Jurien weekend trip 2011

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A Weekend at Jurien
March 2011

By
Mark Alderson

Crossing to Boullanger Island - photo Neesha Copley.
Saturday dawned overcast and cool for the first time in about a month as I ate a little breakfast, barrelled into the car and turned towards Jurien at 5.30am. As I drove through the rain I wondered how this might influence the trip, but needn’t have worried as it turned out. After arriving at Jurien harbour and driving around the car park for five minutes I found the group of paddlers eventually. I was greeted by a much larger group than I had originally thought with 13 paddlers present on the beach loading gear and exchanging banter at the start of the trip. Steve (head honcho - trip leader) briefed us on the day ahead and we nosed our way out of the Jurien marina at about 9. Before rounding the breakwater we bunched up for a final word and it was during this discussion that Jo was squeezed up against the rocks and had a little swim, which she was not too pleased about – at least it would have woken her up for the start of the day. Having resolved this little deviation we rounded the harbour wall and headed southwest towards Boullanger Island – a crossing of about 5km. This was straight into the fresh Southwester that was blowing and before too long we were all woken up with salt spray as the boats dived in and out of the oncoming waves. The sight from the marina is a very inviting one for sea kayakers with a number of islands visible on the horizon as possible landing points. The crossing itself was pretty hard going straight into the breeze. It was here that I commented on one of the design faults of my homemade boat. The front hatch is recessed too deeply into the deck causing any water washing over it to be funnelled up over the deck lines into the face of the occupant. Next boat things will be different.	Drawing closer to the island we were all struck by the beauty of the place – with its low limestone cliffs and white beaches. We were also struck by the warmth of the water, and later learned that this had caused an algal bloom in the area, and left a large number of dead fish and marine animals in the water and on the beaches. We passed around this island to the west and across some very shallow water between it and the next island only about a further 500m away. All the while the terns, gulls and shags wheeled overhead fishing and calling as we went. The time was about 11.30 when we landed on a sheltered beach in calm waters for a bite to eat and snorkel. The water was like a bath and the fishing sanctuary was teaming with fish – even though they were hard to see in the murky water. Boullanger Island - photo Judy Blight.
After an assortment of lunches, we headed off to see Essex rocks, a further 4km distant. At this point Les diverted around the back of the island and managed to find a bit of surf to play in briefly. We soon learned that Les liked to take some more “challenging lines” in his travels and was to be followed at one’s own risk. The sea lions that greeted us when we got to the rocks were a real highlight of the trip. As soon as we were over the shallows in the lee of the island they raced into the water and played all around us. The acrobatics on display were truly amazing as they showed us who were most at home out here. There were many occasions where one or more of the paddlers were surrounded by up to ten inquisitive creatures. Ben with sea lions at Essex Rocks - photo Neesha Copley. Essex Rocks - photo Neesha Copley.
Jo with sea lions at Essex Rocks - photo Neesha Copley.	Sea lions at Essex Rocks - photo Neesha Copley.
Essex Rocks - photo Neesha Copley.
Paddling back to the coast here was pretty hard going too as the waves were completely sideways. Some without rudders found it hard work as did some with, and I was glad I had one during this crossing. Here we were also treated to a glimpse of that most mythic of creatures, the flying fish, all silver-blue as it jumped from a wave and then flew in an arc in front of us. We landed mid-afternoon at Booka camp and then poked around for a tent site. Jackie, Paul and Ian headed home at this point, only staying with us for the day. After setting up we convened under the shady trees for coffee and philosophy. We were treated to some interesting points of view from Rob, Ben, and Steve and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. This soon turned into a dinner, with Les's curried condensed milk sauce being an eye opener to all. Sunset was marvellous and I headed off to bed early – having had a late night packing. Sleep was a little interrupted by the duff duff music of some 4WD’s that were close by fishing – why they would need the music in such a great spot is still a mystery. Next day I was up at 6 for a spot of fishing and a lot of the other paddlers were stirring also. I did manage to get some breakfast and joined a few others on the beach to do a little cooking. At about 8 most were ready to be off, so with a bit of hurried packing I was there by the official start time of 8.30. Rob was also ready by 8.30 according to his watch… apparently not the best of morning persons. Wolfgang decided to head back to Jurien at this point as we were likely to have some stern quartering winds that he was not keen on. The group headed to Boullanger Island and had another look at this beautiful place. We then headed to Favourite Island about 5 or 6km away. The wind was behind us to the side at this stage and did make control more challenging. It was a hard slog to Favourite, picking our way through the reefs and breaking waves occasionally. The wind was strengthening, and it was decided not to delay at the island. After a quick breather we travelled to North Head with the wind directly behind us and some great surfing was had on the way. The landing spot at North Head was hairy looking initially as we were confronted by a large reef break barring the beach. After a bit of poking around from Les we found a tame landing site in the end and were off the water by 2. From the height of the headland the breaking waves did not seem anywhere near as foreboding as they had on the water. A pleasant afternoon was spent exploring, swimming and having coffee. A great afternoon tea was organised – the feature of which was Steve’s liquid brie. Evening meals were compared once more – amazing to see differing approaches to my quick food solutions there. The winds were forecast to pick up the next day so we had the aim of starting at 7. Steve kindly came to wake us all at about 5.40am next morning, which was a bit scary. In the half-light we packed the boats and managed to be on the water at about 6.45. Initially the going was pretty hard, but once we were in the lee of the dunes from the southeaster the water calmed down. We were back at the Marina at about 9.30 and after packing up we shared a quick brew before heading home. Most of the group headed to the caravan park café for a well-earned breakfast, which apparently went down very well. The trip all in all was a great experience with a great mix of water conditions and some great scenery. Thanks to Steve for organizing it all and to everyone for their company. Two things learned: don’t forget your paddling gloves or the backs of the hands get fried; and bring a chair or get an aching back from sitting on the ground.	Sea lions at Essex Rocks - photo Neesha Copley. Booka campsite - photo Neesha Copley. Mark, Neesha and Kevin at North Head. North Head campsite - photo Neesha Copley.