Thinking Maldives, thinking over water bungalow’s. Could the same be obtained with a trusty camping hammock? It was in Woollamia we decided to find out.
Staying on the Currambene river in Woollamia on Jervis Bay we enjoyed a picturesque scenery. Tide slowly rolling in upstream, water birds pecking through the mangroves and the odd fish surfacing. Soon enough we are on the water in a hired tinnie. Taking care navigating the shallow river, we follow the visible current for the deepest route. The early morning air cool on our skin.
A few kilometres downstream, a few further kilometres short of Huskisson, the mangroves extended quite a way into the river. Some large semi submerged trees dominating over the smaller mangroves who were struggling to get a foothold.
Lifting the motor we paddle into the shallows. The water crystal clear. Oyster shells, crabs and the odd darting fish in plain sight beneath the surface. We paddle to one tree and tie off one hammock end from the boat. Paddling to an adjacent tree to tie off the second hammock end. Standing in the boat made a decent launching pad to ease into the hammock.
With one paddling the boat away the other was left swinging a few feet above the water miles from civilisation in a very secluded special place among the mangroves. While mangroves may not seem to be everyone’s cup of tea, it had to be experienced to feel the uniqueness of the mangrove environment. The stillness. The filtering of light through the trees. It was magical.
While it was only an interlude in the mangroves, a future camping trip ‘over water’ is in the not too distant future for sure.
About The Author
Warren
Ever since venturing out the back gate into the bush as a kid, I've had a curiosity to escape and explore as often as I could. It's fair to say that my curiosity has continued to grow instead of fade as the years go on. It eventually came time to turn a few scribbled notes into some legible stories and travel tips for anyone with a similar curiosity as me.