Jamie with only one hours stand up paddling experience, and Judy on her first expedition/weekend adventure take on the Middle Creek to Pancake Creek paddle in the beautiful Eurimbula National park. Read below their chat with our guide Dan on what they though of the trip.
Interview with Judy
Intro: I first met Judy when she enquired about a SUP touring board I was selling. At that point she was paddling the cheapest inflatable board you could buy and had never done a long SUP paddle. Certainly not a multi day paddle. But when I mentioned the upcoming Pancake Creek expedition she jumped at the opportunity, as having the boat as support gave confidence of a tow if needed and meant she didn’t have to carry her gear.
Dan:So you’ve just spent 9 hours on the water since this morning, how do you feel?
Judy: I don’t think of it as 9 hours. We were out (on the water) for 9 hours but we weren’t paddling all that time (we stopped for lunch and morning tea and watched the wildlife). So I feel good.
Dan: Tell us when you started paddling boarding?
Judy: End of last year
Dan: What got you hooked on SUP?
Judy: Well wanted one for years and it was always where do I put it? How am I gonna get it around? And I just bit the bullet and bought two inflatables last year and I loved it so much that I looked everywhere, high and low for a hard board and yeah, I was lucky enough to find one second hand. So that was really good.
Dan: You’ve done a little bit of paddling before – but have you done any longer stuff like this before.
Judy: Yeah. I go out by myself because I can’t rely on anyone to want to come. I do have a friend who comes out once a week with me but most of the time what I do is go out by myself and do a good couple of hours, maybe 12 Ks, at least 10 if I can.
And um, yeah, I love that feeling of being out there by yourself. I’m quite happy doing that.
Dan: So was it like that yesterday. The feeling of being…
Judy: Yeah, actually it is lovely getting on the water and thinking you’re like the only one that’s there.
And you have that sense of peace and yeah, it’s great.
Yeah.
Just time to think.
Dan: Yeah. So the time to think and the relaxed stuff, like, why do you feel that’s so good?
Judy: Yeah. Like I just feel it’s really empowering for women.
It’s one of those things where, you know, you get to a certain age and you’ve been mothering or whatever for so long that you, you don’t necessarily take time to just get out and do the things you really love.
And my happy place is always the beach. So yeah. You know, getting on the water just made me feel so great.
And my mental health is just improved heaps. I always feel so good when I come back.
Like I’ve accomplished something awesome.
And I always see so many amazing things in nature. You know, I love seeing the rays and birds go home and look up what they are. It’s cool.
Dan: So you see much (wildlife) yesterday?
Judy: Lots of rays, and two turtles. So that was really cool cuz I haven’t seen a lot of the small rays before. Lots of birds. So that was nice.
Dan: What else has been good on this trip?
Judy: To me, it’s about pushing myself. Just that little bit outta my comfort zone.
The paddling I didn’t feel worried about at all.
It’s more just me taking myself out camping <laugh> and sleeping in the wild.
Because it’s been a lot of years since I’ve done that sort of thing.
We don’t camp. We “glamp” now and take lots of stuff now (when we go out with my family).
And really you don’t need stuff to have a good time and to relax and just chill out, you know?
And that’s what it’s about connecting with nature. Having those Zen moments. Just look at the sunset, you know? I love that.
Dan: So you’ve seen a few sunsets and goods and moments this weekend?
Judy: Yeah. and twilight last night was awesome. The colors were beautiful and the horizon was lit up pink and all kinds of colors. It was great.
Dan: Is there anything that sort of almost stopped you from coming?
Judy: Yeah. The fear of like I’m setting myself out there, group of people I’ve never met <laugh> that’s a little bit, you know, um, that’s me pushing myself out a bit too, but that’s the sort of person I am. I wanna embrace new stuff and make the most out of this life that I’ve got right now.
Dan: Did your friends must have thought it’s a bit weird going with a group of people you don’t know?
Judy: I didn’t know anyone.
Dan: So a random group of strangers got along?
Judy: Yes. Really good. Actually it’s probably better in some ways I reckon.
It was, it was great to have just some people who wanna keep going. Yeah. It’s such a relaxing thing to do, you know, you get a bit of a second wind and stuff.
Dan: What was the hardest bit yesterday?
Judy: Probably? Um, just pushing through that crosswind. Yeah. That’s hard. Like it’s intense. Yeah. But it’s by no means un-doable. Like I could have kept going. You know, I knew I’d get there.
Dan: How was like the support boat and the food and general.
Judy : Great. It was nice to know that there was a boat. You don’t really know where you’re going in these creeks, it’s not always clear. So that’s really good to have someone guide you and tell you yep. You’re on the right track and yeah. And just to have the food and stuff organized for you is great. Yeah. Yeah. Don’t have to think about that. And it’s planned. Yeah. So that was nice.
Dan: How’s the lighthouse.
Judy: Good. Met some cool people. Yeah. They had great stories. So always love people who are passionate about what they do. You know, get so much more out of a conversation with someone like that. We got more than we bargain for. We just went up there for a look. Yeah. And got this whole spiel and history, which I love history. Um, local history, you know, it’s really cool.
Dan: Any closing comments?
Judy: I really had a blast. This adventure awakens a need to go do more cool stuff, shows us what beauty is literally just down the way. All you have to do is say yes! Get out and get livin!”
Interview with Jamie
Dan: Tell us about your stand up paddle boarding experience before this trip, Jamie
Jamie: Before we went on this trip, I had gone on (just) two x one hour sessions where I hired a board out in the marina at 1770. They were both very calm days, so (my experience was) very limited until yesterday nine hours on the water <laugh>, but it was fun. And the last hour was super hard. But we could see the destination and it was really beautiful at the end.
So (this trip was) all open water. Yeah. And we were quite dispersed, so we were basically all alone, so it was pretty nice.
Dan: How was the early one start?
Jamie: I’m an early riser, so that was totally fine. Yeah. I liked it.
I liked being on the water for the sunrise. That was a highlight for sure.
I didn’t realize how early we’d had to get on the water to see the sunrise, but it worked out well.
Dan: What else was good from yesterday?
Jamie: It was all good. It was quite sociable. So it was good that we were like a tight little group, so we would always have each other’s back and then catch up to each other and then disperse a little bit. So yeah, so it was really good that we all got along lunch spot. That was a bit random then difficult to get into and get out of, but definitely enjoyed that one. I’m glad we stayed there instead of going to the comfort of the beach.
(what did I think of) Having lunch in the mangroves? Above the water in hammocks? Lunch was really good. All the food’s been really great. I’ve thought about food. I think 50% of the time I’ve been here <laugh> and what the next meal was.
So I feel like (this trip and being outdoors) it’s just been really like coming back to getting really slow and being super present, which has been really nice. So yes, it’s been really good and like taking in sunsets, sunrises, hearing the water during the night. Really good.
Dan: Why does it made more present do you think?
Jamie: I think it blocks out everything else because you you’re, it’s so remote, like you’re not going to run into many people. You just, you like immerse yourself into nature and you go back a little bit. So I like that. That’s nice. We need that. And it kind of like, I don’t know, helps with perspective, like life can be really simple and we’ve all, all we’ve had is what food exercise and company.
Dan: How’s the company and fireside chats and stuff?
Jamie: Yeah, it’s been great. Everyone’s been really cool. And cooperative, It’s been lovely, we’ve all been super pooped towards the end. So calling it early at 7:46pm last night, that time sitting around the fire and just having some chats and just really, really relaxed. So that was really nice. I can’t believe I didn’t get through my beers though <laugh>.
Dan: Because how well does the group know each other before they came?
Jamie: Well I know Jack really well. Yeah. So we’re friends. But everyone else, not really at all, like I met you once hadn’t met Judy. But yeah, I think we’ll all stay in touch.
Dan: I think an adventure like this connects people.
Jamie: Guess it forces you to yeah, I was saying to Judy earlier that doing an activity and getting outta your comfort zone, it’s like, it forces you to connect, it forces you to talk about things you wouldn’t normally talk about. Yeah. And push yourself and encourage other people. Not that we needed much encouragement yesterday. Like it was, it was just long.
Well, not hard, just long.
Dan: So and what about the location – you haven’t been here before?
Jamie: No, and because I live just out of Agnes water, I’m so glad that I got to experience this. Cause I had no idea this was all here and how beautiful it was and like it’s not close, but it’s kind of close, so I definitely will be coming back.
Dan: And has it taken much organizing to get yourself sorted to come?
Jamie: Oh no, that was very easy. I don’t have much camping supplies, but you don’t really need that much. Yeah. Like I, I brought a backpack in a tent and sleeping bag in a pillow.. That’s legit it.
Dan: What, were there any reasons you were thinking are not coming when you first started talking about it?
Jamie: Only because I didn’t have gear, not because of anything else..
Dan: What attracted you to it?
Jamie: The standup paddle boarding. Yeah. I really like it and I think it’s something I want to invest more time into in the future. Yeah.
Dan: Why do you like that as a way of traveling?
Jamie: I find that it’s, it’s, it’s quite meditative. It’s quite relaxed. It’s you can go at your own pace except when the current hits in, then you’re just like, shit. I don’t know what way I’m going. But most of the time it’s enjoyable and it’s not like, like with surfing, it’s quite intense where it’s like, I feel like it’s way more relaxed and it makes me focus on the now. But I guess that could be just my experience so far as the rookies.
Dan: Beautiful. Anything else you wanted to say?
Jamie: Just to say thanks to you for organizing we wouldn’t be here without you, so thank you. And yeah, hopefully we can come on some more adventures. Cool chairs.
