We’ve had a family member’s kayak on loan for a while, but rarely taken it out because you know, life is mostly busy. There is always places to go, people to see, things to do, so kayaking was left on the back burner.
Finally a day arrives when we are free and the weather conditions are not right. I am too old to be paddling a kayak in gusty winds, where endurance and stamina are fundamentally necessary to get you back to shore! I don’t want the helicopter search and rescue to have to save me!
Last week, the weather was excellent.
Early morning, we loaded the kayak on the roof racks, with some difficulty and set off to Kayak on Lake Kurwongbah, in nearby Kallangur!
Lake Kurwongbah is a freshwater lake that supplies water to the Northern suburbs of Greater Brisbane. It was initially constructed to supply water to a paper mill in the 1950s.
Water skiing and paddle craft are permitted on the lake. Fishing, although restricted to paddle craft was introduced several years ago as part of the program to reduce a resident population of Tilapia, an introduced noxious pest fish that is considered detrimental to our native fisheries.
Close to the shores of the lake, the presence of Waterweed and Water Lillies meant my paddle frequently got entangled around my paddle so I wondered whether this indicated there might be a nutrient run-off issue into the lake; fertiliser perhaps from surrounding suburban areas?
Fun Fact about Lake Kurwongbah
The naming of Lake Kurwongbah was the subject of a newspaper competition in 1958. The winning entry was Kurwongbah which is the Indigenous name for Sideling Creek; Kurwongbah means “black duck”.
http://prfma.com.au/lakes/lake-kurwongbah/
Picnic Spots at Lake Kurwongbah
The area is very popular on weekends and holidays as a picnic spot. There are shelters and electric barbecues. Parking is limited within the grounds, but there are plenty of extra spots on the main roads accessing the area.
Fish Stocks at Lake Kurwongbah
Since 2008, Lake Kurwongbah has been stocked with native fish and the following species might be found there:
• Australian Bass
• Yellow Belly (Golden Perch)
• Mary River Cod
• Snub Nose Gar
• Saratoga
Redclaw yabbies have been introduced and are not native to the area and should not be re-released if caught.
I may be getting too old to hoist the kayak on the SUV roof racks but the promise of Redclaw is tempting. Red Claw are a bit like a large prawn or scampi in flavour. This makes me want to get a crab pot and see if I can snag some!
Until next time, have a wonderful week.
A Home by the Sea 
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