29T01:36:00.000+11:00

With only one day of work to go before I start 7 1/2 weeks away, I have gathered together almost all of the stuff I need for a 6 week walk down the remote southern half of the west coast of Tasmania. I will be walking from Macquarie Harbour (near Strahan) down to Bathurst Harbour (over 200km away) and then maybe a further 80-90 km to Cockle Creek (with some side trips). The first section doesn't have tracks and I will basically be following the coast. It will get tricky when I have to cross rivers. I am carrying a small inflatable boat for this.

Before the walk I am going to paddle my sea kayak down the coast to drop of some food supplies so I won't have to carry 6 weeks of food in my pack. The sea kayak section could be quite challenging by itself. It involves about 450km south to Port Davey and back. I hope to do that in a week - wind permitting.

I expect to leave Macquarie Harbour between 1st to 3rd of December.

My father (Tony Watton) will be updating this blog as I send messages from my satellite phone.

Merry Christmas everyone. I expect to be spending Christmas & New Year lying on a beach, gazing up at billions of stars, watching them streak across the sky (and probably wondering what the hell I have got myself into and wishing my feet didn't hurt so much).

Bye,
from Matthew Watton.

Derwent River training

2007-10-28T21:59:00.000+11:00

Sunday 28 October 2007 - I left home at 6am and drove to the Derwent River above New Norfolk. I dropped off my mountain bike below the rapids at the Plenty railway bridge and then drove up to Meadowbank Rd.

I was initially planning to paddle down the last 1km of the Tyenna River into the Derwent but I found an easier entry point further up river. Just past No. 174 Meadowbank Rd, I parked and scrambled down a steep bank to the Derwent. I was using a Dagger RPM max - which isn't ideal for a 25km paddle - but I wanted to have fun on the way.

The river level was quite high considering and it must have been due to water coming through the Meadowbank power station because there hadn't been any rain for a while.

I enjoyed the scenery down the river, which is mostly surrounded by farmland. I wanted to familiarise myself with the main rapids for the Cradle to Coast multisport race in March 2008. They are - in order - The Strainer; Gretna rapids; Mitchells; Broken Bridge and Plenty railway bridge.

At the higher river level some areas can be harder than normal and some can be easier - as they are 'smoothed out' with more water moving above them.

The Strainer: involves the main water flow moving directly at a partly submerged tree. The current tries to move you right at the tree. I found it quite easy to avoid it to the left where it was less rough (but slower).

Gretna: As I rounded the bend to the right I stuck to the right bank where it was less rough. The first rapid there is easier than the second. The second went longer and was messier but it was still better to stick next to the right bank.

Mitchells: this was very easy at the higher water level. There were none of the normal rock hazards on the approach as there is with low water and as I went down the rapid I stuck to the right bank. Below this rapid there are undercut rock shelves at low water but they were covered.

Broken Bridge: This was flowing across the whole river at this higher level and I stuck close to the very left. This enables you to go down the main chute and angle left to get out of the current if you choose or at least avoid the big messy waves. I then had to cross to the right to avoid the metal from the actual broken bridge below the main rapid.

Plenty railway bridge: once again the water was flowing across the whole river and not just down the main chute. This meant that a lot of rocks that normally direct the flow were now just submerged and dangerous (to boat damage).

I then left the river and hid my kayak and rode back to Meadowbank Rd. It is only 18km back by road as the river meanders.

All in all it was a good day out and good training.

Training - Derwent River - Sat 27 Oct 2007

2007-10-28T04:47:00.000+11:00

I spent half the day struggling to paddle up river through rapids. I started in the Styx River at Bushy Park and paddled into the Derwent and then spent the next few hours to get up to Gretna. By that time I was stuffed and turned around to cruise back to the Styx River and the car. I was using my Perception 'Wavehopper' plastic downriver racer.

Tomorrow I plan to to a paddle in my Dagger RPM from the Tyenna River (Meadowbank Bridge) into the Derwent and 30km down river to the Plenty rail bridge where I will have left my mountain bike which I then have to ride back to the car. I am hoping to have some fun surfing some waves in the rapids on the way down.

Tasmanian West Coast Adventure

2007-10-27T09:14:00.000+11:00

From the start of December 2007, I will be doing a 6 week walk down the west coast of Tasmania. This is a very remote area with no houses, roads and not even walking tracks to follow. I plan to basically just follow the coast but will have to cope with sea cliffs, river crossings and dense bush.

I plan to walk from Macquarie Harbour - near Strahan, down the West Coast to Port Davey and then to Melaleuca. If I still have time (and the will to continue) I will continue to either Cockle Creek or over the southern ranges to Lune River.

I won't be able to carry my food for 6 weeks so I will need to have food drops spaced approximately a week apart. Other people to do this trip have arranged for fishing boats to drop off their food but I plan to paddle a sea kayak down the coast to Port Davey, dropping food at Point Hibbs, Hartwell Cove, Low Rocky Point and Port Davey. I will get Par Avion to fly food in to the airstrip at Melaleuca for my final week. I am choosing to drop my own food off so I will know exactly where it will be. I prefer to be in control of my trip and not relying on other people. At least that way if anything goes wrong - it is my fault.

I hope to drop off the food by kayak and return to Macquarie Harbour. I will also drop off an inflatable raft at Port Davey to get across the mouth of the Davey River to save walking up into the Davey Gorge. I plan to cross from Bond Bay to Fitzroy Point.

I then plan to walk up Mt Stokes, Mt Berry and Mt Rugby before crossing Bathurst Harbour to Melaleuca and then on to the South Coast Track.

Day 26 - 5/3/07

2007-03-05T22:51:00.001+11:00

Matt's finished his circumnavigation - 26 days (24 paddling, 1 day for repairs & 1 due to weather).

Today he left Kettering at 7.30am. Initially, conditions were fairly calm and he cruised down the channel at 9 km/h. At 10am he was at Gordon where the Channel widens and he faced very strong s/w headwinds as the course of the channel turns to the s/w.

By 12.55pm he was off Dover and called from his kayak to say he was sheltering in a cove, having a break, sitting 10 metres from a sea eagle, perched in a tree.

I had travelled down to Cockle Creek, half expecting to camp there and see Matt tomorrow but, true to his word, he appeared just before 7pm, having paddled for 11 and a half hours in headwinds, driving rain and steep seas. He hugged the coast for much of the time, paddling further (than the straight line course) but utilising every bit of shelter available.

He quickly changed into warm clothes, we loaded the kayak and headed off. 70km into the wind for the day.

I'm not sure whether Matt will be paddling in the Kingston kayak races tomorrow evening. He now faces the problem of trying to edit 16 hours of video into something watchable. That may take a lot more than 26 days.

Day 1 - 8/2/07

2007-02-08T22:01:00.000+11:00

I sent Friday's weather forecast by text at about 5.15pm. A bit more promising than for today.

"E to NE winds 5 to 15 kts tending variable during the afternoon with inshore sea breezes. Seas around 1 metre. SW swell decaying to around 2 metres."

Matt phoned via satellite phone at 9.15pm. He has reached Deadmans Bay after battling very strong headwinds most of the morning. He has had a lot of trouble getting a signal and said he thought all the satellites had dropped out of the sky!

Phone line then dropped out.

I hope to get more news tomorrow.

Update for Day 1 on Day 2 - 50kms today. He wanted to stop at Rocky Boat Inlet but waves were breaking across the bay, then on to Prion Beach but on approach there were huge waves so he abandoned that plan and continued on to Deadmans.

Post-trip clean-up & DCC Race 10

2007-03-07T09:01:00.000+11:00

I spent most of Tuesday 6 March cleaning up and washing smelly kayak gear. At 3pm I started thinking about the Derwent Canoe Club race. I felt ok, even though I am still having problems with pins and needles in my hands, so I put my Grafton Paddle Sports 'Wizard' kayak on the car.

I arrived at Kingston early so I could get used to a kayak that is vastly less stable than a my loaded mirage 580. I felt a bit wobbly for a few minutes but when you go from a loaded sea kayak to a light racing kayak it feels great.

We were racing a time trial up the river and a handicap race on the way back. I held back a bit on the time trial because before my circumnavigation I felt like I was going into lactic acid meltdown by the first bend and I had a very hard paddle the day before.

As I paddled up the course I was keeping an eye on the paddlers in front of me to try and gauge my progress and I was keeping a similar gap. By the end of the time trial I felt good for a change. I noticed a big difference after the last 4 weeks of intensive training.

On the way back in the handicap race I was feeling great and for the first time this summer I was able to build through the race (even though I did wash ride to the first bend). Normally I am ready to die by the shallow last bend and I am looking for an ambulance down the finish straight but this time I was able to sprint to the end. There is only one more race now in a fortnight then a short break to 22 April for the 'Total Eye Care' Huon Series - 4 races, 22 April, 27 May, 24 June, 29 July.

Day 24 - 3/3/07

2007-03-03T14:46:00.000+11:00

Matt rang at about 8am from the sea, off Visscher Island near Cape Frederick Hendrick, to say he would hope to be at the boat ramp at the S end of Pirates Bay at 10.45 for a bit of a break. As he was calling, a penguin about 20 metres away was squawking at him in the background.

Today he was up at 5am and started paddling at 6am to take advantage of the N winds that he hoped would last all day.

We decided to take our dog, Topsy, along for the ride and made the assumption that the boat ramp area was outside Tasman NP. Certainly not a pristine, wilderness experience but we take care.

Matt arrived at 11.15am (never been very punctual!!) in perfect, sunny conditions.

Matt had some lunch and unloaded some unwanted gear - bivvy bag, spare meal packs - and generally relaxed for a short time.

He wants to make as much progress as he can today, bearing in mind that tomorrow W winds are forecast, then SW at up to 30 knots in the far S.

So his plan for the remainder of today is to try to get around Cape Pillar and up into Safety Cove. The views will be spectacular and I hope he takes a lot of care. If he makes it the distance for today will have been 80-90 km ish.

Call from Matt at 6pm, camped at Safety Cove, happy with his day's work but very tired.

Tomorrow will be tough.

Day 19 - 26/2/07

2007-02-26T19:25:00.000+11:00

When Matt phoned at 6.45pm, having just landed at Scamander, he reported that he had been up, vomiting, from 12 midnight to 2am while camping at Eddystone Point.

He has a number of freeze-dried wilderness-type meals and he thought that maybe it hadn't cooked properly. I thought these meals were pre-cooked and then immediately freeze-dried to seal in freshness and goodness. Maybe I'm not quite right about that.

He was up at 6.30am and started paddling at about 8.30am into an easterly breeze and stopped for a break at St Helens Point, some 30kms due S - surfing in among some nice waves to Beer Barrel Beach.

Here he ate some muesli-type bars and felt a bit better. He pressed on at a slow pace of about 6-7 kms/hr, covering a total of about 55kms for the day.

I told him about the memorial service for Andrew McAuley. I audio-taped the PM report and will let him hear that tomorrow, when I catch up with him at Bicheno (hopefully). I know Matt would have liked to be at that service as he has a great deal of admiration and inspiration from Andrew.

Day 20 - 27/2/07

2007-02-28T14:52:00.000+11:00

On the way to Bicheno today Matt had a break at Long Point, near Seymour, after battling mostly SE winds during the morning. When he rang me from here at about 12.30pm he reckoned he still had about 3 hours paddling to reach Bicheno.

On previous occasions he has stopped at Waubs Bay - a sandy beach where there is a toilet block and a grassed area. Although not intended for camping it is a convenient spot and only a few hundred metres from a cafe and supermarket for supplies.

I arrived at about 2pm and waited for Matt's arrival. I saw him approach inside Diamond Island and had previously seen people walking out along the connecting sand bar. Matt had to drag his kayak across this when he reached it at about 4.45pm.

It had been a tough day's work - unkind head winds - and he hugged the coast to try to minimise the effects.

Total distance for the day was about 50kms.

Rather than set up camp we decided to sleep in the Patrol but, what with interruptions from a car-load of local drunks, this was anything but an undisturbed night. However, we were warm and dry and did not need to pack away any wet gear the following morning.

Day 21 - 28/2/07

2007-02-28T15:06:00.000+11:00

Winds expected to be from SE today, between 15 and 25 knots, which means a hard slog for Matt.

He left Bicheno at 7.45am and I headed back to Sandford the easy way!

I received a text message at 1.30pm to say: "Safe at Wineglass Bay. Staying here. Challenging day." Distance about 35kms.

A bit later Matt rang to say that he had been bounced around by a big dumping wave as he stopped for a while at the northern end of Wineglass Bay and that he was surprised when he re-appeared from the white water after bracing on the wave for what felt like a long time. He was relieved that the kayak didn't roll over and break the video camera on a pole on the deck.

In view of the weather forecast for more SE winds tomorrow he thought he might not paddle until Friday. However, he does not have much faith in the forecasters' NE winds that are expected then.

The next section of the trip is through Schouten Passage, either to camp on Schouten Island or to head across Great Oyster Bay to Maria Island.