RegionX Kayak Experiences proprietor Josh Waterson noticed strange tidal behaviour at his company’s premises on the Tomaga River at Mossy Point from when he arrived at 9am to when he departed at 2.30pm the day after the disasters.

“It was absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “The tide pushed in faster than I have ever seen, then it got sucked out again 15 minutes later.

“This happened about six times, and it was still happening when we left. There was definitely something freaky going on.”

Mr Waterson thought the size of the river may have amplified the effect of the surges.

“People out at a beach or bay may not have noticed it but in a tidal river or estuary it is quite obvious,” he said.

Mr Waterson wasn’t alone in thinking something strange was happening on that Saturday.

Ted Francis, of Broulee, was camping and fishing with son James and friends about 10km up the Clyde River when he noticed something unusual around midday.

“The tide rose by about a foot and then went out again, and this happened four times in about 15 minutes,” he said.

“It was unreal. There were no boats around, and we asked each other if it might have something to do with the quake.”

Mr Francis said he had been camping at the spot for years, and had never noticed anything like it. He also said he was there on Friday and Sunday, and did not notice the same activity on either of these days.

Broulee resident Bill Nagle was surfing at the mouth of the Moruya River with about half a dozen fellow surfers at about 11.30am when they noticed the incoming tide briefly reverse itself.

“It wasn’t dramatic, just unusual,” he said.

Chris Ryan, joint-director of the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre, (which is operated by the Bureau of Meteorology and Geoscience Australia) confirmed that Japanese tsunami activity did reach Australia’s east coast.

“Following an event of this magnitude, small unusual waves and currents and abnormal tides may affect some beaches, harbours and coastal waterways for many hours and even days,” he said.

“The Bureau’s sea level network detected tsunami waves of around 30 to 40cm along Australia’s east coast.”