A beach, and I mean a real beach! Unlike so much of what we find in Queensland, well more particularly the tropical north, where the 'beaches' are nothing more than a narrow strip of sand at high tide sand and endless mudflats at low (there are some exceptions like Mission Beach, Forrest Beach and Port Douglas to name but three) Woodgate Beach is the genuine article. What a relief.....this is what we had come here for.
Given the town's proximity to the Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, this is not entirely surprising. We revelled in the opportunity to be able to ramble for kilometres along the water's edge on fine, light coloured sand.
And, as this photos shows, these fine sands and blue waters of Woodgate Beach can be clearly seen from the entrance roadway of our caravan park.
All we had to do was cross the Esplanade and toddle down this short access track
and the world was our seaside oyster! Even at high tide the view to the north
and in the opposite direction revealed a seemingly endless stretch of sandy shore. And indeed the beach does extend for a very long way, from Theodolite Creek in the north to the Burrum River to the south. That's a distance of over 15 kilometres!
As the tide drops, the resulting flat, firm sands make an ideal surface for those wishing to go for a good gallop along the shore. We took full advantage on more than one occasion.
I'll have more to say about the beach shortly, but for now let us take a quick trip north to the mouth of Theodolite Creek, a spot understandably popular with locals and tourists alike.
A good road took us north on a five minute drive out of town to the creek.
This road travels along the inland side of a strip of land on which a fortunate few with the where-with-all live in relatively isolated splendour on absolute beach front.
The mangrove flats on the other side of the road are less attractive, and we could only guess at what the mozzies must be like, but this does very little to detract from what must be an idyllic lifestyle in this area of Woodgate.
In no time flat we found ourselves in the quite large car park at the end of the road,
where those wishing to enjoy a snack or something more substantial, or make a comfort stop, are more than adequately catered for in the grounds of the adjacent picnic area.
We visited on the morning of a falling tide. As we wandered from the car park out along the edge of the creek
past the simple but entirely adequate small boat launching pad on the sand
it was clear that we were not the only ones taking advantage of this fine and sunny day. Parked up 4WD's, with their empty tinny trailers, were evidence that a few keen fisherman were already on the water.
Indeed they were, skimming over the tranquil waters of the creek en route to the mouth.
Of course the right bait is an essential requisite for good results on any fishing trip, and here the banks of the creek are manna from heaven for those wishing to pump for 'nippers' a small, shrimp like crustacean which live in holes below the surface.
One busy soul was hard at it drawing out these marvellous morsels (from a fish perspective that is) with her pump. From what I could see at a distance, two or more nippers went into her bait bucket with each attempt. As one who has pumped on more than one occasion, I can tell you this is a splendid result. Fish like whiting and bream find live nippers irresistible. Woodgate just earned itself another very large tick!
Whilst it is not a huge waterway, Theodolite Creek does flow pretty strongly under its tidal influence, and here near the car park the banks were quite steep.
We were on a mission to make our way out along the spit of sand which separates the creek from the ocean. This walking trail through the scrub proved just the shot.
A tramp of a couple of hundred metres brought us out near the end of the sandy headland where the waters of the wide expanse of the creek were now emptying steadily
across the ever shifting sand flats which are a constant feature of this creek mouth.
From the headland we could look back south along the spit where now it was the ocean waters lapping the shore.
The couple we had previously seen streaking down towards the mouth were now well set up at anchor just inside the line of breakers, protected by one of the innumerable sandbars of this waterway. This is a spot where the scene is never exactly the same from one day to the next as the tides and currents move the fine grains of sand around at their whim.
And the boaties were not the only ones plying a rod. This is an ideal area for shore based fishing for those of us who do not have the luxury of a floating angling platform.
By now the tide was really hooting out. As we made our way back to the car park along the creek side of the spit, midstream sandbars had emerged high and dry above the flow
where earlier on our arrival the surface had been unbroken.
I feel a little frustrated in that the photos do not really do full justice to the beauty and appeal of this wonderful part of the coast. I will confess to a personal bias when I comment that this is the sort of place where I could happily spend hours sitting on my fishing bucket.....on warm sunny day it would be a truism to say that a 'fish would be a bonus'.
Even the leaf litter at the edge of the picnic park provided a surprise when that ever ominous dry rustle in the undergrowth, which can bring one's senses to full alert, proved to be nothing more threatening that an inquisitive small goanna.
If the pleasures of Theodolite Creek are not enough to satisfy a need for river based activity, Woodgate Beach has more to offer, but this time in the opposite direction. A drive south
along this quite heavily wooded road for approximately 10 kms or so, leads to the tiny
holiday hamlet of Walkers Point which lies on the northern bank of the Burrum River, a stream of considerably more significance and clout than Theodolite Creek.
There are only two main roads at Walkers Point. This, on the north side, took us past a row of leafy mango trees behind which
a few modest holiday homes
rub shoulders with more substantial dwellings which are obviously more than holiday shacks.
And here was another surprise. Directly opposite this colourful residence,
the owners had been busy, very busy. We spotted the sign first
and pulled up to discover that a substantial section of the sandy scrub on this side of the road had been planted out with an array of colourful shrubs and small trees.
I did have a chat to the chap responsible (the owner of the house opposite) who told me that all the plants were actually off cuts from his main garden and that creating this tropical oasis with its meandering paths had become a hobby which had developed a life of its own! We will be interested to see how far it all extends when we make a return visit.
The road along this section of the town ends in a 'V' junction a short distance further on.
Here the visiting public can make use of the facilities on offer in the small park area
just beyond which is the real 'business end' of town, the large public boat ramp leading down to the waters of the Burrum River.
Again I was here on a falling tide, but notwithstanding that, this view looking upstream from the boat ramp shows that this is a much more significant stream than its counterpart at the northern end of Woodgate Beach.
Downstream the wooded headland to the left of the shot is actually the end of the beach which runs all the way from Woodgate township whilst on the opposite side of the river mouth
we find the town of Burrum Heads where a number of quite large yachts and other vessels were lying serenely at anchor in the sheltered waters of the local river marina.
We had visited the township of Burrum Heads several years ago when staying in nearby Hervey Bay, but the only park there which will accommodate the Ship's Cat had not been of a standard to encourage us to contemplate a longer stay.
More holiday homes line the other side.
One attracted my immediate attention, not for the building itself, but for the little green sign I spotted on the upper level.
Now here's a bloke who knows on which side his bread is buttered! I wonder if she can fillet?
Now for the other completely different aspect of the offerings of the seaside of Woodgate Beach.
The road back to from Walkers Point took us past a turn off onto this short track through the scrub
which leads to direct beach access
for those with appropriate forms of transport and, preferably, a sound knowledge of the tides if the day is not to end in tears!
Low tide here exposes broad sweeps of firm wet sand. That's right....sand not mud! Vehicle use north of the access track back towards the main township is prohibited,
but to the south it is open slather, all the way to the mouth of the Burrum River, well, just short of it actually but only because the sand on the approach is too soft.
A couple we had met at the Woodgate Club told us of a small sandy island some 10 -12 kilometres south of the beach access track, where the channel between it and the shore is an angler's paradise on a rising tide.
A significant sortie along the beach proved this to be correct. With a bucket full of live nippers from nearby Theodolite Creek (and an eye for the progress of the tide) I had visions of more marvellous days perched on my fishing bucket.....yet another reason to place Woodgate Beach firmly on our 'return list'.
And finally, whilst on the subject of the beach here at Woodgate, there remains the $64 question.....can you safely swim here?
Indeed you can.....no crocs and no stingers this far south (to date!) I had been itching for a good swim for weeks. So I took this opportunity to don my hydro-paddles and head out for a good water work-out.
By the time I had covered just short of a kilometre, I had to admit that I was seriously out of training. Damn that was hard work.....roll on Kurrimine Beach with its 20 metre pool...there is much to be done!
Of course the other $64 question.......is Woodgate Beach itself living up to expectations? You bet it is as I shall hopefully demonstrate in my next.
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