Clay Kesting organised this paddle. Elspeth, Narina, Phillip, Greg and myself also attended.
We met at Brunswick Heads near the caravan park at 8 am on Sunday 23 April. Clay gave a short briefing and told us of the difficulties in working out the timing for this paddle as this creek is severely affected by tidal current. He chose to do the paddle on the outgoing tide as he encountered previous problems with the incoming tide flowing too fast in the upper reaches of the creek.
We crossed over the main Brunswick River, made our way through the entrance in the rock walls and began our paddle up Marshalls Creek. We soon noted a pair of sea eagles perched in a tree. The creek wound its way through Ocean Shores, New Brighton and eventually to Billinudgel. We noted a lot of debris from the flood 3 weeks earlier. Quite a few houses backed onto the creek. Some of these were flood affected including the Yum Yum Café which had just opened up again. We turned around just after passing under the freeway bridge. A fallen tree was blocking our path and perhaps without this we could have gotten further.
The outgoing tide really rushed on the way back and the creek got increasingly shallower. It was a bit too shallow for Greg as his pedal flippers require a bit of depth. He needed a tow for the last 2 kilometres or so.
This was a really beautiful creek and worth the paddle. In hindsight it would be best to begin the paddle on, or just prior to high tide, when the tidal rush is not so fast and the creek has not got too shallow for the return journey.
Colin Cussel