'Hit the Road, Jack...'

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Taking the day off from my 'getting in shape' paddles. I will be starting tomorrow morning on the outgoing tide from Woy Woy, then heading north.

I didn't get to paddle the local area as much as I'd hoped. I was down with something most of last week. I think I am in shape, though. I did get in a few pretty good paddles over the last few days. (eg: yesterday - an easy 40 mile round trip - however, it was in empty kayak, favorable tides, and (calculated) favorable winds. The north-easterlies pick up pretty much like clockwork around 10:30am, and by afternoon can be quite strong: early starts, early stops).
Saw a lot of blue-bottles yesterday - another by-product of the north-easterlies. Maybe - since I can't see them during my pre-dawn paddling they really aren't there (right - and my bottle of stingoze in my deckbag isn't really there either).

I haven't put them there yet, but I'm going to try to post a few shots I've taken over the last few days: One is a 'try' at a bluebottle, there's a shot of my lunch (I usually eat at sea - rehydrate over about an hour - I don't cook), one of me (hmm, what does that button do - click), and a few of some headlands. Also, there is a sequence showing my 'route' to and from my hotel room with the kayak (I took everyday I paddled).

On my early moring paddles, on the way out toward the ocean, I would try to pass the local fishermen - unseen; however, while I can be very quiet, my presence was given up by the extremely bright 'luminescence' in the water. It left a bright outline of and inverted V that the bow made and big explosions with each paddle stroke.

On my paddle Thursday, coming back up the 'Woy Woy' run (just north of the 'Rip bridge') I passed a group of paddlers heading the other way. I spoke briefly with the one in the rear - he said that it was a weekly paddling group. About half (or more) of the kayaks were Mirages. (don't know if the proximity to the Mirage shop in Gosford has anything to do with it or not).

Relearning old lessons - review the chart before paddling - especially if paddling in the dark. On yesterdays paddle, about 4 in the morning I heard a large crashing wave in front of me a few hunded yards. It was 'West reef' (just north of 'Box Head'). The reason I got rather close to it without hearing it earlier is because it was only breaking on the larger swells (tide & swell combination - it only broke about once a minute or so).

Next time I blabber at the wind, it will be a few miles north of here - wherever there is an internet cafe, cheers...

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Photos

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