Our Days in Von Donop Inlet
On Tuesday (May 7th) we went for a 10 km hike, round-trip, from our anchorage to the small village of Squirrel Cove. The town consisted of one general store, a craft store, and a restaurant that was closed for the day. Luckily we had brought our own lunch, and had a picnic on the beach. After lunch we went to the General store and bought some ice cream, which we wrapped in a jacket and backpack, and took with us to roughly half the way back before sitting on a lovely wooden bench in a sunny patch in the middle of a beautiful forest to eat our pistachio ice cream!
When we got back to our anchorage we went for a lovely paddle. It was quite low tide which exposed the very muddy areas along the shore. There were some people with their speed boat beached high and dry digging for clams. It got us thinking, and after checking to make sure there was no red-tide closures we grabbed a bucket and a shovel and went digging; yes, we have a shovel on our sailboat, doesn't everyone? :) There were so many clams! They were everywhere! We got probably 120 within half an hour. They were good sized manila clams and little neck clams. For dinner we had a feast of 52 clams, one rock crab, and leftover epic prawn pasta.
On Wednesday (May 8th), the wind was calmer than it had been, and we got an early start paddling our kayaks up the inlet to a lagoon. The entrance to the lagoon can only be passed at high tide and the tide was already a bit out by time we got there so we had to portage past the tidal river. On the other side a sea-life haven existed. Masses of star fish of all kinds, rock crabs big and small were everywhere feasting on the rock edge, and sea cucumbers were scattered everywhere. It was incredible !! In our kayaks the breeze was now on our backs and we just floated slowly along oooing and awing at our endless aquarium of life.
We found a spectacular little island covered in moss and beautiful wild flowers with tons of bumble bees. We also saw a goose on her nest of down sheltering her young with her wing and keeping a very close eye on us.
When we got back to the entrance to the lagoon the river was still raging out way, way down to the rest of the ocean far below as the tide had dropped 15 plus feet. We had a much longer portage this time.
Back at our anchorage we dug some more clams and enjoyed the summer temperatures in the sun on the foredeck of our boat. It is incredibly calm and peaceful here!!
Today (May 9th) we are having a relaxed day with cleaning and other chores. We did laundry and have it hanging to dry in the sun and gentle warm breeze. We have had swallows by our boat a few times this morning. They have been swooping right by so close that we can clearly see their cute little faces and their brilliant, sparkling green backs.
When we got back to our anchorage we went for a lovely paddle. It was quite low tide which exposed the very muddy areas along the shore. There were some people with their speed boat beached high and dry digging for clams. It got us thinking, and after checking to make sure there was no red-tide closures we grabbed a bucket and a shovel and went digging; yes, we have a shovel on our sailboat, doesn't everyone? :) There were so many clams! They were everywhere! We got probably 120 within half an hour. They were good sized manila clams and little neck clams. For dinner we had a feast of 52 clams, one rock crab, and leftover epic prawn pasta.
On Wednesday (May 8th), the wind was calmer than it had been, and we got an early start paddling our kayaks up the inlet to a lagoon. The entrance to the lagoon can only be passed at high tide and the tide was already a bit out by time we got there so we had to portage past the tidal river. On the other side a sea-life haven existed. Masses of star fish of all kinds, rock crabs big and small were everywhere feasting on the rock edge, and sea cucumbers were scattered everywhere. It was incredible !! In our kayaks the breeze was now on our backs and we just floated slowly along oooing and awing at our endless aquarium of life.
We found a spectacular little island covered in moss and beautiful wild flowers with tons of bumble bees. We also saw a goose on her nest of down sheltering her young with her wing and keeping a very close eye on us.
When we got back to the entrance to the lagoon the river was still raging out way, way down to the rest of the ocean far below as the tide had dropped 15 plus feet. We had a much longer portage this time.
Back at our anchorage we dug some more clams and enjoyed the summer temperatures in the sun on the foredeck of our boat. It is incredibly calm and peaceful here!!
Today (May 9th) we are having a relaxed day with cleaning and other chores. We did laundry and have it hanging to dry in the sun and gentle warm breeze. We have had swallows by our boat a few times this morning. They have been swooping right by so close that we can clearly see their cute little faces and their brilliant, sparkling green backs.
Our bucket of plentiful clams.
An evening feast of clams, rock crab, and prawn pasta.
Our portage up the river to the lagoon of beauty.
The small island covered in wild flowers.
And then there was the long portage back out to the inlet.
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