# Once around Mud Island and back (43km)



## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

It was time to go for another big paddle. I've wanting to get to Mud Island (15km's as the crow flies from Margate beach, Redcliffe) for a while now and the weather wasnt looking too bad for Sunday.

Mud Island is a smallish (about 12 kms in circumference) coral Island about 8km out from the mouth of the Brisbane river. The main object of the exercise was to explore any possible places to beach, and maybe camp overnight (which your not exposed to do), but what the heck.

I packed a bit of camping gear (incase weather turned bad and I need to spend the night on the Island), packed a bit of fishing gear, logged in at the coast guard (to a bemused volunteer....a kayak?...to Mud Island?) and I was off. The wind was behind me, the sail was up and I was doing a comfortable 6km's into the run out tide. Made very good progress and after 2.5hrs I was there (only a group in a 4 seater seado thingy, running way too close to my stern, making me hall in my lure as fast as I could, was the only problem on the trip).










Unfortunately the only place I could land was a small patch of sand on the eastern side of the Island, which would be covered by water at high tide and you have to negotiate over a very shallow reef......very scary in a fibreglass kayak.










10" deep










The whole Island shore is like this, lots of hard sharp coral.










Couldn't find anywhere at all you could camp over night..........does any one know of a landing place????? there must be one somewhere so parks or who ever caretakers the Island can get on and off.

By the time I went completely around the Island it was 1.30pm and time to head home. Unfortunately the wind was coming directly from where I wanted to go and was strengthening. I decided to go as close to the wind as the sail would let, as tacking any more would of put too many extra km's on my trip back. It wasnt too bad going as I was averaging 4.5kms against a fast running tide and a gusty 15kt wind (thank god for the sail, I wouldn't of been able to make it with out it and would of had to head to St Helena and then to Lota (on the main land) to get home).

Slogged it out all the way, the last 5 kms were really hard, copped a few choppy waves on the lap (the skirt had a bit of protection but water still got through). Finally got back at 5.10pm (logged out ten minutes late...."oh I wondered how you were", "how did it go?" ),I was going to troll the last bit but was way too tired and just wanted to get back. Fell out unceremoniously on the beach (jeeze they're a bugger to get out of).

I didnt get much fishing in (well that is my excuse for lack of fish  ), but would be an excellent place to yak fish only wish there were somewhere to camp the night, as its too far to go for a day trip.

I ended up with a small Tailor, grinner and a Toady.


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

top marks for an exploratory mission. and the sail looks like fun, especiually on the sea kayak hull. 8)


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

What a great trip - and some distance !!! If your sail tore or got stuffed some how - would you have managed a safe return - ie paddling or a spare sheet ???


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## rob316 (Oct 2, 2007)

I would have picked you up Paul - I cheated and fished from the stinker near St Helena sunday - live at Lota - so would have seen you - once I had stopped laughing...I would have helped you home :lol: That is one wicked trip mate - very good going....my mate and i were sitting out there and actually talking about the possability of a yak trip from lota to redcliffe/scarborough - getting home was the concern......you are a dead set superman in that new beast of yours well done
ps - there is nowhere to camp at mud , what you saw is the best of it....much better luck getting to moreton for an overnighter than the shallow crusty edges of mud....


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

you should be at the olympics doing the kayak you sound really fit. i get a sore bum driving there in the boat. lot of brisbanes lime was dug out around mud island by darra cement (who later sank their big barge the cementco) on one of the artificial reefs out in the bay (not sure which one) the coral dredging led to the big drop offs which is why the place fishes so good. the way they keep extending fishermans island youll be able to walk there soon. 43 km !!. congrats and cheers peter


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

That was my limit.
The last bit was really hard, my arms were aching so bad I hads to take some pain killers to sleep. I guess you cant find your limit till you push your self hard. The sail makes a difference but you still need to paddle, once you stop, because there is no keel you get pushed back or to the side by the wind.
The bay can get very nasty with strong currents (especially around the mouth of the river) and wind. Can make very short and sharp chop of over 1mtr.
The bail out plan was to go with the wind to the main land and get the mrs to pick me up. Or call VMR to come and get me.

Oh yes I have felt the sting of the Mud Island Mozzies at sun set......used to fish it quite a bit in the old stinkers. At least I had a softer ride back than a tinnie that went past...bang! bang!
bang!....ouch. :lol:


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## Alby (Aug 21, 2006)

A guy from Rosco canoes told me years ago they used to paddle to Mud and go up a creek. Hard to find he said, but very special. That's all I know about the island.
A tip for beaching your SIK......I also have a Rosco Expedition SIK. It has a very small cockpit entry so this is method was essential for getting in and out anyway.
As you approach the beach get up some speed (on the back of a wave if there's breakers), then when you're getting to say waist deep water (making sure your kayak is going straight towards the shore, not broached), put your hands on the each side of the cockpit and lift your butt up onto the deck behind the cockpit. Obviously you will have needed to unclip your skirt from the cockpit rim just before you do this. As you get into the shallower water just swing your legs over the side and hop off, grabbing the side of the cockpit or a deckline to stop the kayak washing up on the shore. Make sure your body is on the seaward side of the kayak. I usually manage to stay pretty dry with this method. Hope it helps.
Alby


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Thanks for the tip on getting out alby......something I need to practice.

Looking at a bigger view of the Island there looks to be 3 creeks.....Hmmmm makes me want to and explore again. I would imagine they wouldn't get fish much. You would need to get up there at high tide though. :?


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

Geez Paul - a marathon effort mate. I think fishing Mud from a Yak would be great but I think towing the yak there and then fishing it would be a much easier affair. Now there's an idea............Anybody keen to set up such a trip? I have room for 2 more in my tinny


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## Alby (Aug 21, 2006)

Just re-reading what I wrote about getting out. When I say swing your legs over the side, I mean over one side, so you'll land steady ready to grab the kayak. It works a treat.
Google Earth pic looks great. I must get on and have a closer look.
Alby


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## JD (Jul 2, 2006)

I always knew plumbers were a crazy lot. Good to see you made it. 
I think we need someone with a bigger boat and then we could do an overnighter at Mud. 
And I hear there are some BIG sharks out there at night. (and during the day)


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

AJD I would be keen, but pick a day when its not too windy. When I was coming back, I got passed by a few blokes in a tinnie getting a hammering from the bay chop bang! bang! bang!....ouch! 

I would like to do a little more exploring, I read an article about doing a trek inland. Worth a read. http://bayjournal.com.au/joomla/index.p ... &Itemid=52

Hey JD why not just spend a bit of your retirement fund and buy a 50' boat and you can take all of us......hey I would be in on that..... would even let you buy the beer.


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## Sparksie (Sep 8, 2007)

Hello

A newie to the site and without a yak but hope to change that in the next few months....

An incredible trip. I have read many a report here and wondered if excursions to bay islands were undertaken....

Would using St Helena Island as a ummmmm....."forward operating base" work for fishing Mud?

ie. a weekend trip, where you got to St Helena Friday arvo, camped over then yakked to Mud adfished it for the day, then came back to St Helena on Saturday night then came back to mainland...

Fish storage might be an issue I guess if you did Ok at Mud Is. :?

Still one hell of a trip that's been undertaken. :shock:

Regards 
Sparksie


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

G'day Sparksie and welcome to the forum.

Your not allowed to camp on St Helena (mind you your not allowed to camp on any of the bay Islands except Straddie, Moreton and Peel) , it has a caretaker living there and would be very hard to get away with camping there. Green Island might be all right, but I've never been there and wouldn't know. :?


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## madkeensam (Jul 27, 2008)

Mate that's a top effort  
You got some great photos and exercise :lol: :lol: 
Bit of a shame you didn't get to do much fishing, But that tailor you got was a pretty good size .
I took the tinny out of Queens Beach on Sunday morning and didn't even get a bite,Although there were lots of tailor jumping around.It was a great morning though. Flat as a tack :lol:

Cheers Sam


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

not the most appealing name for an island though is it???

MUD Island . Hmm makes me want to go there. NOT. :lol:


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## outriggerbev (Jan 15, 2007)

I'D LIKE TO DO THE TRIP MYSELF -ANYONE INTRESTED!


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Paul with the travels you are doing in the Mermaid, your user name has become very apt...that's a couple of really good long ones you have down now since getting it mate, and well done



ArWeTherYet said:


> my arms were aching so bad I hads to take some pain killers to sleep.


What pain killers do you find best???.......XXXX, Tooheys, or Fosters or is there something better :lol:


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Davey we like to refer to it as "Club Mud".  Would of been a nice enough Island once, but since dredging for coral, the left over broken coral has made a mess of the place, land locking the creeks and killing off the mangroves.

Dodge Mersydol's and beer (Amsterdam Mariner premium larger.....cheap but not too nasty  ) does the trick. And I was fine the next day.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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