Right from the start, Kanu Kapers had awesome customer service, responding to my emails and answering all my questions as I tried to plan a kayak camping trip while travelling. I eventually decided on the 3 Day Kayak trip and convinced a friend of mine that I met in Brisbane to join me. The 3-day package was definitely affordable and included all the camping / paddling gear necessary, from stove and fuel to tent and tarp, from maps to the boat and paddling accessories.
When I reserved the boat, they booked a campsite for me and arranged a free pickup from my Noosa hostel to their headquarters, about a half hour drive. There we arranged our gear, packed the car, and headed off to the launching point.
It was amazingly calm and peaceful when we got to Lake Cootharaba.We loaded up our kayaks and headed out on the water.
I couldn’t believe how calm the waters were, for what seemed like a big lake. And the reflections were spectacular.
We made our way across the lake and onto the Noosa River. The navigation was easy with a couple well positioned signs.
Once we got into the heart of the Everglades, the reflections just got better and better
Once we got to our campsite we set up our tent and explored the area a little. We had a dock, and there were tons of minnows and tadpoles in the water!
We made ourselves some tea, covered ourselves in bug spray, and watched the sunset and marvelled at the reflections. And when the stars came out, they were reflected in the water as well and it was just spectacular. Some things you can’t capture on a simple digital camera. It was neat watching the colours change as evening progressed and then into the next morning as well. Where, if possible, the reflections were more intense.
I couldn’t help myself; I just kept taking pictures… There were tons of birds in the area as well, though mostly out of sight. My bird identification by sound is somewhat lacking so I can’t really say which birds we heard, but the trees were full of life! Here’s a quick video of the sounds (though I’m sure half the birds stopped when I hit ‘record’!).
Finally we got on the water and headed up the river for a mid-day hike up to the Cooloola Sandpatch.
It was huge! And had gorgeous views of the area..
We were just as impressed with the reflections when we got back to the water. Anyway, we headed back to the campsite and enjoyed another sunset.
By the time we packed up camp, the rain had slowed down to just a little drizzle. Undeterred by weather, we continued with our plan and paddled up Kin Kin Creek some, before heading back to the lake and the end of our trip.
It was SO great to be out on the water and camping. A break from the East Coast travel, craziness, tours, parties and hostels. Noosa is a small town that is easily missed by many, but the Noosa Everglades and a paddle with Kanu Kapers shouldn’t be missed by anyone! Do this for something different -AND for great pictures.
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