After a massive sleep I woke up at dawn, determined to beat the Southerly. Paddled off into the rising sun, close under spectacular cliffs in still, sapphire waters. Within the hour I’d passed Nadgee Point and the dunes of Cape Howe appeared backed by the Gabo Island lightlhouse.
This is among the most dramatic coastlines anywhere - the “corner” of Australia where the East Coast becomes the South. Immediately, the coastal cliffs are replaced by sand dunes. In one way its good, because if I run into trouble I can land anywhere. On the other hand, those sand dunes used to be cliffs, pulverised by the extreme wind and swell that affects this coast, testament to the conditions I might face over the coing weeks. A mountain range extends down towards Cape Howe like a spine, accentuating the divide. Once again a group of seals were hanging out on the corner to wave me on, and since they didn’t seem too concerned about the Great White Shark attack at Cape Howe last week, I went for a quick swim out of the kayak to celebrate the landmark.
Heading towards Gabo Island I was expecting the wind to start howling, but instead a band of low cloud appeared over the land. This stopped the hot air rising from the mainland, dampening the force behind the rising sea-breeze. I couldn’t believe my luck, instead of scurrying for the protected waters between Gabo and the mainland, I got to paddle around the outside of Gabo, past its pink granite cliffs, its seal colony, and right underneath the imposing lighthouse. Landing on Gabo I met Peter Provis, standing in as lighthouse-keeper and another paddling legend.
Peter showed me around the lighthouse complex. Built from pink granite, 54 metres high and perched on a cliff, its an incredible structure. Visit if you ever get the chance.
Peter told me about the 40 knot SouWester due that night, so instead of staying the night as intended, I made for Malacoota. Paddling in to Malacoota, there was a big group of people hanging around the boat ramp, and as I got closer, they all started clapping and cheering and taking photos. It was a bit overwhelming after not seeing a soul for a couple of days, but I was stoked.