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Hi Mark, Thanks for your comment. I haven’t got a kayak or do any paddling these days but can report that I never modified my sail set up from what was shown. However, you have made a very good point and if I still had my boat I reckon I would modify it as you have suggested. It makes good sense. I set my sail up 10 years ago in 2014 when it was hard to find best practice.

Thanks John. At a time when I was fit, and adventurous. 👍

I paid 2.5K for my secondhand Mirage 580 kayak. The Mirage kayaks are very good for expeditions and blue water. This is an average cost of a good quality used kayak. Clothing and gear is not cheap.

Thanks for your comment. Hope you get some nice weather and it all goes well.

Thanks. Have fun with your Flat Earth sail.!

Appreciate your comment. Cheers.

Thanks Peter, Hope you have a great walk and the weather is good. We plan on returning to the Grampians as soon as the Osteo arthritis in one of my my knees settles down - from a motorbike injury in my earlier days.

The guides refer to vermin at some of the camps. Was this a problem for you or do you have tips for food storage? I usually use sealed plastic bags but wonder if more protection is required. Wishing your knee a speedy recovery.@@gregyoung4640

Thanks Mike. We now know why its so popular.

Thanks John. I wonder if there was as much reliance on the huts years ago when Luda walked the Track.

@@gregyoung4640 Luda says the huts were a lot more rudimentary and there weren’t such large numbers of people on the track when she first walked it and yes, tents were used. She has done the walk a few times and has experienced the transition to the modern facilities which she much appreciated.

Thanks Trevor. As Margie might have mentioned the Grampians is one of our favourite walking areas. Good to know another local who likes bush walking.

Thanks. I'm sure you will have an enjoyable walk, and hopefully good weather. We are booked in for the Overland Track next month in mid April, so we too are hoping for fine weather. Will be packing gear for all conditions.

Thanks for watching.

Thanks Peter. It's one of those impressive walks that sticks in our memory forever. We found the crossing of the Ironbound the most challenging day but highly rewarding. It must have been harder still when you did it! I have heard about proposals, mainly from commercial tour operators, which I am strongly against. I agree it should stay as is.

Thanks for watching

Thanks Mike. I agree, let's keep these places wild.

Thanks John. So many different landscapes. We met a few other walkers along the way, including a couple who were doing the full 13 days. I just hope that PV doesn’t create any more ‘Signature hiker camps’ on the trail - at present there’s two which happened to be on our night 2 and 3. These camps were used by commercial tour operators. The guided walkers had their own huts but shared the communal shelter. They more or less took over the shelter whilst entertaining with wine. This detracted from the remote walking and camping experience which PV advertises as a feature of the trail.

@@gregyoung4640 that’s disappointing, Greg. I wouldn’t put past PV to choose the $ ahead of the individual walkers experience. Those organised guided walk providers would have to be paying a license fee or some other financial arrangement. I wonder what sort of community consulting process they’re working through.

I would try and leave Johnny Souey Cove at slack tide (or soon after) and make use of the incoming flood tide current to assist my paddle. The current accelerates from slack to maximum in approx. 3 hours by which time you should be past Entrance Point and entering Lewis Channel. From Johnny Souey you first start to notice the tidal flow at Lighthouse Point. But when you get to Hunter point, and better still Entrance Point, you really do notice it - the tidal flow would be reaching its peak, getting up to three knots. The current would assist all the way up Lewis Channel to Port Welshpool. Using the tidal current must take an hour off your paddle from Johnny Souey to Port Welshpool. The tide times have always determined when I start paddling. Hope this helps. Happy paddling.

Greg, many thanks for that .. good Intel re that tidal flow influence extending down to Hunter Point .. appreciate your knowledge

one more question Greg if I may re either leaving fromPort Welshpool from Cattlemens Huts or returning - Q Can you make reasonable headway against an opposing tidal flow if you stick to the shoreline? Meaning is one restricted to only going with the tide along that coastline?

@@tuberider1171 You should be able to make reasonable headway against the tide from Port Welshpool to the Cattlemens Huts. There’s not too much of a tidal current between Port Welshpool and the Swashway (channel between Little Snake and Snake Island), and from the Swashway keep as close to the shore as you can to the huts. By doing this you are keeping away from the main channel to corner inlet. I’ve done this trip a few times. I put much less emphasis on the tide times when paddling to the huts as compared to going to Johnny Souey or the Prom. Cheers.

@@gregyoung4640 cheers

Good to hear from you again Jack! What a fantastic walk it was.

Thanks for your comment.

You could catch your food on the way 👍

@@gregyoung4640 That sounds good Greg👍😁

We were lucky on this trip. Unusual weather for June in Victoria.

There are so many choices of kayaks. I have only ever owned (and experienced) two kayaks since 2014 when I initially took up this activity. My first boat, after getting advice from a well-respected Victoria Sea Kayak Club member, was the Mirage 580. My second boat, in an effort to get some higher performance and more speed, was an Epic 18x. Both these boats were so different. The Epic was super-fast, however it did not have the stability I was used to with the Mirage and I struggled to master it. Although both boats had similar waterline lengths the hull shape of the Epic was more V shaped. After a period of trying to adapt to the Epic I decided to sell it and stick with my Mirage. The Mirage was a pleasure to paddle. They are stable, tough, fast and can handle a range of conditions. Cargo/ storage wise the Mirage was good. Nice watertight compartments which allowed me to store food, water (15 Ltrs) and other items for up to 24 days during the Bass Strait expedition (which took 18 days). One complaint in terms of storage was that hatch covers were on the small size. The Mirage has a permanent rudder which I like, but this is a personal choice. Some paddlers say that rudders make you lazy. My thoughts are that with a rudder less energy goes into paddle strokes for steering, and you can keep a straighter line, especially when sailing. Because the rudder protrudes below the bottom I I’m 6’3” and not that heavy (80 kg after Bass Strait), which was favourable for the Mirage 580. The downside of the 580 is that has a basic seat and low deck height which can cramp your legs. I found it slightly uncomfortable during my Bass Strait crossing experiencing and developed a sore bum after a few hours in the seat. I’ve heard that Nadgee’s and Eco Bezhig’s are examples of boats that can be more comfortable. Mirages are popular for expeditions. I would say that more Mirage’s have crossed Bass Straight than any other make. They are good for touring and expedition but with minimum ‘rocker’ perhaps not as good for playing in the surf or rock gardens. Every boat is a compromise. Hope this helps.

Appreciate your comment.

Thanks. A trip like this takes a fair bit of preparation and training (and risk taking) but well worth it.

Thanks for making that correction. The section of walk from Halls Gap to Pinnacle Lookout should have been shown via Grand Canyon, and not Wonderland Range.

Thanks Rob. Cheers.

I had a base weight (the total weight of entire gear kit, excluding food and water) of 9.1 kg. Total weight of food for three days at 2.1 kg (700g/day), plus 1 litre of water. Also took a tripod. Grand total at about 13kg. I try and keep it relatively lightweight.

@@gregyoung4640 thank you so much your help ! my bag gonna be around a same weight 👍🏼so I hope I gonna be ok 😅😅

@@normacasto8370 Enjoy 👍

That's exactly what I was thinking!

Thanks. Two of us (George and I) circumnavigated the island. We as a group approached the north side of Cliffy Island on our way from Seal Island. From what we were told the sides of the island were steep and any normal landing with a kayak was not possible. This proved to be true. The historic landing area was out of the question. There was basically a cliff below the landing. Apparently all cargo had to be hoisted up the cliff to the landing. The north side of the island was much more sheltered on the day we were there. We located a granite boulder with a suitable gradient that allowed us to climb ashore. However it was too steep to carry kayaks at the same time! There were very few boulders like this at the water’s edge that you could manage to climb. From my memory the opposite (south) side of the island appeared less friendly and certainly no opportunities for landing. A nice sandy beach would have been great.

Dolphins, seals and penguins but no sharks.

Thanks Mike, certainly something to look forward to.

Thanks John, we'll be back there next year.

Hi Jason, Thanks. I haven’t got experience with plastic kayaks but can make a comment. My first kayak was the one I’ve still got - a Mirage 580 Fibreglass/ Kevlar. I expect that it would largely depend on what type of paddler you are. If you’re very fit, with a good level of stamina and endurance you may not have a problem in paddling a traditional plastic /Polyethylene sea kayak across the Bass Strait. However, I would expect that the average paddler would find the undertaking a fair bit more challenging. Plastic rotomoulded kayaks, although tough, are heavier and wider than a typical carbon/Kevlar/glass sea kayaks. They are ideal for rock gardens, surf and practicing skills - more of a playboat that will take some rough treatment. There were a couple of blokes in a plastic double that did the Bass Strait crossing when we did ours in 2015. They were going in the opposite direction (North to South) without any trouble and made the journey in reasonable time. However, having two paddlers in a double kayak is more efficient in terms of power to weight ratio than one person in a single kayak. For an expedition such as Bass Strait I reckon you should have a faster touring kayak. The days and stretches between beaches are long and often tiring. You want to give yourself every chance of success in completing the crossing. Sometimes there are only small windows of suitable weather. Why make it any tougher than it already is? Intensive training during the months leading up to my trip was important for me. I was paddling three times a week and did some big days to give myself the best preparation. Many kayaker's dream about a doing the Bass Strait but not a lot actually do it. It takes a big personal commitment and sacrifice. Sometimes you can wait too long and for one reason or another, such as work or other unexpected things, the years go by. I started paddling at the age of 53, two years before my Bass Strait trip. All the best, and good luck.

Thanks Mike. Likewise. Such a nice area. Must explore Eagle Peaks next time!

Easily.

Thanks John.

Hi Jack, I use a home made collapsible trolley with golf cart wheels, which I then store in the rear hatch when paddling. I launched from Norman Beach, Tidal River, not far from the camping area. Good luck with your trip.

Greg Young thanks mate huge help!

Did you do the trip in the end?

Hi Macca, I figured a leash costs less than a paddle! Cheers