Mooching down the mediocre highway to Marlo, drinking Merlot on the maritime deck on arrival, mesmerised by the murky marine waters in the magnifence of Marlo.... (how many M's you may ask) these words came to Avenel's mind when wishing us farewell..... the highway is mediocre (you notice every bump when pullilng a van), no Merlot, but Shiraz in the warmth of a cabin or van, and the marine waters were stunningly blue! A picturesque weekend away, that did not disappoint.
Paddling Day 1 - Friday, 24 June
Participants: Roz (Leader), Pat, and Sue Ratcliffe
The weather forecast was less than perfect but we decided to paddle anyway. We watched Sue put her new toy together, (a six-piece PAKAYAK), definitely a great concept. Plunging the kayaks in, slippery mud and tall reeds made an interesting entry for us. Fortunately, we found an opening to the Cabbage Tree Creek, amazing still water, with just a few obstacles to negotiate.
Arriving around midday at the “end of the road”, could go no further - no water. With hot drinks and eats on board, we turned for home on falling water, Limbo under the bridge was possible this time. Still a very muddy exit…. to enjoy a well-earned lunch on the bridge, of course. Before we had to face reality again to wash and load our filthy kayaks and return to camp.
A truly great day on the water…….Roz
Paddling Day 2 - Saturday, 25 June - A Tale of Two Paddles
Five intrepid kayakers today - Roz, Pat, Sue S, Julie and Sue R.
We put the kayaks in at the Brodribb River boat ramp (off Old Marlo Road) and headed left down the Brodribb River. We turned right up the Little Snowy watched by some curious cattle. Left again onto the Snowy River and left again back onto the Brodribb. We realized the cattle are castaways on an island and we have surmised that the cattle probably swam across the Little Snowy, which is the narrower of the three waterways. Beautiful gums along the banks and plenty of birds - kites and cormorants.
Back on the boat ramp to stretch our legs and have morning tea - a six kilometer warm up!
We headed off again, but this time turned right heading up the Brodribb. We were looking for a little creek to take us into a lake Les at the Caravan Park marked on a mud map. We eventually found our “creek”, really just a drain and Roz quickly deemed it a no go.
Off we went again and eventually turned into Cabbage Tree Creek where we stopped for lunch (another six kms). After lunch it was time to retrace our paddle. The wind had come up a bit although not enough to make it a slog. More birds- kites, swans, ibises and two kingfishers. Mr and Mrs Percival watched us disembark at the ramp and supervised the boat loading. A beautiful day with blue skies, all helped to make it a great paddle.
Sue Ratcliffe
Paddling Day 3 - Sunday, 26 June - Yeerung River Paddle - The Trifecta
Participants: Roz (leader), Sue Steward and Pat
Situated in the Cape Conran Coastal Park is the Yeerung River. Unsure of what we would find following a flooding event earlier this year, we popped into the Yeering Lookout and were excited by what we saw - plenty of water to play in. From there we drove to the Canoe Launch site and quickly had our boats on the water. Immediately there was evidence of massive flood damage - huge areas of erosion and debris some three meters up the bank! Our first challenge was to duck under the bridge, then onward upstream. The tranquil, tannin-stained water provided reflections that were truly a treat, causing us to paddle ever so gently to avoid disturbing the glassy scene mirrored before our eyes. Not surprisingly fallen timber blocked our journey so we meandered downstream and paddled out to the mouth to enjoy a stroll on the beach. As luck would have it we had the beach to ourselves….a perfect venue for lunch.
All good things come to an end. We paddled back to the car park feeling so privileged to have enjoyed three days paddling (the trifecta) in this beautiful environment. We are coming back!
Pat
Hiking Day 1 Hekarwe Track - Saturday, 25 June
Bright and early Michele, Dale & Robyn, and myself set off to find the Hekarwe Track. I volunteered to lead this walk, but had no knowledge of this area - have never been here before. After 45 minutes drive to Bemm River, we got to the track and set off. We enjoyed a peaceful walk through the forest on 4WD tracks until we hit the beach. WOW, WOW, WOW, it was a beautiful sight and we decided to have an early lunch. You couldn't get a better view in a silver service restaurant.
We decided to walk some of the route back to the car along the beach and enjoyed scrambling across some rocks and looking at all the different shells along the beach. After an hour on the beach we went back inland and headed to back to our cars at a fast pace - we completed 16.9kms. The walk as such was underwhelming, except for the beach and its views. The weather was fantastic.
That evening, the paddlers and hikers had a lovely dinner at The Marlo Hotel.
Hiking Day 2 - Snowy River Estuary Walk - Sunday, 26 June
Another early start as Michele had to head back home later that day. Robyn, Michele and I - we called ourselves the "Dodgie Diehards".... Robyn had a dickie foot, Michele, a headache, and I - well, headache and some soreness, plus lack of sleep.
We thoroughly enjoyed walking the Snowy River Estuary Creek - at one stage it became a treasure hunt, with all the little painted rocks hidden in various spots. We also found a little fairy house:)
We walked 10.1 kms and enjoyed great conversation, laughs and views. It was a flat walk. We visited the cemetery and I fixed some flowers that had flown from their gravestones… 
. Perfect weather.
The boys - Dale, Alan and John joined us for a well-deserved lunch at the Snowy River Tackle and Cafe. Perfect weather.
I did not make the walk back to the campsite, I was stuffed and tested positive for Covid on Tuesday.... so did John and Sue Ratcliff.
Although, we did not have many attendees for this base camp, it was a wonderful event. We all enjoyed great company, lots of laughs and good weather.