Rip, River and Reset

The unexpected part of the day was not that we went to the beach. That had been the plan.

The unexpected part was swimming out to two people who were stuck in a rip and clearly in distress, while Steph was asleep on the sand and missed the whole thing.

We had left our Hipcamp near Beerwah in the morning. The previous night at Quails Ridge Farm Stay had been very good: only us, a bush shower with hot water, a campfire and a smoky view towards the Glass House Mountains. The next day we first did a jungle gym session at camp, had a quick breakfast, then decided to go back to the coast rather than do another walk.

Mooloolaba was the target. We really like the Sunshine Coast. It has a calm beach atmosphere without the polished resort feel. We ended up at Cotton Tree, near the river mouth and the open beach. The conditions looked almost too good to not go for a swim. The beach was wide and flat, the water was crystal clear, and the small waves looked perfect for a beginner surfer like me.

Only problem: I didn’t bring a board. So I went in for a body surf instead.

Cotton Tree and the Rip

You should always swim between the flags. That is the simple rule, and it exists for a reason. On this day the flags felt quite far away from where we were sitting, and the conditions did not look bad. The beach was relatively flat, and nothing seemed especially dangerous from the outside.

I was in the water body surfing when I noticed a woman and a man nearby in distress. They had been caught in a rip, and from what I could see they did not know how to swim properly. That is a very bad combination. The woman was in panic. The strange thing was that she probably could have stood on a sandbank nearby, but once panic takes over, logic becomes much less useful.

So I swam over.

We lived on the beach long enough and I have watched enough Bondi Rescue to know the general principle: keep people floating, do not let them climb on top of you, tell them not to fight the rip, and move parallel to the beach if possible. That is easy to say when you are watching TV. It is a bit more hectic when someone is grabbing for air next to you.

I kept them floating and tried to calm them down. I told them to stop trying to swim directly back to shore and to move sideways with me. The dad then started panicking because his two sons were out of sight. They were on bodyboards and were okay, but he could not see that from where he was.

A moment later the professional lifeguard arrived on a board. He went straight for the boys first, then we managed to bring the woman and the man back in as well.

All good in the end. But it was a proper reminder of how fast a normal beach morning can change. It was also my first official rescue, if we want to call it that. I would still prefer if it stays the only one.

Steph missed the entire thing because she was asleep on the beach. Fair enough. It was meant to be a relaxing beach stop.

After that, I still managed to enjoy a good body surf session. I also spoke to a few locals in the water who said they had never seen a rescue there before, because most people in that area usually know how to swim. It was not a big dramatic waves day from the outside, which probably made the rip and strong current more surprising.

We had lunch in the park, packed up, and continued towards the Noosa Everglades.

Before that, there was a Kmart stop. Earlier in the morning the side door of the canopy had opened, or we had left it open - who knows. In any case, we lost our camping stool somewhere along the way. Not the biggest loss, but annoying enough that we replaced it immediately.

Boreen Point

Our campsite for the night was Boreen Point campground, directly on Lake Cootharaba.

It was a beautiful spot and one we would recommend and go back to. The lake was flat, open and shallow near the edge. You can walk in for quite a while. Later we learned about bull sharks being present in parts of the Noosa River system, including the connected lakes at times.

That is Australia. A place can look peaceful and still have a few items on the risk list.

We cooked dinner in the camp kitchen, mainly because there were mosquitoes around and the kitchen was a bit easier to manage. The induction cooktop came out again. It is becoming one of the more versatile pieces of equipment we carry. Dinner was a simple chicken pesto pasta, and it was exactly right for that evening.

The next morning we packed up for Harry’s Hut.

Our original idea had been a bit more ambitious. We wanted to park at Boreen Point, load the SUPs with our ground tent, and paddle into the Everglades for an overnight camping trip. It sounded excellent in theory. In practice, after speaking with the national park staff, it felt more sensible to drive the 4WD track to Harry’s Hut and paddle from there.

I think that overnight paddle would be great in a kayak or canoe. On SUPs with camping gear, in wind, with our setup, it started to sound more like a project than a good idea.

So we drove in instead.

Harry’s Hut

The road to Harry’s Hut is a sandy 4WD track through the national park. Because it was dry, it was not difficult, but we still deflated the tyres as a precaution. You might get through parts of it in a 2WD in good conditions, but there are enough soft and rough sections that I would not want to rely on that.

We chose a campsite near the end, close to the group camping area. Because there were no groups booked in, it was perfect. Quiet, tucked away, and only a short walk to the river.

Being close to the water also meant mosquitoes. We set up the screen tent, and it immediately justified the space it takes in the car. Without it the evenings would have been much less pleasant.

After a short look around, we settled in, had an early dinner and pumped up the SUPs for the next morning.

The Noosa Everglades are often described as one of only two everglades systems in the world, the other famous one being in Florida. The wording is a tourism shorthand, but it makes some sense when you are there. It is not just a river. It is a connected system of lakes, wetlands and upper river, with dark tea-coloured water, paperbarks, reflections and very little noise once you are away from the busy parts.

Also, there are no crocodiles there, which is a very relevant point once you spend more time in Queensland. Bull sharks are another story, but at least they are less visible than crocodiles. Mostly.

Saturday was our main paddle day.

We had coffee, then set off along the river with breakfast packed on the boards. The target was camp 2, about four kilometres one way. The paddle out was stunning. Very quiet, very still in parts, with the river narrowing and the banks closing around us. We stopped at camp 1 for breakfast, then continued to camp 2.

On the way out the wind had already started to pick up, but we either did not notice it properly or chose to ignore it. On the way back we noticed it.

That return paddle was hard work. The river still looked calm enough, but the wind was against us, and the SUPs are not exactly fast touring vessels. It became a battle: wind versus us, with no clever solution other than continuing.

We were happy when we made it back.

After the paddle it was time to disappear into the screen tent. Steph was brave and put up the hammock. We used insect repellent. We read. We chilled. We organised food. The afternoon disappeared quickly, as it often does at camp when there is not one single big thing happening.

We also had a video call home to say happy birthday to my mum. Starlink continues to work surprisingly well for this kind of thing. It is a strange contrast: sitting in the bush near the upper Noosa River, surrounded by mosquitoes, and then suddenly having a excellent audio quality for your call home.

The Mirror Morning

Sunday morning was the best part of Harry’s Hut.

We were leaving for Noosaville that day and were already looking forward to a few nights in an apartment. But before packing up properly, we went for one more paddle. Very early. Before coffee, which is unusual and will not become a habit without good reason.

This time there was a good reason.

People had told us about the “mirrors” of the Everglades. We had not really experienced that the day before because of the wind. This morning the river had almost no ripples. The reflections were so clear that the brain did not fully understand what it was looking at. It did not feel like paddling on water. It felt more like gliding across a dark surface that had copied the trees and sky almost perfectly.

It was one of the more special paddles we have done.

For a while I completely forgot that there could be bull sharks somewhere in the same water system. Probably a useful mental trick.

After that morning, we were ready for the city, or at least for a version of city life with a kitchen and a couch.

Noosaville Convenience

I had been to Noosa twice before.

The first time was with my family years ago, when my mum spotted a koala almost immediately in the national park. The second time was with Steph not long after we moved to Australia, around eleven years ago, on a trip north of Brisbane. I remember not liking Noosa too much back then. It was Easter holidays, the town was packed, and getting anywhere seemed to take forever.

This time was different.

We stayed in Noosaville, close to the river, restaurants, shops and everything else we needed. That made a big difference. The apartment was exactly what we had been looking forward to: a proper kitchen, a couch, a warm shower without walking across a campground, and enough space to reset a bit after several weeks of camping.

It is not that camping had become bad. It had actually started to work quite well. But after a while, convenience feels very good. Cooking in a kitchen without unpacking half the car is very nice. Sitting on a couch to watch a movie is very nice. Having a bathroom ten steps away is very nice.

I also made a poolish, a pre-fermented dough, because we were planning to bake pizza the next day. Even in an apartment, the food projects continue.

Monday started with a morning run, which was a good way to use the river paths around Noosaville. After that we caught up with Dylan, an old friend from Sydney who had moved to Noosa with his family.

It was great to see them.

We walked in Noosa National Park with Dylan and his wife, and I had forgotten how beautiful that park is. The coastal track, the beaches, the headlands, the clear water, the views back along the coast - it is all very easy to like when it is not completely overrun. The weather was perfect.

This was the first time I did that walk without spotting a koala. That was a bit disappointing because my previous Noosa memories had set unrealistic expectations. But we saw two turtles in the ocean.

We had a dip in the ocean. The water was crystal clear. Then we had lunch in Noosa and just spent time catching up with Dylan and his wife. It was very nice to connect with people in person and not only send messages from the road.

Back at the apartment the afternoon was relaxed, and dinner was pizza. I did not have the proper pizza oven with me, obviously, but the dough still worked and the result was delicious.

BCF, Sails and a Kookaburra

Tuesday was shopping day.

I started with a run along the river and some strength exercises on the bars at the outdoor gym. Breakfast was leftover curry, which was not traditional breakfast but I could really get used to it. It gave me enough energy for what turned into a shopping marathon.

BCF is a dangerous place when you are already in travel mode. It feels like a one-stop shop for every camping problem you currently have and several problems you have not yet created.

We bought fishing equipment. Yes, seriously. We decided to give it a go.

At that point we had no idea whether we would catch anything. We had watched too many how-to videos, which is usually the stage before you realise how little you actually know. The guy at BCF was very friendly, very helpful, and almost as excited about it as we were.

We also stocked up on the remaining parts for our recovery gear, bought things for the chemical toilet, and got an esky because we figured it would be better for vegetables. The car was already full, so naturally we added more useful things.

That evening we had a very different type of outing.

Thanks to Steph’s former colleagues, we had a voucher for Sails, the beachfront restaurant in Noosa. So we changed from campy outfits into nice clothes and had a proper dinner out. The food was delicious. It is not the cheapest place, but we would go there again. Sometimes it is worth it.

The bottle of wine was also good enough that we felt it the next morning.

Wednesday started slowly. We went back to Noosa National Park because we had enjoyed it so much. This time we spent more time at the beach rather than walking the full track.

That is where Steph’s sandwich was stolen by a kookaburra.

It attacked from behind. I had wings in my face before it grabbed the food and disappeared. Very effective technique. Lesson learnt: always watch the birds, especially when you think your lunch is safe.

After that we did the grocery shopping for the next days. The plan was to head to Teewah Beach for a few nights of beach camping, so we needed to be properly stocked up.

After dinner I pushed us to go out again and refill the water tank. I am a slow starter in the morning, and the next day required an early start because of the tides. It made sense to do as much as possible the evening before.

The extra 10 metre hose we had bought at BCF was very helpful. Without that extension we would not have been able to reach the tap properly. Small boring item, big difference.

By the time we were back at the apartment, we were set for a few spectacular days at a beach camp.

At least that was the plan.