Monday 20^th June

It was a 4.45am start of a new day but we had to move about with our torches as it was still dark. The tide was going out fast so we had to hurry to catch it before it went out too far and miss the opportunity of getting a ride to Red Bluff.

There was a haze when it became light but it turned out being smoke from a bush fire to the east. We got that ride to Red Bluff but then we had little shelter from the wind and the ocean became pretty choppy giving us a rough ride for 20kms. The tide was now against us and the last few kilometres from Cape Wellington where we camped was even tougher going.

We had a radio sked and found out the Dennis and Duncan our support team would arrive at Crystal Creek, our finish point on the 24^th June about 4 days before we would get there. We later talked to Mike and Sue on the radio and told them of our progress.

At sunset the sky glowed red because of the bush fire.

Tuesday 21^st June

It was another 4.45am rise for a 6.35am start. It’s hard to believe after all the practise we’ve had it stills take us nearly two hours to get going.

Although we were helped a little by the tide the wind was a pain and we knew it would get worse when we rounded Bat Island and it did, the sea was full of white caps running directly towards us. Our kayaks pounded up and down and were tossed around in the fairly short chop showering us with sea water. We were extremely pleased we had only to paddle 24kms that day to get to Careening Bay. Coronation Islands were to our north but they gave no shelter from the easterly winds.

We paddled for hours before we had the opportunity to grab a short break behind a rocky island. We were so cold from the water spray we didn’t need to drink much water. With only 5kms left to our sandy beach at Careening Bay we were happy to endure a little more discomfort.

When we landed on a beautiful sandy beach and took refuge from the rough conditions happiness was bliss, but there was no time to hang around as the tide was coming in so we needed to get out kayaks unloaded. Ewen in his hastiness didn’t pull his boat far enough up the beach so the tide took it and it started floating away. At first he stood there watching it because he had seen a small shark, he also had the idea that the waves would bring it back but the wind was more powerful and it just kept drifting. When he realised it wasn’t going to return he jumped in the water and stopped it from blowing to Indonesia.

After all the excitement we moved under the famous ‘Mermaid’ boab tree to rest our weary bodies and to have lunch.
In 1820 Philip Parker King careened HMC Mermaid on the beach to do repairs. His crew inscribed the date and name of the Cutter on a large boab tree which is situated approximately 60 metres from the ocean. Parker King and his crew camped here for 17 days in 1820. Water was obtained from a creek 150 metres ESE of the boab tree (approximately 300 metres upstream from the beach).
Lieutenant King's expeditions along the Western Australia north west coastline were extremely important, as it was on his information that a number of further expeditions were based.

A sea eagle landed in the water just off our beach and started washing itself, first one wing then the other, then a flutter of feathers and then a big dip, all but its head. This went on for some time but with my camera at the kayak I couldn’t capture the moment. Then with a shake of its wings to dry off, it was away.

After our break it was time to look for a fry pan lid and some rice that I had buried under the tree on an expedition in 1982. Although I had a vague idea where I buried it I wasn’t totally sure, but a dig with my paddle I hit the spot straight away. Out came the fry pan, plastic bags that the rice had been in, and a staminade jar. We took the fry pan and plastic and buried the jar with a note in it. I wonder if anyone will find it? Or will I have to go back myself?

It became time to take some photos of us at the famous boab tree. As we took the photos a snake about a 30cm long, brown with black head and gold stripes came slithering from under the tree. Luckily it slithered with haste away from us.

The sunset, because of the fire was just amazing.

Wednesday 22^nd June

I had dreamt about snakes in the night. I was being chased down some narrow streets with snakes all over the place.

Our paddle up to Hardy Point was a much more pleasant paddle than the day before, but we knew the conditions would change once around the point which it did, all shit broke lose, the wind gusting fearlessly whipping up the sea creating breaking waves that pounded us. The wind was that strong it was difficult to hold onto our paddles. Our hats that were encrusted in sea water and as stiff as a board were tied tight.

The conditions were hairy and making headway was questionable, as we didn’t seem to move far at all apart from being tossed up and down.  Ewen’s sleeping bag that was in a dry bag tied on his kayak deck came loose and became a real problem in the rough conditions. For a while he had it in his lap but it became a hazard and needed securing so I rafted up with him which gave him the stability to tie it back on. It wasn’t easy though.

Our battle was far from over as we still had 14kms to paddle before reaching calmer, safer water around the Anderdon Islands. To paddle 5kms it was taking us 1-1/2 hours which wasn’t good. Ewen’s bag came off again but we had no choice to get beyond some big waves before attempting to tie it back on. Every so often some fluky waves or much larger waves would come through. It was at these times we needed to head our kayaks straight into the big waves to limit the risk of capsize.

Our ride was wild and even wilder when the waves started to hit us side on and it got more exciting when we skirted a two metre sea snake. Relief came when we sighted our camping beach and that sighting made Ewen the happiest man in the world. I was pretty happy myself. Ewen’s hand was swollen, which had been giving him pain on the crossing so emergency first aid was adopted. Ewen was a very good slalom paddler but he wasn’t used to long distance paddling so he was suffering a little more than I was.

When we did our daily radio sked we heard that there had been a gale warning issued for the area. As the sun was setting dolphins glided through the water, their fins acting as reflectors when they surfaced and the sun hit them . What a hard day.

The Parks and Wildlife service is responsible for the waterways and has joint responsibility for the Riverpark shoreline in conjunction with the local or State government land managers under which the adjacent land is vested.

DBCA's (Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions) Parks and Wildlife is committed to ensure waterways continue to be a sustainable healthy ecosystem. The department works closely with other State Government agencies, local government authorities, community groups and research institutions to manage the health of the ecosystem.

Areas of focus include:

• water quality and ecological health
• habitat protection and foreshore management
• responding to climate change
• improving development and pressures
• monitoring, evaluating and reporting

Nutrient and organic loading 

Nutrient and organic loading to the Swan Canning river system is a priority issue for the waterway that has impacts on water quality, ecological health and community benefit.

Nutrients are elements or compounds including nitrogen, phosphorus and organic carbon. They enter the rivers from the catchments through drains, surface runoff and groundwater. The most common sources of nutrients entering our rivers include fertilisers, plant matter (e.g. grass clippings, leaves), detergents, sewage and animal waste.

Low oxygen conditions

Adequate dissolved oxygen in the water is crucial for aquatic life. When levels of oxygen in the water become less than ideal, many organisms can become stressed and in extreme cases, where oxygen levels drop to or near zero, this can result in fish deaths. Very low levels of oxygen in the rivers over prolonged periods can also cause unpleasant odours and result in excessive nutrient release from sediments, which encourages algal blooms.

Low oxygen conditions in the rivers are exacerbated by the decomposition of excess organic matter (e.g. algae blooms, leaves, debris, pet/livestock waste, wastewater overflows), through microbial action and low water movement.

When organic material enters the river system, naturally occurring microbes break it down. These microbes need oxygen to metabolise, so the more active they are, the more oxygen they remove from the water. Historical river and catchment management practices, combined with a harsh climate of droughts and flooding rains, result in large amounts of organic matter being periodically deposited into the river. When this happens, microbial activity can increase rapidly to break down the new  load of organic matter and oxygen levels in the water often drop quickly as a result.

Stratification occurs when water at the surface of a lake or river does not mix with the bottom waters. This also affects oxygen levels in the Swan Canning river system. A salt wedge gradually moves upstream from the estuary mouth in Fremantle during summer when rains have ceased and freshwater flows diminish. Because salt water is heavier than fresh water, it sinks to the bottom of the estuary and does not mix with the fresher surface waters, which are oxygenated through diffusion at the air-water interface. As a result, this salty bottom water can become hypoxic or anoxic.

Tackling low oxygen

In the shorter-term, Parks and Wildlife works in partnership with the Department of Water to deliver oxygen relief to targeted areas of the Swan Canning Riverpark. The oxygenation program began in 1998 in response to low oxygen conditions and severe algae blooms in the Canning River, upstream of the Kent Street Weir. There are now three plants oxygenating a 5km stretch of the Canning River above the weir via a piped distribution network. There are also two oxygenation plants located at Caversham and Guildford in the Swan River that can provide oxygen to a 10km zone, depending on tidal movement.

The oxygenation program aims to maintain a concentration of 4mg/L of oxygen or higher in the water column within each of the oxygenation zones. This threshold concentration is set at a level that supports a wide range of aquatic life. Many organisms can survive in or will move away from environments where oxygen drops below 4 mg/L, but can become stressed if low oxygen conditions continue for prolonged periods.

Oxygenation works by supersaturating river water with oxygen. Water is taken from the oxygen-depleted bottom waters of the river and mixed under pressure with oxygen gas in the plants. The highly oxygenated water is then piped back into the bottom waters of the river where it mixes, distributing dissolved oxygen throughout the water column. The effectiveness of the oxygenation program is monitored every week, to help inform the operational management of the plants. 

IOP Summer Series #2