The eyes of the White-faced Heron regarded me momentarily but I was at the edge of the exposed sea grass flat, too far to be a threat, especially when the heron was looking for food. The grey coloured bird went back to the vital search for food in the rich habitat where small marine creatures tried to hide under the limp sea grass strands. I could approach no closer n my kayak but it was securely resting where some water still lapped its side. This was my second trip to the Tomaga River which had some beautiful wildlife along it but the weather this time was so much nicer than the previous time. I was paddling up the river while the tide was ebbing but I did not mind, I was just enjoying the beauty of mangroves and a wonderful tidal river on the coast. I paddled as far up the river as I could, enjoying every moment and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
The Tomaga River is approximately 16 km long but the upper waters are fowled by fallen trees and branches so not really a good place to paddle. However, between there and the mouth of the river is a lovely stretch of water to paddle and explore. I once again decided to launch from the boat ramp on the Tomakin side of the river mouth.
After launching I paddled down river with the intent to head out to sea a little way. A low pressure system had been pounding the east coast of Australia for most of the previous week This strong weather system had brought flooding to northern New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, along with surging sees. The forecasted swell was still over a metre in height but I felt that I had to go out to get experience in the sea. In reality, the swell was well over a metre with choppy seas that made it a challenge to turn when it was time to head back to shore. I decided that it was not the day to head too far out so I turned around to seek shelter back in the river mouth. With that foolishness completed I was now free to focus back on the river.
The tide was lowering, so against me for the entire trip up river making the shallow river even shallower. Last time I had managed to paddle in among mangrove trees but this time the trees were already on exposed, sticky mud. For most of the time there was still enough water for easy paddling but towards the end of the trip, on the return journey, I discovered that outside of the shallow channel there was nowhere else to paddle on the river and the sand was very soft allowing my legs to sink deeply into it.
Tomakin Beach, with remnant storm waves, and Tomaga River, at the top right
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/1250 SEC]
While I was paddling towards the mouth the flowing out tide carried me past a Great Egret (Ardea modesta) that was standing on top of a private wharf. The pure while contrasted nicely with the dark green leaves behind. The wharf did not seem a good place to hunt from because the water below was probably too deep for the bird to wade through. Still, I took the egret as a good sign of the life that I would see along the river that day.
Great Egret on a private wharf near the river mouth
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/11 and 1/500 SEC])
After viewing the egret I continued down the river, negotiating the small bar at the mouth, where the waves were choppy but not large. There was a natural rock formation jutting out along the southern side of the river mouth. When I got further along that rocky shore the waves were curling around it, in a large swell that looked like it wanted to break. This was a foretaste of what I was about to face. Once I cleared the protective rocks I was aware that the waves and the chop was larger than I was ready for so thought it wiser to turn around. Somebody with more experience may have gone on but that was my first time in the ‘open’ sea and my kayak was moving around a lot, not just going forward. Turning was easier said than done with waves hitting me at always the wrong time. I used at least one low brace to keep upright but once I was around it was a lot of fun to have a running sea behind me. I was also able to control my excitement to ensure that I did not let the waves fling me up onto the rocks that had provided protection on the departure from the river. I was disappointed that I had not gone further but happy that I had at least headed into the real waves. I was looking forward to trying another time so that I could build up some experience in the open sea. I was also happy that my pulse was dropping while I headed back into the river.
Paddling back past my starting point I continued up the river and shortly I was already travelling under the bridge that carried George Bass Drive over the water. After emerging out the other side I was distracted by some movement on the bank as a startled kingfisher moved to a different branch. I carefully turned the kayak towards where the bird was but this movement was enough to scare the bird into flying off far up to the other bank. However, the bird’s flight spooked a Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) into shifting its spot, and I had completely missed noticing that lizard. The yellow colouring on the throat meant that this was an adult. Water dragons are opportunistic feeders so this one would have had rich pickings along the river. When I approached the bank it moved away slightly but paused, always keeping its head slightly cocked towards where I was. Before it slowly moved to the shelter of some bushes.
Gippsland Water Dragon male sunning itself on the river bank
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/11 and 1/500 SEC])
After photographing the dragon I noticed an Interesting tree beside me. It looked like it had been drilled out by thousands of marine borers or some other type of wood chewing creature. It was probably an old casuarina that stood in the water now.
Dead tree peppered with the holes of marine borers
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 106mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
I was paddling with a good rhythm, enjoying the beautiful day and relaxing river. The great thing about a kayak is that it lets you look around a lot because you are not really going fast so you are unlikely to crash into something that you didn’t see. Coming around a bend I looked up to see two Little Black Cormorants (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) in a tree. They must have been feeling hot because they were vibrating their throats in an effort to dissipate the heat. The day was not that hot but I guess they were high in the tree so very exposed to the rays of the morning sun.
Little Black Cormorant
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Approaching some oyster farms there was another cormorant on one of the poles used for securing the lines of oysters. This time it was a Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos). The picture below is not of it calling but at some stage it spat out some liquid while shaking its head and then seemed to yawn.
Little Pied Cormorant clearing its throat on the top of an oyster farm marker pole
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
The oyster farms along the Tomaga River tend to occupy just one stretch so they are a good marker to show progress up the river. Their presence was reassuring because they indicated that the water was being flushed enough to carry food to the oysters. Paddling past the leases there were some boats on shore that were probably used by the farmers to look after their special bivalve crop. At least some of these leases were owned by Pinnacle Oysters that was based in Batemans Bay. I mention that because I thought it was interesting to connect an enterprise with what I saw on the water, so that I know where the oysters go after they are harvested.
Oyster farm lease along the river side in front of mangroves
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
As I have already mentioned it was glorious weather for being on the river and the conditions were very good as the picture below shows. Jeremadra Creek flowed in from the west, or left in the picture below and on either side of the Tomaga River there was some remnant woodland. In between the land had been cleared for agriculture, which was the fate of much of the habitat alone the South Coast because of the great conditions for farming. However, paddling along the river did reveal a thin stretch of untouched nature where the river banks still offered home to some wonderful creatures.
Coming up to the confluence of the Tomaga River and Jeremadra Creek
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/2500 SEC])
While I was admiring the moment of being on such a picturesque river by myself a group of Australian Wood Ducks (Chenonetta jubata) flew down the river, landing near to where I was. It was almost like they did not know that I was there in my big, blue kayak. One of them, a female, continued swimming in my direction while the others slowly pottered up towards Jeremadra Creek. Her determination to swim in my direction made me wonder if she was the mother duck and she was putting herself between me and possibly some juvenile birds that had not fully fledged. I paddled around her to continue my trip up the river, she also kept her distance from me.
Australian Wood Duck female swimming on the river
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
Past the confluence with the Jeremadra Creek the scenery changed, becoming more cleared and rural. However, even that far up the river there were still mangroves. I also remembered one of the trees from my last paddle up the Tomaga River because it was by itself and growing at a strange angle. This Grey Mangrove (Avicennia marina) just seemed to have some character about it that made it an interesting photograph subject. It was growing at the edge of a small circular mud pan in the river. I managed to get close with my kayak but then I grounded. I tested the bottom with my kayak and decided that it was too soft to walk on so photographed this interesting tree from where I was stuck. Although the sun was high in the sky, it was at least coming from the other side of me. It was genuinely pleasant just sitting there in my kayak in the shallow water photographing that little mangrove tree.
Grey Mangrove
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
Past that unique mangrove tree the river became shallow, windy and almost still. It also became narrow with some tall trees lining the banks. The atmosphere was quiet, with a stillness to the area. Even though I was now behind the Mogo Zoo I was hardly aware of it, with no animal noises or even the sound of people. I could hear cars on the nearby road but that was it. However, soon enough I came to the end of the river for me, where a large tree had crashed down into the river at some stage in the past. I could have probably pulled the kayak up and over it but I didn’t think that there was much river on the other side. I think the Pacific Black Duck that swam quickly ahead of me through that twisted tree was also happy that I did not follow it. Somewhat reluctantly I turned the kayak around in the narrow stretch of water. I didn’t set a fast rhythm to paddle back, just a steady one so that I could enjoy the stillness of the place.
Instead of heading straight back along the Tomaga River, I swung right into the Mogo Creek to explore there. Soon enough I found another tree fallen across the water but with a struggle I was able to pop through to the creek on the other side. Looking up the creek I could see that it was shallow with some trees fowling it as well so I decided that there was not much point pushing on so I turned around again. I paddle hard towards the gap on the fallen tree where I had crossed so that I could get some speed up to help cross it. The return was much easier than the first crossing and my kayak cruised back into the free water on the otherside.
End of the Tomaga River
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/150 SEC])
Getting back to the placid confluence of the Tomaga River and Mogo Creek I knew that I had been paddling for a few hours so it seemed a good time to take a break to stretch the legs from inside the kayak and to grab a snack. I pulled into the bank and exited the kayak, whereupon I sunk up to my calves into the mud on the shore. I made sure that I grabbed all the things that I would need, such as water, food and my camera, so that I would only have to make a single trip up from the kayak across the very soft, clinging mud. I just had a short break because I wanted to keep paddling and I found that what I really needed was just to stretch my legs out and replenish some energy.
Where I stopped for a break at the confluence of the Tomaga River, on the right, and Mogo Creek, on the left
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/570 SEC])
My kayak pulled up on the soggy bank of the river, with holes my legs made on the right of my kayak
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/280 SEC])
What happens when you stand on a soggy bank
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/240 SEC])
While was resting on the bank I was looking for photographic subjects and some movement on the soft mud caught my attention.. An immature Semaphore Crab (Heloecius cordiformis) was at the entrance of its burrow. I only saw the one and I was interested to see it this far up the river, especially given how much fresh water must have washed past it with the recent rain. But, there it was going strong. As I said, I only saw the one and it didn't stay out long. I tried to get a little closer but the wary crab jetted down its burrow when I edged slightly closer on the bank.
Semaphore Crab on the mud flat where I had a snack
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
After the snack and rest I started down the river again. Not long after starting I noticed a brilliant adult White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) perched in a tree. It was scanning around and when I approached it took a very keen interest in me. The pure white plumage indicated that this bird was an adult., while its large talons showed how it had evolved to effectively swoop down on a fish in the water, grab the animal securely and fly off. It doesn’t just eat fish but any small animal or bird. It will also disturb other birds that have caught fish, trying to make them drop their prey so the eagle can grab it. I always love seeing these large raptors, because they seem to indicate a healthy ecosystem with enough food to support a decent food pyramid.
White-bellied Sea-eagle staring back at me
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
I was about to round a bend when I saw a White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) prowling along a small area where there was still some water lapping around mangrove roots. I headed over and drifted the last little bit to take some photographs. The heron was not sure about me so slowly stalked further away from me.
WIth the heron gone, I suddenly realised just how noisey that little area was with bird calls and a myriad of pops and other noises.
White-faced Heron on a small patch of mangrove up the river
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])
Part of the reason for the noise was no doubt the Semaphore Crabs that were grazing through the area. With the heron gone, although not far, they were out of their burrows eating away. The presence of purple claws further back among the mangrove pneumatophores showed that there were some adult crabs around as well.
Semaphore Crab among the pneumatophores
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])
I was also interested to see what I believed was an Eastern Billabong damselfly (Austroagrion watsoni), probably a female flying around, and landing on the pneumatophores. There were a number of little insects around so some rich pickings to be had for food.
Eastern Billabong female damselfly on a pneumatophore
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])
There were also several Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum) dragonflies zipping around and I thought that their blue colouration added something to the dull brown of the drying mangrove mud. They really lived up to their names, skimming low over the water, zig-zagging at great speed. I was glad when one landed on the mangrove root so that I could take a photograph.
Blue Skimmer dragonfly on a mangrove root, adding a shot of blue to the scene
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/7.1and 1/400 SEC])
Coming around a bend in the now very shallow river I spied a Striated Heron (Butorides striata) juvenile prowling through the water. It looked small but its mottled chest plumage was the real indicator of it being a juvenile. It was moving very steadily through the water, occasionally flattening its body as it prepared to strike.
Striated Heron Juvenile stalking food
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
The river was now very shallow because this was the time of the day’s lowest tide and I was not sure where the best channel was. About 100 meters away, the sun reflecting off a Great Egret made me want to head that way to take some photographs. However, every way I tried resulted in me running out of water. Eventually, I exited my kayak to survey the way through. I could see obvious raised patches of sand sticking randomly through the river. In between, it was hard to tell if the water was deep enough to kayak or not. I started dragging the kayak in one direction through some the shallow water but I began to sink up to my knees in the sticky mud and sand. After some trial and error I saw that there was an unbroken channel of water just in front of the bank closest to me. I reversed my direction and dragged the kayak towards that channel where the water indeed did start to become deeper. Upon getting close to the channel I was able to paddle again. The bottom was not far beneath the keel of the kayak but at least I was paddling.
I was now able to paddle over to where that gleaming white Great Egret was hunting in the shallows. Fortunately the bird was more focussed on its next meal than me so I was able to let the kayak drift closer to the bird. The egret was indeed the picture of concentration as it looked to see what was moving beneath the water surface. When its beak jabbed, the movement was a flash and the bird then quickly withdrew its head back, primed for another strike. Its beak was empty but it shook its head and continued its hunt. I think that we sometimes see nature documentaries where the subject is normally successful in the hunt be we forget that in reality that is not always so. One study from the 1980s in the Northern Territory recorded an approximate 25% success rate for attacks by Great Egrets hunting food.
Great Egret hunting for fish
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
The river looked completely different with the tide out. The channel stuck close to the left bank as I headed down stream while large areas of sea grass were exposed across the river. Sometimes those areas were still deep enough to paddle through but most of the time the sea grass warned of shallow water to be avoided.
View looking down river with the low tide leaving only a channel to the left of the photo
(Apple iPhone 8 [ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8 and 1/2200 SEC])
In one place where the sea grass had been exposed for a while a White-faced Heron was prowling along. I grounded the kayak on the edge of the exposed seagrass, using it as a steady platform for photography. This is the same bird featured at the top of the post. No doubt there would be rich takings among the sea grass as the small creatures under the limp plants also searched for food themselves.
White-faced Heron searching for food on exposed sea grass
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
After the heron the channel became a bit deeper and I was able to pass back under the George Bass Drive road bridge easily. When I was approaching the exit point, another exposed area of sea grass across the river from my exit beckoned me over because a lone Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) was waiting there for fisherman to arrive at the boat ramp. I was planning to exit at the boat ramp but the local pelican population knew, like many along the South Coast, that returning boat anglers will often throw their off-cuts to the waiting birds. This particular bird was not flustered by my attention. It stayed still, occasionally looking at me, or may be past me to see what was happening at the boat ramp. Later, after I was unloading my kayak, a returning amateur fisherman did indeed toss a couple of meaty off-cuts to the thankful bird. The pelican was happy with its feed and slowly returned to the other side of the river.
Australian Pelican near the river mouth on exposed sea grass opposite the boat ramp
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 371mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
When I was returning to the boat ramp I could see just how popular this lovely river was. There was a group of people, mainly children getting ready to take some canoes on the river. There were also a number of people fishing along the channel where the water was deeper. After my enjoyable paddle I could understand why people wanted to experience this lovely river in a myriad of ways. Indeed, by using the river they hopefully become attached to the river and see a value in it that enriches their own lives. That attachment will hopefully mean that people are more careful about looking after the river and more reluctant to see development ruin it.
A group getting ready to kayak on the Tomaga RIver
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
People fishing along the sand dune near the river mouth
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
After I packed my kayak and my other things away I went to get changed into some travelling clothes for the trip back to Canberra. I also grabbed a delicious takeaway lunch from the RIvermouth General Store. I bought a takeaway because I wanted to enjoy my food while looking out from Melville Point at Tomakin to see the continuing effects of the storm activity that had been hitting the NSW coast. From this low headland there was a great view southwards and the white-capped wavers were still rolling in through the greenish, turgid stormed affected water. The waves were hitting the rocks and while they were not large the swell seemed to surge in from the wide Pacific Ocean with an angry force lashing whatever was in its way. The waves were lower now than at the start of the paddle but I could see why I had been tossed around so much because the sea looked choppy with white caps everywhere and foamy trails across the surface. While I was at Melville Point I sent the drone up to capture a vertical shot of the waves running onto the long channels in the rocks.
I also used my telephoto lens to zoom into a rock the waves were pounding. White water was being sent into the air while the rock stayed solidly impervious to the chaos around it.
Storm remnant waves were still hitting the rocks near the river mouth
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/1250 SEC]
Waves breaking on the rocks off Tomakin beach
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/11 and 1/1000 SEC])
It had been another wonderful day at the coast and another wonderful paddle on the Tomaga River where I saw some beautifully wildlife. For the first time I had taken my kayak out to sea, which was a bit rougher then I planned but it allowed my to feel movement of the sea and gain trust in my kayak. I had also paddled up the beautiful Tomaga River as far as it was possible to go. In addition, I had seen the river at its shallowest, with the tide out, much different to last time. While the trip ended up being a long day I really felt re-energised because of those experiences. I really find having a camera in a kayak is a great way to see some of the wonderful nature that the South Coast has on offer.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the south coast of New South Wales has on offer. All the best until the next post.