It's a beautiful day in the Paddle-hood :)

G'day to my friends and family back home :)

With the end of the wet season coming near, it's getting easier to find days like these to get out and explore some more of Oz. Today was a wondrous day with only spotty showers, so this morning I headed out to Lake Placid for a paddle. It's a nearby lake that is a small outshoot of the Baron River that the salt water crocs rarely venture into and is constantly surveyed by the park service so it's nothing like Hollywood's Lake Placid ;) Folks swim and paddle in there all the time and it's a must-do when you come to visit because there's nothing like seeing Oz from the water.

And armed with my camera in my brand new dry bag, here are some pics of today's little adventure. The first pic, obviuosly, is my yellow kayak resting on tote wheels; it's whole lot easier than hauling a 25kg boat for a few hundred yard walk to the launch and you pull it along like a little red wagon with all your gear stowed onboard. I also have an orange kayak that fits easily on top for the haul down to a paddle with a visiting friend or family... hint - hint ;)

Pics 2 - 4 are of the scenery as I paddled. As you can see, the rainforest comes right down to the edge of the lake and there's a few spots where you can paddle under the canopy... it's absolutely awe inspiring! And the last pic is of a Spectacled Monarch (or White Bellied Flycatcher) standing on a rock in the middle of the lake. I tried to get a closer picture, but it flew away, apparently inspiring a couple of more Monarch to dive bomb my boat... Doh! But if you click on any of the pics, you can enlarge it for a closer view.

The adventure continues... Love and miss you guys. Cheers, Matt