For our first boat camping experience we decided to spend a few days on the Gippsland Lakes in east Victoria. The lakes are a wonderful small boat location as there are so many places to explore that can not be seen on a larger boat.
On our first day we set up camp at the lakeside camp at Eagle Point at one of the northern most parts of the lakes system. Early the next morning we packed up our tent and gear and set off for Metung on the eastern end of the lake. Making due east we followed the silt jetties from the Mitchell River that extend nearly 7km into the lake. Apparently they are some longest in the world.
Once we reached the end of the jetties we headed south along the lakes edge until we rounded the point at the end of Metung and tied up at the public wharf for some lunch. Metung is a lovely little town that is placed on a spit that reaches into the channels that run to the eastern extent of the lake and run into the sea at Lakes Entrance.
Looking for a campsite for the night we left Metung and headed up Chainman’s Creek with a light breeze pushing us along and a ripple on the water playing music on the laps of the hull. For the most part Chainman’s Creek runs wide for a few hundred meters and is a natural marina with jetties out either side before it diminishes into a narrow creek.
Part way up the creek we found a small headland that shelved quickly to deep water. We anchored the boat between the headland and a jetty and setup camp for the night. After trying our hand at fishing for a while we cooked dinner and then turned in for the night.
The next day we set out early and stopped in at Metung for breakfast before we headed back across the lake to Eagle Point, we had realised we had left some of our gear behind and wanted to collect it before heading to Duck Arm for the next evening. Half way back the wind died completely and rowed for Paynesville to wait for some more wind. Paynesville is set at the junction between Lake Victoria and King Lake. The straight is formed between the mainland and Raymond Island.
Paynesville waterfront is very much a working port with all of development happening on a series of manmade canals on the northern side of the straight. After lunch we explored the canals on a light breeze before exiting out into Lake King to head back to Eagle Point for the night.
The next morning we when into Bairnsdale to seek out the local Parks Victoria Office to try and book a camping site for the night at one of the National Parks on the lake. Unfortunately the office did not open and we headed back to Eagle Point to get out on the water mid morning. The forecast SW breeze had built up to over 10 knots and rose to over 15 knots shortly afterwards. We were beating into the breeze and taking a bit of water over the bow so we decided to wait out the wind by heading to shore just short of Point Fullerton.
Three hours later the wind had not abated and with a bad gash in my toe from stepping on stick when landing we decided to head back to Eagle Point for the evening. The next morning the toe had become infected and we had to head home for medical treatment.
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