After much discussion and Google Talk conversations we
were heading to Nornalup via Albany Highway for the weekend.
The Caltex trip planner had it at 469.40 kms 5:38 Hours,
while the trip did not take as long as that it was a ball breaker.
After my place we had to make a stop in at Perth to pick up
the dingy and outboard. Then it was onto Albany Highway to
fuel up and replace the fuse for the spot lights. After that we
were on Albany Highway heading South at the grand old time
of 10pm. This saw us arrive in Nornalup just after 3am.
"Blue Holes"
The next morning (Friday) saw us stirring from our slumber
round 9am which i thought was a reasonable effort.
We headed down to Ballinger beach also known as Blue Holes.
The weather was great and the water looked very fishy. We
caught some big Salmon which were all released, the biggest
of which was caught by Mark and was around 700mm long
and would have weighed in round 4.5kgs. We also caught
some juvenile Salmon which when cooked the next night
proved to be quite tasty. The only other species that were caught
that day where small herring.
copyright Mark Allen. (Image MA)
Looking towards the river mouth.
Sunset behind the dunes.
Looking away from the Sunset.
DAY 2.
After much debate and input a decision was reached to head to the
mouth of the inlet and fish Skippy Rock, this proved to be a winner.
The dingy and 18hp outboard were just sufficient to the task of
running us out to the mouth, probably a 30-40 minute ride. With
a fast boat you could do it in 15 mins.
The water was alive! Image MA.
The water conditions a at the rock were dynamic. Over our right
shoulder we had the river mouth screaming in at what i reckoned
to be 6 knots with the tide powering back into the inlet and to our
left a big sandy bay.
In front we had an amazing looking deep blue hole that proved
to be a pot of gold.
We caught a heap of fish and all players contributed in the following;
2 0r 3 x Pink Snappers, all juvenile and were returned to the water.
9 x keeper King George Whiting a few were put back.
5 x Silver Bream (Tarwhine) some again were returned to the water.
5 x Salmon Trout. I threw one of these back cos i was sick of looking
at them.
Mark and one of the Pink Snappers. Image MA.
Jamie's nice Silver Bream that pipped mine by 10mm. Image MA
We also got a heap of Herring that were on the smaller size. Jamesy
caught an amazing looking Prickly Toadfish, Jamie caught a few reef
species (Buff Bream and Zebra Fish and some kind of Wrasse) they
all got hoiked back but added to the species count that topped 12.
Prickly Toadfish Image by MA.
Day 3 saw us cook some Brecky up, clean up and hightail it back to Perth.
All in all a great trip. If anything after that i need to get myself a
water prof camera or one that is not worth a shit load so i can take
more shots and take the camera in a boat without concern.
Images marked MA appear courtesy of The South West.
