History Afloat: Kayaking Mangrove Creek

Join us for an historical journey exploring the mysterious Mangrove Creek. Launching from a private location along Oyster Shell Road we paddle towards Crafts Creek passing abandoned wharfs and hidden shacks gliding from the salt water towards the fresh. Enjoy the birdlife along this stretch of the Lower Hawkesbury including soaring sea eagles, fishing cormorants, white faced herons and kingfishers with morning tea at a secret location on the way. A special visit takes us to an abandoned cemetery and stories of the river folk who moved here as ex-convicts in the early 1800s. Further upstream we paddle past smaller side creeks with meanders into the lost histories of the area including Ironbark, Bedlam and Sugee Bag Creeks.

Kayaking with a local historian and outdoor guide. Hear about the layered pasts, indigenous and colonial, and how 'Hawkesbury Juice' got its name. Orientation for those new to kayaking. Returning to Oyster Shell Road in the afternoon with the outgoing tide. Double kayaks, all gear, morning tea and lunch is provided.

Our guide is experienced outdoor adventure instructor Peter Vaughan. With a background in teaching at secondary and tertiary levels Peter is particularly keen on helping others to appreciate the outdoors and develop confidence in their own abilities. His primary interests are kayaking activities on rivers, lakes and the ocean. He also enjoys abseiling, hiking and leading groups into Tanzania and Mt Kilimanjaro and is particularly enthusiastic about programs that have mixed modes of travel which engage with the history and geography of exciting, new locations.