Day 115, Tuesday, 12.05.2009

I need to take more notes to be able to remember all those different paddling days – about this one I remember (besides frequent airplane traffic, as amazingly allover from Nulunbuy to now!) that at about 10am a boat came up to me from behind with four Aboriginal rangers, taking pictures from me without asking…I should have done the same! There was a second chance, as another boat, filled up this time with six Aboriginal rangers, came up 1/2 hr later, and took pictures without prior notice as well. Probably what they have to do from all boat traffic in their area!

But I was fatser this time, and we took pics of each other. They were friendly, asking where from and where to, noting “it’s pretty rough out here” (it was…), and they were off again.

I think there was a fat tidal race around Hall Point, but can’t really remember all thoses Points and their characteristic…as said, I should take more notes.

Generally, it feels like the tide is getting stronger and stronger, and as the wind is strong every day, too, one half day is tide against wind and quite rough. Still making ok progress, and the tide with the wind is usually faster, for sure, but as it is still mostly rough, it’s not really like speeding along…but fun!  

I decided to stay rather at Cuthbert Point, the first point after Madarrgaidj Bay, than going another 10 km to a point where a swampy creek came out – it looked to crocy on the map. This was a nice quiet spot, in the middle of nowhere.

 

Text message from Freya via satellite phone:

11.43 133.50 Cuthbert Point. 55 km 7:00 am to 4:30 pm. Two Aboriginal ranger boats checked in with me. A big manta ray jumped alongside me! Scary!

1 comment on “Day 115, Tuesday, 12.05.2009

Alan Cross

It must be something about that area. We had a paddler knocked off a ski by a manta ray coming up underneath him around that area. No harm done but it scared the life out of him.

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