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I suppose I have been very bad and have not updated this site for a long time.

I have had the bike fixed after the altercation with the gate at Halls Creek NT, but I have not done a lot of long rides.

The latest craze that has taken up most of my spare time is kayaking. My partner Cathy and I have both bought general purpose kayaks. These are a canadian brand "RIOT" kayak and have provided us with a hugely satisfying pastime. These 12 foot boats allow us to pack all our camping gear in the boats, plus our fishing gear. They are the best looking kayaks I have seen, easy to paddle and handle, and are extremely stable even in roughish water.

We both enjoy fishing but have not caught anything worth bragging about yet.

I have posted a few picture and will update the text to go with the pics over the next few days.

Until the update

Max

 

The two "boats" on the roof of the car.
Fonzie my dog takes a dip in Lake Wallace
Looking towards the spillway at Lake Wallace, Wallerawang NSW
Cudgegong River, Mudgee NSW
The view of Lawson Park, Mudgee NSW from our boats.
First serious trip out and I catch a fish. It was a just under legal size flathead so we let it go.
Nice fish, but back into the water for you.
Somewhere along here there is a coffee shop next to the river. Taree NSW
Cathy all ready for a day on the water. Lake Illawarra NSW.
The boats parked on a sand bar Macquarie Rivulet, Lake Illawarra NSW
Cathy baiting up a hook, on the northern edge of Lake Illawarra.

Kayaking Adventures

One of the small adventures that we have had with the kayaks is a campout at Windamere dam. We loaded up our camping gear in our kayaks, paddled a few km's up the dam, found an excellent flat camping spot, pulled the boats up onto the bank and set up camp. Wow what a great overnight camp. We had everything needed in the boats except for our camp chairs. We decided not to erect the tent as with the prospects of a full moon we layed out a groundsheet and slept under the stars. We had red wine, cheese and biscuits and the most peaceful place to watch the day come to a close. A quick meal prepared on a master chef style single burner gas stove made for two very happy campers. If you ever get a chance do an overnight kayak campout take a risk and have a go. Sitting around a roaring campfire and watching the moon rise over the hills is a special experience.

Sometime during the night we had a visit from a nocturnal creature who took great delight in rolling the empty wine bottle into the dam and chewing pieces out of the plastic wine glasses.

On waking next morning we dined on bacon and eggs, packed our camping gear back into the boats and paddled a few km's in the hope of catching a fish. True to form we didn't catch a fish so we paddled back to where the car was parked, reloaded the boats onto the roof top and drove home. 

I could not get over just how much space there is in these kayaks. We could have packed heaps more luxuries inside, and when the weather warms up we will be doing a lot more camp outs.

The boats after we loaded our camping gear, and we are ready to set "sail" or paddle I should say.
Our five star camp site and Cathy is onto her second glass.
I sleep late, still curled up in my sleeping bag.
How peaceful is this morning. An experience not to be missed.
Cathy takes a dip in the morning.
Master chef eat your heart out. And my idea of plating up is just to stop the food from falling on the ground.
Here I am trying to catch a fish.