I stopped by Simon's house to pick him up on the way from Mebourne so we only needed 1 car for the weekend. We drove to Paynesville and arrived about 11.00 am. We purchased sandwiches from the bakery and then launched the kayaks across Lake Victoria and headed to Point Wilson jetty on Sperm Whale Head.
A pair of Black Swans flying in sync over Bunga Arm.
On a sunny day with little wind it didn't take us long to cover the 4 km from Paynesville. We pulled up on the eastern side of the sandy spit that runs out from the shore not far from the jetty and ate some sandwiches while enjoying the view back to Paynesville and Raymond Island.
A Black Swan family passing by with the tower of Ocean Grange House in the background
After lunch we headed around to Rotamah Island just 1.5 km around the corner in the entrance to Lake Reeve. Arriving at Rotamah we landed the kayaks and tramped for 30 minutes to the 90 Mile Beach. Although it was a lovely sunny day we were not tempted to have swim. Even at the height of summer the water here is very cold and it was still early Spring so no chance!
Back at the kayaks we ate more sandwiches while chatting to some boaties who were visiting the island. From there we paddled around to Ocean Grange through the shallows around Rotamah Island and Little Rotamah Island. This area has been a favourite of mine for a long time. It was always a destination when sailing with Barry Styles and John Dyrac in the 80s & 90s.
Pelicans on a sandy point in Bunga Arm
We had a quick look around and set off down Bunga Arm in search of the campsite I had booked. Although we didn't find the the actual campsite we found others and happily pulled up. There was young couple camped right on the edge of the lake not in an official campsite. They seemed unaware and unconcerned about the requirement to book sites.
The 90 Mile Beach at Sunrise near Gannet Campsite on Bunga Arm
The next morning we headed out down Bunga Arm. For me this was a journey of discovery because I had never been down to the end when we sailed here. Bunga Arm is 14 km long and finishes very close to Lakes Entrance although it does not connect at that end.
Simon with a Pelican ahead!!
Just as we reached the end Simon spotted a large bird on the nearby shore eating a fish. Unfortunately I wasn't able to zoom my camera focus enough for a good shot of a mature White Bellied Eagle however you can see it was a majestic bird. You will need to zoom in on the next 2 photos!
As we had reached the end of Bunga Arm we decided to get out for walk.
I tried to sneak up on the eagle which was now perched high in a tree. I didn't succeed in getting closer, much to Simon's amusement.
White Bellied Eagle eating on the shoreline
The eagle took off as we got closer
Our kayaks pulled up on the beach at the end of Bunga Arm.
White Bellied Eagle in tree overlooking Bunga Arm.
On our way back to the boats we examined the remains of the fish the eagle had been eating. It had been a big fish judging from the size of the head that remained. After this we paddled back down Bunga Arm to our campsite. The wind picked up and it was long paddle. After 28 km of paddling we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.
Sunset over Bunga Arm
The next morning we packed up our tents and headed back to Paynesville the long way around Raymond Island. We stopped at Resides Jetty for morning tea after crossing Lake Victoria. From here you can look across Lake King toward Metung in the East and and towards the mountains in the North.
Jetty near Point King with Crested Terns
Finally we paddled around past Point King and headed into to Paynesville. Another adventure on the lakes completed. There is so much more still to explore!
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