In truth the island is not that big and could be comfortably paddled in around two hours or so but it does have some tricky points and you do have to be aware of the tide at all times. In fact the island cannot be navigated more than a couple of hours either side of high tide due to the southeast side being completely exposed.

We had attempted to paddle around the island on a previous occasion which ended up being a total disaster mainly due to bad planning and inexperience. This time however we had planned the trip carefully.

We set off at 1:45pm just after high tide which was at 1:16pm. Joel and I were in perception kayaks and Matt was using an inflatable kayak. We stuffed pillows in front of the kayak seats for extra comfort and headed west along the Twizzle which runs along the south side of the island. We were anxious to make good time to the southwest corner as we were not sure exactly how much water there would be and if we would indeed be able to get round.

After about twenty minutes keeping a steady paddle on we could see the bar where the channel turns northwards into Kirby Creek. There was still plenty of water so as soon as we turned into Kirby Creek we stopped for a rest and to take in the beautiful location. Matt was slower as he was in the an inflatable kayak which although more comfortable due to the inflatable kayak seats did not track as well as the perception kayaks Joel and I were paddling.

Once we had rested and had a drink we began paddling up Kirby Creek. We were moving downwind and with the tide beneath us so we made good ground. Not that we were in any particular rush. The sound of our paddles lapping the water and the birds overhead was all we could hear. For me this is what kayaking is all about.

Kirby Creek is only a mile or so long so we reached the top in no time at all.  The top of the creek meets Hamford Water also known as West Water. Time permitting we had planned to cross Hamford Water into Oakley Creek which was home to a seal colony and disused explosives factory. Hamford water was quite choppy which made crossing it hard work but after five minutes hard paddling we were in Oakley Creek which was eerily calm.

Half a mile along the creek we came to a fork and decided to head left. I began to have a feeling that we were being watched and as it turned out I was right. A seal was just poking its head above the surface about twenty yards away. As we slowly paddled along the curios seal whilst keeping its distance tracked our route. 

A couple of minutes later we spotted another seal swimming close to the first one. It was much smaller so we assumed it must be the pup. Moments later a huge seals head appeared less than thirty feet in front of me. Obviously this was the Bull. It showed itself and flipped over onto its back no doubt so we could see how big he was and to let us know not to mess with him or his family!  Now when you see seals at the zoo juggling balls and catching fish that’s all very well and good but when you are facing them in their territory whilst sitting in a piece of easily overturned plastic or worse still, an easily punctured inflatable kayak, that is a completely different matter.  I do not profess to know a lot about seals and how aggressive they are but essentially what we were facing was a very agile wild dog with flippers! To be honest to say we were a tad nervous at this point would be an understatement.

We gingerly started to paddle towards a broken down jetty that was only a couple of hundred yards away. The seals watched our every move as we did theirs

We jumped out of our kayaks at the jetty where we were immediately faced with a warning sign that looked as if  it had been taken straight from an episode of ‘Scooby Doo’  It read: WARNING: You are entering a restricted area. No public right of way. For your own safety you must return the way you came. It is an offence to pass beyond this point without permission. Manufacturers and storage of explosives regulations 2005.

Not the most hospitable place to stop. Apparently this site was used in World War II for manufacturing and testing explosives. The place had an eerie feel of yesteryear about it so we only stopped long enough to stretch our legs and have a quick drink.

We quickly made our way out of Oakley Creek and back across Hamford Water in order to get back on track with our plan to go around Horsey Island. We cut across the channel and headed for a line of rusting barges opposite Stone Point. Once at the barges we crossed the Walton Channel and paddled for Stone Point. Before getting there we noticed some breaking waves hitting the beach head and thought it would be fun to get amongst the breakers. The waves pushed us towards the beach which was great but unfortunately there must have been a rip tide or some strong current where the Walton Channel and Hamford Water joins the sea.  Coupled with the outgoing tide it made for very difficult paddling conditions and as much as we were being pushed forward we were equally being dragged back.
 
The perception kayaks Joel and I were paddling were proving difficult enough but Matt was having a terrible time trying to make any progress in his inflatable kayak. Even though the shore was only a few meters in front of us and as hard as we could paddle we could not reach it.  Small whirlpools were throwing the kayaks of course and the inflatable kayak seemed to have a mind of its own. It was a worrying few minutes and of intense paddling.  We tried to paddle parallel to the shore which allowed us to edge slowly closer until we eventually landed.

Once at Stone Point where there is a lovely sandy beach it was time for a proper rest, something to eat and a chance to soak up the afternoon rays. We stayed at Stone Point for about an hour before making our way along the Walton channel which was the last stretch of our journey. We stopped periodically along the channel as we were tired and it was now early evening.  As we reached the end of the channel and turned back into the Twizzle the Sun had set and we could see the marina only a few hundred yards away.