Planned destination for today was Woolgoolga.

On passing Coff’s Harbour, it looked inviting to go in, and I tried to give Henry van der Kolk’s brother a call living there, as he held some neoprene cuffs for me I forgot in Terrigal at Henry’s place.

I’m sorry he was not available on any of the three phone numbers. Yes, I should have called him up this morning or last night already…but I was not sure if I would want to go in or not, as I don’t really need them now anymore in this warm weather.

I took the chance to quickly jump into the next supermarket to resupply. Though a quiet harbour, it was looking too civilized for me to stay, and I’d loved to keep on going to Woolgoolga, 65 km for the day overall.

As I spent 1 ½ hr to go in and out Coff’s Harbour, and the headwind has been freshening up quite a bit since then, it was a sporty late afternoon paddle. I couldn’t reach Woolgoolga by no way to do the last 5 km still in daylight, so I pulled into Sandy Bay at 7.30 pm after a nicely sticking out headland, Bare Bluff. It’s getting dark here at 8 pm.

It was not really a sheltered landing…and I was doing my first roll in OZ, left hand side – perfect! On coming up I was almost washed up the little reef in the last corner…almost…back paddling kept me off the rocks. I know why I am still carrying my helmet – and I do wear it on suspicious landings!

I pulled my kayak up into the bushes, as the high tide line was covering the whole beach. For putting up my tent I was climbing up a high dune ridge in powdery flying sand – those sand camps actually suck! But this is Australia…

Message via satellite phone:

30.09 153.12 Sandy Beach 60km stopped at Coffs Harbour to resupply. Rolled perfect to the left on surflanding 🙂