Trip - Centre Island 23 May
On the weekend 23 May we had a successful trip to Centre Island.
There were three of us Daan, Belinda and Stanley. We left Colac Bay at 10.00 AM on an overcast windless day. There was a gentle swell inshore but this built up to a 3 metre swell once clear of the bay. I paddled my Fujita folding kayak and found I had to rail the kayak to keep it tracking across the SW swells on the trip. Further out the sea was breaking on the reef between Centre Island and Kawakaputa Bay. We steadily gained on the island. I was a little apprehensive the further out we got as I was not sure the wind would not build as I had forgotten to check the marine forecast. I had my VHF on but reception was poor and I only got snatches of the forecast. Several Albatrosses glided past. Belinda was moving fast and went in to the beach first. This was adroitly handled and then I was surfing in on a wave. I quickly jumped out and we carried my kayak up the beach. Just then a seal came cruising past arching out of the water and ignoring us. Lastly Daan arrived and did an expert low brace into a breaking wave to land dry beside us. By now the sun had come out and we relaxed in its warmth as we stripped off damp gear.
There was a grassy airstrip beside an old hut and crossing this we made our way up the overgrown track past the light keepers houses to the lighthouse. As the houses are private property we kept away from them. The lighthouse lies at the western end of the island and is surrounded by a concrete wall and sits high on a bluff with the sea crashing several hundred feet below. We had lunch and admired the view and then returned to the beach. Launching was fairly straightforward though we had to punch into waves breaking out. Once out we turned into the sun which was now in our faces and in 1.5 hours completed the return trip.
Stanley Mulvany
There were three of us Daan, Belinda and Stanley. We left Colac Bay at 10.00 AM on an overcast windless day. There was a gentle swell inshore but this built up to a 3 metre swell once clear of the bay. I paddled my Fujita folding kayak and found I had to rail the kayak to keep it tracking across the SW swells on the trip. Further out the sea was breaking on the reef between Centre Island and Kawakaputa Bay. We steadily gained on the island. I was a little apprehensive the further out we got as I was not sure the wind would not build as I had forgotten to check the marine forecast. I had my VHF on but reception was poor and I only got snatches of the forecast. Several Albatrosses glided past. Belinda was moving fast and went in to the beach first. This was adroitly handled and then I was surfing in on a wave. I quickly jumped out and we carried my kayak up the beach. Just then a seal came cruising past arching out of the water and ignoring us. Lastly Daan arrived and did an expert low brace into a breaking wave to land dry beside us. By now the sun had come out and we relaxed in its warmth as we stripped off damp gear.
There was a grassy airstrip beside an old hut and crossing this we made our way up the overgrown track past the light keepers houses to the lighthouse. As the houses are private property we kept away from them. The lighthouse lies at the western end of the island and is surrounded by a concrete wall and sits high on a bluff with the sea crashing several hundred feet below. We had lunch and admired the view and then returned to the beach. Launching was fairly straightforward though we had to punch into waves breaking out. Once out we turned into the sun which was now in our faces and in 1.5 hours completed the return trip.
Stanley Mulvany