*ON04 FINAL-2.indd - Wavelength Paddling Magazine

View from the top of the headland, showing inner and outer paddling options.sea eagles soar overhead, cormorants dive, and egrets, crestedterns, red-capped plovers and oystercatchers march throughthe shallows as swarms of blue soldier crabs scurry for safety.The headland can be circumnavigated by paddling up thecreek, through a narrow, almost hidden channel slicing throughthe mangrove forest, into a wide bay, and out to the oceanside of the headland to the wild side of Bustard Head. Herethe ocean roars into eroded caves and secluded sandy bayshuddled among boulders decorated with pandanus palms, andit threatens to claim any inexperienced paddler as the victim ofanother “shipwreck” to add to those she has already claimed.Struggling to negotiate the maze of rocks and wild seas,we finally paddle through the estuary to the tranquility of thecreek and return to our campsite. Meanwhile, dolphins danceamong white ripples on the sapphire ocean; terns sway tothe hypnotic rhythm of waves; and pelicans drift silently past.Here, wild water and calm, an abundance of wildlife, stunningscenery, and a hefty serving of solitude all combine to create agreat paddling opportunity which is just waiting for your personaldiscovery. ❏© Stephanie Jackson is a freelance journalist and travel writer,and a regular contributor to several Australian publications.Take a tour of her photographs at www.photographsofaustralia.com.Bustard Head• BrisbaneGUIDED KAYAK TOURS • BIRDINGKAYAK & CANOE SALES & RENTALSBICYCLE SALES & SERVICE14 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com Oct/Nov 2004