Thomas Island, Reynolds Island, Herring Island, Cherry Island and Gordon Island
I would sit at my parents cottage and stare out the window at this amazing sand bar Island. It was always exposed, even at high tide, but much more during low tide. I would image just boating over there to explore the beautiful untouched sands and just hang out for the day. Little did I know that beyond that point there were 5 more islands to kayack around and explore.
We put our kayaks in at the beach in front of my parents cottage called Beach Point. We paddle to the light house, came around the left side of the light house and crossed the channel to bird Island. This is the only spot that is a little tricky if not using a sea kayak. The channel is deep and also a through way for larger fishing boats to come in and out of Murray harbour. Its about a 5 min paddle and can be a little rough. Once you reach the closet point on the large sand bar you are once again sheltered.
The sand bar is large and long. One side of the bar is home to hundreds of birds. Sea ducks, pipers, gulls and cormorants. When you approach from this side the birds get a little nervous and started to fly out towards our kayaks. We decided to keep moving a little further to the middle before we landed. Plus the smell from the birds was not too welcoming.
once we landed we carried our kayaks to the other side of the sand bar and put them back in the water to then further explore the other 5 islands in the harbour. This side of the Islands has extremely shallow and calm waters.
We explored for about 8 hours in total. We also had a few friends that were following us along the way. Seals often come into the shallow calm side of these islands and are really playful. I had one that was following me … he was pretty cute. There a many spots to stop and rest, get out and just relax.. do a little swimming and have a lunch. This was such a great day. I loved every minute of it.
If you are someone who owns a kayak, this is a must paddle area. I highly recommend it. The water is warm, the swimming is good in certain spots and there is a lot to see.
Rating: ***** 5 stars
Swimming – some really nice spots to stop and cool off. Shallow water… some with vegetation, some areas with really nice sandy beaches. The water was crystal clear and extremely warm.
Hiking- I did not see any groomed paths on any of the Islands to do any hiking. We stayed on the shore each time we took a break from kayaking. I did some asking around to locals to see if they new who owned them, but no one really new a solid answer. Next time we will adventure inland a little further.
Kayaking- This whole area is great for kayaking. Some places you would not be able to get close to with a motor boat whereas its just too shallow. And why use a noisy boat when you can enjoy peace and quiet. There 2 areas that I would recommend for putting your kayak into the water. Launch at Beach point and cross a short area of the channel to bird Island. Or there is a rd called Hallow rd in Murray Harbour North. This is a bit of a longer paddle to get the calmer side of the Islands. Over all this is an amazing area to explore with a kayak. It has some great sheltered areas as well as an area that is a bit more of paddle. You can also access Murray River from the harbour.
Facilities- NONE. This is all raw nature. Nothing is maintained on the Islands
Please remember to take all that you have with you.. back with you. Please do not leave any garbage of any kind on the beaches. Please also be respectful to the wildlife that lives and use these islands as breeding grounds.
Maritime beach blogger 