Blue Highway

Maroochy River Trail; Cotton Tree to Valdora Lift Bridge

Maroochy River Paddle

Elanda Point to Fig Tree Point; Noosa River

Elanda Point to Fig Tree Point Noosa River at EveryTrail

Noosa River; Day Paddle

Noosa River; Playboating.

First paddle in the Mirage 580 kayak along the Noosaville reach of the Noosa River.

Mirage 580 Sea Kayak

A while back in this post (http://thenorrisfiles.blogspot.com/2010/11/mirage-19-sea-kayak.html) I mentioned that I had settled on a brand of sea kayak and was ready to purchase. However, some unexpected and expensive dental work put a hole in the budget and delayed the purchase until now.

I ended up purchasing the Mirage 580 Kevlar, essentially an expedition sea kayak that is supposedly a versatile, stable boat that tracks well in all conditions from flat water to ocean passages. According to Mirage it is a kayak that can maintain high cruising speeds over an extended period and boasts a track record that includes numerous Bass Strait crossings, extended east and west coast trips and is a popular boat amongst the Hawksberry Classic crowd.

While most of the above mentioned trips are well outside my comfort zone (now or in the future) the Mirage 580 was the only boat that after fours years of searching came the closest to matching what I wanted in a kayak. Time will tell but what I can say is that I’m happy my days of sit on top kayaking are over!

Brief Specifications for Mirage 580

*Length 5.8m/19ft

*Beam 55.5cm/22.5 inches

*Weight (Kevlar)22.5kg/49.0lbs

*Mako fibreglass touring paddle

*Comfort combo backrest and seat

*Carry toggles (bow and stern)

*Electric bilge pump

*Hand bilge pump (spare)

*Deck compass

*Cockpit cover

*Combi spray skirt

*Paddle leash

*Ultra Trek 11 PFD

Organising Myself!

Its not only work, health and the never ending rain that has put a dent in my trips on days off work lately but my lack of planning. I wish I could wake up of a morning and just head off but that doesn't seem to work for me. So, with that in mind here are my ideas for the next three groups of days I am rostered off work.

1) Darling Downs Tour 15th, 16th, 17th December.

2) Maroochy River Trail 29th and 30th December.

3) Road Trip ?? Bunya 11th to 14th January.

Mirage Sea Kayak

After a few years of indecision and confusion I think I am closer to deciding on which kayak to purchase. I have waged a war in my head about the merits of sit on top kayaks versus sit in kayaks, primary and secondary stability and plastic versus fiberglass hulls.

Then, I read a review of the Australian made Mirage Kayaks on their website which described the Mirage 19 as a stable workhorse, exactly what I have been looking for. Additionally, they appear to have good balance between primary and secondary stability, a largish cockpit and they are regarded as a relatively fast boat that are suitable for expeditions having crossed Bass Strait numerous times.

They appear to suit my requirements and even better I only really need to decide between two boats, either the Mirage 19 or the Mirage 580. I think this will be a next winter purchase so I still have some time to do more research and finalise the options I need. Unless something hugely negative comes up relating to these kayaks I don't plan on confusing myself any longer by looking at any other manufacturers. Roll on next winter!

Lake Wivenhoe Easter Camping and Kayaking Trip

I spent two nights at Captain Logan's campground at Lake Wivenhoe. The first day on the water was perfect, the lake was like glass and the wind stayed away until after I got off the water. The campgrounds where reasonably deserted so I had the pick of the tent sites. It was a beautiful spot and the sunsets where fantastic.