Grieving for losses: fire in Croajingolong National Park below Mallacoota, Victoria

We have visited the Mallacoota area on several occasions as it is so beautiful, and a place we love. It is very sad to see that the whole of the southern part of the Croajingolong National Park from Mallacoota to Point Hicks has been burnt out, and right up to the coast.

Here are diary entries and photos from our travels in this area to honour the current losses.

 We negotiated the 4WD track to Shipwreck Creek through coastal forest of tall trees with spindly trunks under-storied by Ti-tree. From Shipwreck Creek car park we walked 500 metres down a bush track to the small beach, negotiated over some rocks at the edge of the evil-smelling creek (rotting seaweed) and tramped across the beach to the track to Seal Creek. After traversing this for 200 metres through dense Ti-trees and long native grasses we turned back and enjoyed the beach, watching the waves break into a small side cove to briefly cover its rocks with frothy foam before it was sucked back into the ocean, only to be returned again by the next wave. We shared the beach with some intrepid walkers laden with large back packs and two bikini clad young ladies romping in the waves.

After returning to the Cruiser we backtracked to the turn-off to Pebbly Beach and briefly visited this not very attractive and deserted beach, clambering a little way around the headland for views of Gabo Island and the border area of the coast before returning and continuing to backtrack towards Mallacoota.

Our next stop was Secret Beach where the only indication at the car park that there was anything of interest here were the four parked 4WDs. After joining them we discovered a sign at the beginning of the walking track informing us that this was indeed Secret Beach. Descending the well formed steps took us to a beautiful beach which had been discovered by a cricket-playing contingent, two fishermen and a woman with two dogs and two small children. One small child alerted us to the presence of a large sea cave on the point as she ran and disappeared into it. We followed and explored it at leisure, dodging waves on the outside, before trudging back across the beach to sit briefly before random spots of rain sent us back up the steep steps to our vehicle to return to Mallacoota as the drops became heavier.

We travelled back out to the Princes Highway, viewing the scenery through a windscreen covered with tiny raindrops (John does not believe in turning on the wipers until it is almost impossible to see). The occasional veil of gauze-like mist added to the atmosphere. To me, this much more suits the mood of a forest than would a bright sunny day. 

On the highway we were slowed by caravans and the V-Line bus but the forests were enchanting, the rain had ceased and we soon reached the West Wingan Road which took us 34 kms down to the inlet along a relatively rough and pot-holed dirt road with sections of blue-metal gravel decorating its surface. Many of the side tracks of this road were closed with the exception of the Wingan Link Road, Cicada Track, Gale Hill Track and the Boundary Track and we only passed three other vehicles (going in the opposite direction) as we gently wound our way downwards through the forest. Nearer the inlet the ground became sandier, not surprisingly!

We arrived at the camping area, located the boat launching area on the edge of the inlet, set up and packed our kayak and paddled for 4.6 kms up the inlet and Wingan River. This was fairly wide most of the way, taking us through forest which came right down to the water’s edge and past a remnant of rainforest right near the rocks of the rapids where we could paddle no further, as the river was completely blocked by rocks where the much narrower river formed small cascades. The rocks proved to be a challenge as we negotiated the submerged ones in order to find a landing spot, but we eventually succeeded and ate our lunch on the rocks, accompanied by a lizard and watched by a small dark blue bird with a reddish-brown breast perched in a nearby tree. A little further back Jungle Creek could just be discerned emerging through the tangled growth and into the river.

On the way up we had lost one of John’s paddle blades when it became unscrewed and fell off, initially floating but then sinking before we could retrieve it. All the way fish frequently jumped out of the water, intriguing us as to what type they were. We paddled back to our starting point, once again encountering the young folk paddling a canoe near the beginning of the inlet under the watchful eye of their mother, packed our kayak away and took the 3km return walk out to the mouth of the inlet.

This took us downwards then along the edge of the inlet, following it through unspoiled native forest teeming with varieties of plants and across boardwalks that cut though thickets of Paper-barks and Coast Sword Sedge (the plants with stems like Grass-trees that we had seen yesterday). The track took us around the inlet until we crossed a tiny dune and came out on a beautiful beach.

This was still quite some distance from the mouth of the inlet so we trudged along the sand, watching the feathery waves reach out towards us and then recede and clearly seeing seals on the Skerries rocks just out from the inlet. The inlet proved to be wide and deep with swiftly flowing water which some brave souls were swimming across. All thoughts of wading its width evaporated and I took on board that this would be a very challenging section of the long walking track that follows the coast!

We sat awhile drinking in the beauty of the inlet. which was lined with orange-tinged rocks, and the long beach where forests met the sea before returning along the track to our Cruiser and driving back to Mallacoota through light rain. We crossed Wingan River much further up  the highway.

Remember: In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. Buddha