Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Camping with your yak.

Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby matcoburn » Thu Jan 21, 2010 4:47 pm

Ive always wanted to do this trip. Last year i would stare over google earth and look at all of the knook and crannies of beaches along the big wilderness that exists between Mallacoota and Eden. On the 13th of January, i arrived at boatramp lakeside at Mallacoota and launched the yak. I was not too happy leaving the car and trailer behind parked on the street next to the caravan park but i was pretty keen to get underway. I could have launched from the ocean boatramp which would have been a lot easier, but the car and trailer left there overnight for a week at the ramp might raise the alarm and/or would expose the car to break ins as its in an isolated spot. The mouth of the inlet was closed so i had to get the gear out of the yak and wheel the A.I to the ocean side. Id left around 2pm through only a 3 ft but nasty shorebreak and then had a top run down to Gabo Island and beyond. It was a 15 knot SW which was predicted to hang around for 2 days. What freaked me out was that even though there were thousands of stinkies(motorboats) at the Caravan Park and around town, 2 km out from Mallacoota there was not one boat to be seen. For the next 55km i did that afternoon, the boats were 'Missing in Action'.
The coast was stunning. There were flying fish jumping out 100m from shore and flying away from the yak near Cape Howe. Id seen flying fish in the tropics but not this far south. Wierd. It was getting dark and i was pretty keen to get to a beach with a gradual gradient and plenty of escape routes if the swell picked up overnight. I ended up almost at Woonbyn River but at Merrica River was closer. Big oysters on scattered big boulders in the shallow river with silver bream( i think) darting around as the AI made it up the river to a camp site in the jungle.
Next morning a huge monitor stumbled over the camp site and took off, I gave chase, and through the foliage i lost track of it except it gave out a deep visceral hiss. It was pissed off.
merrica river (WinCE).jpg
merrica river
merrica river (WinCE).jpg (11.07 KiB) Viewed 2312 times

Here is a pic of the river and the AI leaving the river.
exit merr.river 3 (WinCE).jpg
Exit merrica river
exit merr.river 3 (WinCE).jpg (13.56 KiB) Viewed 2312 times

Across disaster bay, the wind turned nasty, a North easterly of up to 30knots making forward progress pretty difficult. I was tacking into the wind, criss-crossing the bay just to get as far north as possible to get into the lee of Green Cape. I ended up only travelling 10km that day and found a nice spot where there was safe fishing and surfing to be done for 2 days.
next2 nites Wonbyon North (WinCE).jpg
Secluded Cove Green Cape
next2 nites Wonbyon North (WinCE).jpg (14.94 KiB) Viewed 2312 times

There was some pretty impressive lightning on Saturday night but when i woke the wind was back to a SW and i was up and out of Disaster Bay. I was staggered by the scale of Green Cape. When I rounded the Cape the wind was directly behind the boat, and the ugly chop was cut out by Green Cape and the A.I really took off. I could see Eden in the distance. Oh my god, some stinkies 2 km from Eden Enterance!
In these conditions it could have been possible to travel 200km that day, but my wetsuit zip broke on that beach that morning and i was getting cold so Merimbula was my exit from the watery freeway 10km out. I rolled up to the caravan park near the boat ramp, got a site, then caught a bus the next morning to get my car back!
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby mingle » Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:39 pm

@matcoburn,

You are a legend and an inspiration, you really are!

Mike.
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby topgunpete » Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:40 pm

I think we should all chip in and buy you a video camera, your trips would make a great story - time to start on Yakfish t.v. I think.
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby patwah » Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:41 pm

Thats a great effort
"He has poisoned our water forever. Nixon will be remembered as a classic case of a smart man shitting in his own nest. But he also shit in our nests, and that was the crime that history will burn on his memory like a brand.
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby fishnut » Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:46 pm

Sounds like a great trip, well done.
Cheers Darren
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby Duane » Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:57 pm

Great Journey

I'm really twitching to get myself an AI and get out there a bit more.
At least I remember how to paddle, just need to work out how to fish.
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby yaker » Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:53 pm

Great trip!!!

The last "Fishing Wild" magazine had an article "Wonboyn to Mallacoota by Rubber Duck" and reading it I thought that it sounded like a great adventure for an AI. Bravo!!!!
Tony
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby fishsmith » Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:04 am

Top trip mate well done,gotta get me one of those AI's oneday me thinks..
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby matcoburn » Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:35 am

Thanx mike, tgpete, duane, patwah, darren, yaker and fishsmith.. has anyone seen flying fish from their yak? Has anyone seen them this far south?
Mat
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby matcoburn » Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:36 am

fishsmith, you have an awesome avatar.
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby RedPhoenix » Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:52 am

Good trip mate - what's the thingie on the front called, and where can I get one?

NEEED one on the bay when it chops up a little!

Red.
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby cybertrouts » Fri Jan 22, 2010 11:15 am

Brilliant. Just brilliant.
These reports stir me deep, and into action.
Thank you
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby Slacker » Fri Jan 22, 2010 12:26 pm

Great stuff..

very inspiring..

just gives me another excuse to get myself an AI...

ditto on Reds comment, looks like very handy addition to the front end

cheers

SH
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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby Junglefisher » Fri Jan 22, 2010 12:50 pm

No fishing?
Flying fish are said to be a good sign that there may be marlin and tuna in the area on the east coast.
We used to see heaps of flying fish off Perth in WA.
Sounds like a great trip :)
Cheers
Craig

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Re: Mallacoota to Merimbula by A.I

Postby FishoPhil » Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:20 pm

Awesome stuff mate! Well done!!! :D
Yep, got to do a yak camping trip one day, would be great fun!!
Keep up with the reports!
PB: I havent fallen out yet!!!!

=>> The Kingy!!
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