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Paddle to Mira’s Pirate Shipyard
For 100 years (from the 1700’s to the early 1800’s) the Mira River was supposedly home to pirates. Originally loyalists or deserters of the Fortress, these settlers survived however they could. Known as Land Pirates or Wreckers, they would lore unsuspecting ships onto the coastal rocks and then row out to kill and pillage. When they were finished they would bring the ship into the Mira River to strip it of all it’s worth.
Just 2km from Mira Gut there is a small cove to your left. It has 50′ banks on either side and a dogleg to the right. Before it filled with silt, it was the perfect place to conceal a ship while it was being striped. This location, discovered in the 1980’s, is believed to be the location of Mira’s Pirate Shipyard and was later used a a mill. You will find stacked stone walls used to divert the stream and the remnants of a wooden damn. At first sight much of this looks natural but on closer inspection you can see that the piles of stone are too perfect and many of the logs stripped too clean to be placed by mother nature herself.
Your adventure starts at Mira Gut, where you can launch you chosen craft (Canoe or Kayak are your best bet due to the shallow silty shores of the Mira River). The best time to launch is about half an hour before peak high tide, this way you can ride the current in and follow it back out on your return. Bring what you need for your vessel, a map, and some snacks if you wish. The most important thing to bring is your imagination and an open mind.
As you paddle, image the pirates lining the tops of the stone outcrops, cheering as the recent “catch” is hauled down the river to the shipyard. Wood for shacks, rum, and most importantly food, would have been the greatest of the treasures. Anything else may have been sold or traded for the necessities of late 18th century life.
From the Sydney Bypass (route 125) take exit 8 toward Louisbourg. Drive about fifteen minutes until you come to a sign that directs you to Hornes Road. Turn left onto Hornes Road and continue to the end. When you reach the end, make a left and another left just before the one lane bridge. This is Bobs Lain.
Once at the Gut, you should be able to easily launch your chosen vessel. Paddle 2km up the Mira. To your left you will see an inset which makes a 90º angle with heavy silt deposits and a small silt island now with grasses growing on it; this is the marker you are looking for. Shortly after this marker you will see a small cove on your left, this cove is the entrance to the Pirate Shipyard. Paddle to the end of the cove and beach your vessel.