Fraser Isl Expedition 2009/2010

Author: josh

Category: Expeditions

Created on Saturday, 20 August 2011 09:31

Written by Josh

The following article was originally published for issue #2 of Blade Magazine and now that issue #3 is on shelves, I thought it prudent to publish it here so those who don't yet have access to the magazine can read it. A diary format journal of the 2010 expedition can be found here. Fraser Island is in the forefront of our (Carl, Holger & myself) minds right now as preparations for the 2011 chapter are now underway.

If we needed any inspiration for our recent kayak fishing expedition at Fraser Island, all Carl Holland, Holger Goehr, Paul O'leary and I had to do was look back on our previous trip undertaken at the same time and place the year before. Preparing for a week-long expedition into a remote isolated area commands a coordinated and streamlined approach, so our months of planning and preparations really paid off. 

That first trip was a huge success, blessed with perfect kayak-sailing and fishing conditions for almost the entire time. Launching from Hervey Bay we were able to pedal, paddle and sail our way as far north as Rooney's Point and then back again, camping beach-side wherever felt right along the way. Wind-assisted for the most part, on route we encountered a lot of of fish, almost all of them larger pelagics; golden trevally, spotted & school mackerel, mack & longtail tuna, sharks and more. Our first major kayak fishing expedition turned out surprisingly well, though with that experience under our belts we be even better prepared for 2010.

Over the course of the next 12 months we all refined our plan of attack, updating equipment, streamlining storage systems and minimising weight and bulk wherever possible. This allowed us to carry additional items that we could have used on the first trip, such as solar panels and mesh ground sheets to lay under tents to fend off sand intrusion. 

An air of confidence prevailed as we made final preparations while packing the last of our gear into our Adventure Island (AI) hulls at the Urangan marina. Collectively there was a lot of mojo within our group and together we'd conquered this turf before. Here to kick ass and chew bubble gum, we didn't pack any gum. It was a bad time to be a fish on the inner west coast of Fraser Island.

With fresh Sth east winds giving us a steady reach and smooth sailing across the straight, we landed a few km north of Moon Point a couple of hours after launching. There we pulled up a patch of beach sand, pitched tents and indulged in red wine and spaghetti, pre-cooked and dehydrated prior to the trip . We hadn't caught any notable fish yet but we always knew that the further north we went, the more fish we'd find. 

Sharing responsibilities on evening dinners, our approach for meals was otherwise an every-man-for-himself arrangement for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Camp chef Carl had coordinated group meals, most of it centred around curry-rice dishes that were perfect with or without fresh fish included. Using lightweight folding tables to perch multi-fuel stoves and roll-up chopping boards we were able to create mini-kitchens on the fly from which he would weave his magic.

Our first fish based meal was a spotted mackerel, just large enough to flesh out a fabulous curry dish for four. That second day turned out to be another tough fishing day though, with only a few other small ones caught from the kayaks. It was a challenging sailing day as well, with strong winds blowing from precisely the direction we wanted to go, preventing us from making any real headway. 

We did find an excellent place to camp on the beach as a result of this though, right at the entrance of a creek from which lots of fish activity was observed. It only took a few casts for Paulo to extract a plump flatty from the mouth, quickly returned in favour of the mackerel that had already been prepared.

Failing to make any real headway on day 2, day 3 was all about making up for it. Determined to get as far north as Wathumba creek – 22km from our current position - our day began as a slog into the incoming tide, at first windless and without sail assistance. Though more focused on covering distance than actually fishing, Carl and I managed to troll up a couple of large golden trevally along the way. 

Sharing space with a family of pesky persistent dingos, we pitched tents on the nth side of the creek under a treetop canopy of shade. Recent rains had made for idyllic insect breeding conditions, so sand flies became an immediate menace, and bite management an instant priority. Anticipating this, we were better prepared for the scenario, though our 3-day stay at Wathumba certainly challenged our supply of repellents.

Although our plan had been to retrace our steps from the year before, winds were turning out to be a lot less cooperative, hampering our efforts to progress north. This presented a bit of a dilemma for the group. Had we determined to continue north at this point, it was going to mean hard work, and the further north we go, the more mindful we'd have to be about getting back in time. We didn't want to turn south just yet either, so the decision was made to base camp at Wathumba for a few days and concentrate on fishing instead of covering distance. 

Insects aside, it's hard to imagine a better base camp for a few days of kayak fishing. With Wathumba creek on one side and Hervey Bay on the other, there's no shortage of options. On day 4 most of the group opted to fish the estuary for flatties and jacks, though crumbed in herbs and spices, dinner turned out to be a modestly sized Spanish mackerel, caught a few km north in open water. We ate mackerel every night during our stay at Wathumba, catching our fair share over the next dew days.

Day 6 saw us heading back south, aiming for the same fish-filled creek mouth we'd stopped at earlier. Once again Carl and I both caught large trevally along the way, our Rapala CD lures continuing to serve us well. The red sardine colour I had tied on had performed particularly well, having accounted for most of my fish and was still going strong on the final day. 

We ate flathead that last night, accounted for by Carl who not only caught it from the creek mouth, but cooked it to. It wasn't supposed to be our last night but we'd been keeping watch on Windguru (via mobile phone) and predictions made us think better of it. Whilst fairly calm conditions were forecast for day 7, day 8 was looking to be exactly the opposite, potentially making the final crossing difficult, if not dangerous. The decision was made to bug out early, which meant having to cover over 22km on water, quite possibly without wind assistance and against the tide for most of it. That was better than the alternative though. 

As predicted, the next day started out windless so by the time we'd reached Moon Point (where we waited for a change of tide before crossing over), we were all pretty exhausted. It wasn't just 10km we'd just pedalled against a stiff current, but also the collective wear and tear of a week in back-country isolation: the bites, bruises and kayaking-induced monkey-butt. So it was a relief when some wind picked up an hour so later when we were half-way across the straight. 

But it was in this final stretch my biggest hook up and toughest fight for the trip ensued, hooking onto a feisty bronze whaler shark on the final stretch. About 4' in size, this thing gave me a hell of a fight, but very attached to the red sardine at this point, I saved the lure, landed the catch and took it home for my flake-loving neighbours.