Digi Dave and myself headed to Swallows Rock Reserve at Grays Point and set off n our craft (Digi Dave in his sea kayak, and me in my packraft) up the Hacking River.
It was an easy paddle up to the weir at Audley. There we turned around and paddled the short way back to Reids Flat where we got out and had lunch. While we were having lunch we noticed a sea eagle on the far side of the river. It was doing some strange flying. Looking at the photos later on, it seems that the bird was collecting sticks, probably to make a nest.
We then paddled back down the river.
On the way we looked at old wall of rocks in the river. Digi Dave had heard that it was an Aboriginal fish trap, and indeed that is a local legend, but in fact, the wall was constructed by the public works department to facilitate the passage of ferries travelling up the river to Audley. The wall was designed to keep a channel in the river navigable.
We soon arrived back at Grays Point and we set out to explore up the nearby Muddy Creek. We paddled upstream a surprisingly long way, at first through mangroves and then through bush. On the way, Digi Dave noticed s stingray sitting on the bottom. It was interesting to watch.
We paddled up to a rocky section where there is a small waterfall in the creek.
We then returned back to Grays Point. We had a look at Swallows Rock where there is a tunnel under the rock. The tide was too high to paddle through.
More photos are online on my website here.
You Sea-eagle looks to be in its first year or so. The change to full adult plumage and breeding is said to be at age 6 or 7. Presuambly what you’ve seen is play.
I’d wondered what the rock wall was.
Nice pics. Is Muddy Creek navigable at low tide?
We went up in high tide and had no trouble – but had to look for the channel in places. I think you wouldn’t get up too far in low tide.
The wall you have shown is not the aboriginal fish trap. It is located about 300m east from the pic you displayed. It is a tidal fish trap that’s visible when the tides at lower levels. Please do your research before you publish.
Thanks for your clarification on the location of the fish trap, but I do state that the wall shown is not the aboriginal fish trap, and was built to aid ferry passage up and down the river.
No such fish trap exists. Locals have convinced each other that the extremely straight and submerged wall, was of Aboriginal origin. It was constructed in the 1800s by the government to keep an area of the river accessible and free from silt.
There is no Aboriginal fish trap.
Your photo of the fish trap, is so wrong makes me wonder.
I lived within easy walking distance as a from age 11to 25.
The photo in noway resembles the fish trap.
Gary – if you read the section above the photo. I do say that it is not a fish trap – Aboriginal or otherwise. But there is a local legend that it was one.
Hi Dave
The wall is not a fish trap. Its called a Training Wall. It was built between 1883 and 1890 according to the map in document called Audley Masterplan May 2006 Page 17. So the theory of it being for the ferries is not correct as the first ferry service to Audley appears to have occurred 1908. So the hunt goes on. It may have been build to allow ships up the river to collect timber as there was a couple of saw mills in the park. One at Rieds Flat. The trustees allowed logging which they did not have approval to give permission
Thanks for that information.