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To maximise our time in the whale watching area, it was decided to catch the barge from Urangan to Moon Point. The barge departs Urangan at 8.30am and 4.30pm daily and returns from Moon Point at 9.30am and 5.30pm daily. Our party consisted of five people paddling sea kayaks, four Mermaids and one Osprey. A separate party of two also paddling a Mermaid and an Osprey joined us for the trip across. The barge crew was very friendly and assisted with the loading. The return fare is $16.50 with no charge for the kayaks providing they did not displace any motor vehicles.
It was decided to pack the kayaks before embarking. All hands shared the loading of the kayaks, which were definitely weighty. We were uncertain of fresh water supples along the beach, so the weight of water bottles and water filled wine cask bladders made loading fairly tough work. As it turned out, we found plenty of good water and would certainly reduce this load next time.
An hour later the barge nudged ashore at Moon Point, which is the main landing point for Happy Valley resort on Fraser Island's ocean beach. Buses, four wheel drives, people and kayaks scrambled ashore and we quickly launched in calm sea with light north east to north west winds, the tide with us, allowing easy progress in near perfect conditions. About 2.5 kilometres later was passed Coongal Point in perfect conditions quite different to what we experienced on the return journey. A bit over two kilometres further on is the mouth of Coongal Creek. There is excellent camping here and the creek runs parallel with the coast behind a bank of tree covered sand for about three kilometres. It is possible to use this part of the creek to get some relief from bad weather if you are prepared to portage across the sand hill.
We continued to drift and paddle for another 8.5 kilometres until we came to Woralie Creek. It seemed so nice we decided to stop here and make camp. The trip from the barge had only taken an easy three and a half hours. At Woralie Creek we were well clear of the sandbanks that come quite close until the mouth of Coongal Creek.We felt this was the best place to wait for the whales.Deep water was relatively close,it was not too far from the ferry if the return trip encountered the expected high, adverse conditions.
Next day we went out to sea for about seven kilometres but no whales came close. We could see the whale watching boats a further five or six kilometres out but as we moved towards them the whales and boats moved even further away. Next day, we saw a whale go by only a kilometre or so out but it quickly disappeared. By this time the afternoon sea breezes were increasing so there was little interest in the whales unless they came close. None did but we could always follow where they were by the presence of the whale watching boats.
For the two full days at Woralie Creek no whales appeared close to us. Increasing winds and the need to return to our work found us planning to return on the morning of the fourth day.The beach is open to the north east winds which on the morning of departure were about 15-20 and kicking up a bit of surf. Getting through the break dry, was not a problem for any one but the last person off. Everyone was helped off the beach with spray covers in place but last off would almost certainly have a breaking wave in the cockpit before the cover could be fitted. Kerry Richards had the bilge pump and he elected to launch last. He made it OK but later on filled the boat when he went ashore for a comfort stop.
By then the winds were 20-25. The party consisted of 5 people. The youngest with no experience was 15 and paddling a Mermaid. The oldest in a Mermaid was 58.The Osprey was paddled by and experienced female canoeist. We paddled with the wind but against the tide and this pushed up the seas. The highest seas were around a metre and came in mostly on the aft quarter. They tended to be a bit confused.
By the time we got to Coongal Point with winds gusting 20-25, the seas built to over a metre. However as the outgoing current pushed its way around Coongal Point the seas reached a high of two metres. The fully laden kayaks rode it well and no one found the conditions too difficult. We were grateful for the skirts on about four occasions when small breaking crests came across the kayaks from the side. After a constant three and a half hour paddle we made it back to the barge landing point. There was just time for food and a nap before the barge arrived. On the return journey water was sloshing across the barge deck so the kayaks had to be manned to stop them floating into and under the motor vehicles. We made Urangan by 8PM. We missed the whales but no one seemed to mind.
