tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82320400985425982402024-02-07T13:59:36.662+11:00Murray River Kayak.A journal of canoe expeditions along the rivers of Australia's Murray Darling Basin using photographs, stories and information to highlight the beauty, challenges and history of these rivers and the communities they flow through. Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-40794073156806358132021-01-31T19:03:00.001+11:002021-01-31T19:03:14.823+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 49 & 50 Rest Day then Blanchetown to Walker's Flat<p> </p><h1>Day 49 & 50: 212km Walker's Flat 4th Dec 2016</h1><h2>Blanchetown Hotel - Ski Club - Expeditioners - Flood wave attenuation - Floodplain - Fisheries - Cliffs - Cockatoos - Rain - Shacks - Gorge - Travellers</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-371ac03b-7fff-9629-19ba-709e4757e228"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1359208510817186" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="45" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1Bp-_STQtmwh8VK5uxUpBltJ_0gujS_PfFHv9lXVIKU1hQV_6O5doksEEiTZCMkxp55kMDdn0-C5WD3XoDSY-giSr4XR7SL66MqgA59Z2uXDm6eWuBsf5udy8HR5H1UF1hPXTcIJ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br /><h3>Rest Day then Blanchetown to Walkers Flat</h3><div><div>Sometimes the unexpected happens. I found myself a guest at the ski club table at the Blanchetown hotel. Rob and Sally, my neighbors at the caravan park, had invited me to join their family for dinner. Rob told me that in South Australia there has only recently been limits set on how much water can be pumped from aquifers for irrigation and that the underground streams that run through the limestone beneath the farms are beginning to run dry. No wonder with so many centre pivots and few controls. Rob and Sally are from Mt Gambier. They come to the lower Murray to ski because the river is wide and it's not crowded, and because the ski club has great programs for kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>Earlier in the afternoon, I met Warren, a Murray Expeditioner from 1991 - before there were mobile phones. He would find a payphone in towns he passed through to let his wife know all was ok. He couldn't look up the weather, or use google maps... Although it was not all that long ago, much has changed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Warren gave me a hand to carry things down to the boat and at 8:30 I was off, ready for the Lock opening time. Barry, the lock master saw me coming and had the gates open by the time I was there. He said the peak was predicted to arrive in a few weeks, but that by the time the water reached Blanchetown only about 80,000 megalitres a day was expected, the rest being used by irrigation pumps, or absorbed into the flood plains. Barry was upset about the Murray cod deaths from blackwater upstream and asked why more water could not be released from the Darling (Menindee Lake) to provide a safe place for the fish to shelter in until the black water passes. We talked about investing in the health of the river. Barry told me that there is only one fisheries officer for all of the South Australian rivers. That person is expected to patrol the whole of the South Australian Murray, the Onkaparinga and the Torrens rivers.</div><div><br /></div><div>The weather was calm when I left the caravan park, but by the time I left the lock chamber it had begun to drizzle. The drizzle stayed with me. By the afternoon, it had turned into a soaking rain. I pulled out my wet weather gear and continued on, toasty warm, despite everything around me being so wet. I had looked forward to the predicted 38 deg C and strong Northerly winds. It would have been the first time I would have had a day of tailwinds in the whole trip. Neither happened. The overcast skies kept the temperature down and the wind continued gusting from the southwest - straight into my face. Waves crashed over the front deck slamming into my water bottles, my second line of defence.</div><div><br /></div><div>The cliffs downstream from Blanchetown are the biggest on the Murray and where the river runs alongside them, they have vertical faces. Big Bend is made up of two curves, one curving west and one curving east. Each runs for about 5 kilometers and both were filled with cockatoos. The cockatoos occupied small hollows and when I approached flew noisily into the air. At first I thought that they were after minerals from the cliff face, but on looking more closely, I saw that they were in pairs. They appear to be nesting in the rock rather than tree hollows. The cliffs do not have the thick sandstone layers that those upstream have, making them harder and more resistant to erosion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once the rain cleared for the last hour or so of today's eight hour paddle, the colors had a new crispness and depth. It was as though someone had hit the enhance button. When the sun broke through the clouds, it became steamy and hot. I shed my rain jacket and applied sunscreen. People began to get out into the water again. A ski boat zoomed past, followed by a traditional clinker hulled river launch. Interestingly the rear waves from the older boat went on for kilometers. I think it had something to do with the hull design.</div><div><br /></div><div>Farms and properties along the river continued to be developed as shack areas. These holiday homes are called shacks because their original purpose was as places to fish and hunt from to help city people out during the depression years. The right to maintain a 'shack' is written in law. A few original shacks remain, little more than corrugated iron bush huts, but most shacks are a far cry in both design and purpose. Newer shacks are usually 2 story, with verandas and lounges from which to enjoy the river. Many modify the bank using terraces and retaining walls. All have removed the understory vegetation and replaced it with lawn.</div><div><br /></div><div>On this section of the river, the ancient Murray Gorge, through which the current Murray flows is very narrow, little more than a kilometer. Old river beds form billabongs running parallel to the river, resulting in a rich and varied habitat for both animal and plant life, all the time contrasted by the arid hills beyond. Bends run for up to 10 kilometers and the river is wide. It doesn't take much for the wind to whip up waves to test a weary paddler.</div><div><br /></div><div>Coming into Walkers Flat I found a spot next to a German couple, Carsten and Christiana, who have been traveling the world in their expedition grade camper for 4 years. Over a few beers I told them things I thought would interest of the Murray and listened to their stories of South America, Asia, Antarctica and Australia.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow I make for Younghusband, after making time to resupply at the Walkers Creek Shop. All the time I am getting closer to the sea. Not many more days now.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-51c65e5e-7fff-7d74-7627-b39c31f8bd94"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1359208510817186" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 573px; overflow: hidden; width: 492px;"><img height="573" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pTxu9szZ5Zrmk7L3NJc-2i9FwfuBWlUWKvxnkRKvmqrbTWOQwLn7-fEsXO8_538J13P2u4pk6eHPgxTgxHN9_1tEgblFR-lxTRACcrj4XmFygud35e7GmbQL0RJnJm9Nct_fwJ-5" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="492" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-36092314446260731522021-01-31T18:47:00.001+11:002021-01-31T18:47:31.705+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 48 Morgan to Blanchetown<p> </p><h1>Day 48: 276 km Blanchetown 2nd Dec 2016</h1><h2>Apostle birds - Morgan - Houseboats - Fellow kayakers - Blackwater - Floods - Murrumbidgee River - Itldoo Station - Shacks - Crooks Landing - Halvorsen cruiser - Murray Gorges - Ecosystem dynamics - Mosaic - Ted the boat dog</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-2aaa594a-7fff-9abd-fc84-0f91983150c8"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1356092761128761" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 43px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="43" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p5MN0QgCZgL5MoQAwKkB0uVbGqDj9FzhbxkXiF6QZn5Q4iryWg9YLxM6fqxQEvQ67Y1y5nN9I77lpHTvTyUmp4x59eJ8hLUOmQvtMnIc-3dNs6VnVB6J42_8zutRdM0qKI3NnqpW" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br /><h3>Morgan to Blanchetown</h3><div><div>A big thank you to Kev who put me up for the night, laid on dinner, beers and breakfast. Kev is planning to paddle the Murray in Aug next year. He has read all the trip reports he can get his hands on. He has even seen what the trip can do to you... (Clarkies' unique finishing photo may never be upstaged)... and he's still keen to do it. Kev has a backyard full of chooks and apostle birds. There is a constant argument going on as to who’s boss. The apostle birds have adopted Kev, they come up and sit near him and eat from his hands, even though they are wild birds.</div><div><br /></div><div>Morgan is full of houseboats. The shores are busy places. Sounds of angle grinders, hammers and lawn mowers in preparation for weekend and summer holiday guests. Prime real estate is down by the waterside, with even a shed going for around 300,000. In a twist on the past, places up on the hill, built of solid stone, symbols of wealth in the paddle Steamer times era are a fraction of the price now.</div><div>I paddled out of Morgan with Rordon and Dale, two Cairns based paddlers who had come down to paddle the Murrumbidgee River from Gundagai to where it meets the Murray near Boundary Bend. They had to call off their trip at Hay because the black water and the amount of dead stock in the river had made it unpleasant and potentially unsafe for their dog Ted. Ted is a true boat dog. He sits on a mat between the front and back seat of their kayak. Their kayak is the best appointed that I have ever seen. Rordon made it himself from a kit. It is wooden, with fiberglass internal and external layers, roomy and cuts the water beautifully. We paddled the first 10 kilometers together until the appropriately named 'Itlldoo' Station, where they turned around and made their way back to Morgan. Rordon and Dale hope to continue their bidgee paddle once the high water has passed, but enjoyed sharing their memories of their full distance Murray paddle in 2014.</div><div><br /></div><div>After about 15 km, the shacks (as even the luxury riverside houses are called) finally gave way to bush. Patches of development continued around high ground, which usually still had the historical name of the property whose Landing Paddlesteamers had stopped to trade at in bygone days. Most shacks have lawn down to the water’s edge and many have sprinkler systems set up. I suspect these are to discourage campers and unwelcome boats and their passengers mooring on their property. Looking for a shady place to pull in for lunch, I eventually decided to brave having the sprinklers turned on on me and pulled into Crooks Landing at Ridgeway Station for lunch break. Above me cockatoos are nibbling the seed pods of the River Myalls. A cool breeze was blowing and I soon drifted off to sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div>There weren't as many boats to photograph today, however there were a few notables. One was a Halvorsen Cruiser, every bit the battleship in pocket format. Another was a modern version of it, with similar lines, but twice as long. There were also little gems, home built paddle steamers and 1920's excursion boats and almost every shack had a tinny.</div><div><br /></div><div>Probably the most notable thing today was that the river headed due South, with little deviation East or West. I had a 25 km/hr headwind, which kept me on my toes, but as it was not constant, was not too bad. The valley the river runs through is actually the path the ancient Murray. A much bigger river than today's Murray. Geologists have determined that the gorges it cut were 80m deep. The ancient Murray, at first held back by the uplifted land, formed a huge lake, which in spilling, found and enlarged its original path. The deep gorges formed by the ancient Murray are mostly filled with sediment from today's river, creating the gentle gradient we are familiar with in the lower part of the Murray today. At some points, the original gorge is little more than a kilometer wide. Too narrow to meander, the river moves from side to side, leaving billabongs and sand dunes parallel to the main stream. Where the river has not changed its path for thousands of years, flood plains gradually build high enough to support black box. Where it changes more frequently, it erodes these high flood plains, creating low country ideal for red gums with their requirement of frequent flooding. In this way the two habitats can be seen to be competing within the one environment. The floodplain is both building and eroding at the same time. In these narrow gorges this creates a mosaic habitat which is a stark contrast to the arid zone either side.</div><div><br /></div><div>I reached Blanchetown just after 5pm, half an hour after the last passage was allowed. I could almost have ducked over the barrier rope, however if my kayak had gotten stuck I could have been in real trouble. The better decision was to turn around and return to the caravan park I had seen about 1 km upstream.</div><div><br /></div><div>The manager had just settled into the pool when I found her. She gave me a nice shady spot with plenty of green grass, near the entrance. I packed my gear into duffle bags and walked it into the park, following eventually with my boat.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-54c8677d-7fff-2bf6-69ac-521eb9eae1da"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1356092761128761" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 567px; overflow: hidden; width: 491px;"><img height="567" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/caUyEy4RsW7HG6dk6JcBvcDXAmbDckURgQwUYnLd2ik8zItUDqO2lK2IH_zx4Lt2J5qQxorW00CeITGKDDNHVy0MFmpAUT4HL0T4k7e0zrGw-qBULYCKHPr6Jy0_g2r32icwF4Vs" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="491" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-67837026131004628442021-01-31T18:33:00.001+11:002021-01-31T18:33:17.970+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 47 Waikerie to Morgan<p> </p><h1>Day 47: 338 km Morgan 1st Dec 2016</h1><h2>Leaving the Murray River Queen - morning light - birds of prey - Big Toulca Flat - Woodcutters Reach - Lock 2 - Undercurrents - Bartels Landing - Floating seeds - Riverleigh Station - Tree health - Tipping points - North-West Bend - Morgan - Paddlesteamers & Wharf</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-89c2728c-7fff-b305-e14e-27b4e35da585"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1354609427943761" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 44px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="44" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/s48zRi8lPSobCgpne6zDTg6XcDEnSkgryW4L6bLQz0e_l0Ci9hCYPNs4LkXmlW1BReUcVY-aqQ6qH6H1vXeOFzF7J_sLJIa5fRYC8cPPGHQrXb0a3a2HuHY5i7_XBFqSqBh2uUab" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br /><h3>Waikerie to Morgan</h3><div><div>I left Waikerie early, before anyone else on the boat was up. The sun was up, it had risen about 5:30 and I had gotten up not long after that. Keeping breakfast simple, a couple of muesli bars, some fruit and a cup of tea, I was ready to push off at 7:30.</div><div><br /></div><div>The light was beautiful and clear. That together with the smooth surface of the water and still flow out a real spring in my step. Morning light is not as harsh as what it is during the main part of the day. The colours come out. It's when you see just how amazing the bark on red gums can be. Paddling out of town, I passed a long row of houseboats waiting for their next outing, their next passage of discovery.</div><div>Whistling Kites have been the most common bird of prey along the river this year. There never used to be so many when I was a kid, but there were more Wedge-tailed Eagles. I don't know what has changed, perhaps they benefit from having fishermen around. Once the cliffs begun, Falcons started to appear. They like to sit at the top of trees on the cliff face and swoop down on their prey, which I imagine, could be any small bird or marsupial. All the more amazing when I saw a Fairy Martin chasing a falcon. It was swooping again and again on the falcon, pecking it on the back. While the falcon tried to get away. Brave little bird.</div><div><br /></div><div>Again today they were great names like what coverage and Big Toluca Flat and Woodcutter Reach. I guess I shouldn't of been surprised when there weren't very few old trees on Woodcutters Reach.</div><div>All along the river I can hear the sounds of people raiding their pumps in preparation for the high water. Occasionally i can hear the voices of fruit pickers drifting down from amongst the orange orchards, however I can rarely see them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Approaching Lock 2, the navigation pass is open. I can see that the water is at the top of the weir. It splashes up in the air ominously. To go that way would be very dangerous. At Wentworth weir, a tinny was caught in the turbulence behind the wall. The back end went under first, filling the boat with water. Soon the whole boat disappeared, only to resurface 100m downstream. There are signs which slow you where to go to be in the safe passage. You keep right of the green triangle (when going downstream) and left of the red squares. There are some pretty big swirls for the first 200m. If you keep under power (keep paddling) you come through it without too many involuntary course changes.</div><div><br /></div><div>At Bartels Landing were two old farm houses and in front of them, an eclectic collection of boats. Both farm houses had orange groves behind them as is the old tradition in the area. A little further down stream is a vineyard. In the 1980s when the Australians discovered that there were other beverages besides beer, the Riverland wine industry boomed. It expanded till it seemed that everyone wanted to get into wine. In the late 90s and 2000 the wine industry crashed and with so many suppliers, prices plummeted. Now with quality assurance, interesting boutique wines evolving and export markets established, the wine industry is picking up again. Although there were only two houses there were about 6 boats. I love seeing people's boats, there is so much of their character that you can read in them and each boat has its own story as well. At Bartels Landing was one which looked like it had a proud history. Long and sleek, it's wooden hull looked more at home in the ocean then on the river. Seeing ocean boats is a common thing down this end of the Murray, it is so wide and deep and we're not all that far from the ocean. I now have around 360 km to go - that's a lot less than 2200 and I can feel that the end is getting near.</div><div><br /></div><div>Approaching Riversleigh Station I can see the cliffs curving away to the North. The land in between them and the current river channel is low and beginning to flood. There's a lack of trees on that flat what trees I can see seem to be dead. On the edge of the river young red gums have sprouted following the 2011 flood. This high water event is predicted to be much higher in this area so all of that low land will get a drink, indeed the water is well on its way to flooding the whole area already. It will be interesting to see how it responds in the years to come. Red gum and black box seeds are carried by water over the land from parent trees. You can pick the extent of a high water level from the line of red gum saplings at its edge. The thickness and height of the saplings and later trees gives you an indication of when that flood happened. The rule of thumb is a centimetre a year. A four centimetre thick tree germinated 4 years ago (2012), a 50 cm thick one, about 50 years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>I camped opposite Riversleigh Station in 2012, above the beach and under some study black box trees. It had been really hot that day, thunderstorms were building and I chose what I thought was a safe campsite. I had just set up camp and had a cooling swim when the thunderstorm hit. With it came wild winds. Lightning flashed continually and my little tent was buffeted in all directions. When it hit nearby, it left a strong smell of ozone in the air for a while afterwards. It was gone soon after it began. I remember a cockatoo screeching as it flew. From the noises it was making it sounded like it had scored a direct hit. The poor thing had been scared out of his wits. After the thunderstorm, the sun set over the now flooded lowland across the river, turning the sky gentle hues of pink and purple. The trees at the beach campsite, despite four years of good rain, did not look any better than they did in 2012, if anything they seem to have declined further. If trees experiencing prolonged stress reach a tipping point from which they can no longer recover, it is all the more important that we ensure that the young trees and saplings are growing to replace them - otherwise we will lose those habitats entirely.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are several more straights on the run into Morgan, those opposite cliffs had a single row of old trees as magnificent as any you'll see anywhere on the Murray. With cliffs on one side and old trees on the other, this channel had not changed for hundreds of years. In other areas there was almost a total loss of trees. Saplings thrived, forming a dense layer of green, but the older trees were all gone. I couldn't work out why.</div><div><br /></div><div>For almost all of it's journey so far, the Murray River has taken a North-Westerly course. This changes just before Morgan, where, defeated by the same uplift of land that built the Flinders Ranges, the Murray changes its course and heads South to the sea. On the river, this place is called the North-West Bend. When the current slams into these cliffs, it swirls around and even flows in the other direction. If you don't keep your eye in the water, you can be spun around.</div><div><br /></div><div>I paddled past Morgan's old Wharf, second only too Echuca's in size. There are said to be 6 wrecks in the deep water in front of it. As the railways expanded, the paddle steamer trade evaporated. Crews waited for jobs that never came, eventually abandoning their boats.</div><div><br /></div><div>At Morgan I pulled in a grassy bank. White floats tied together a rope and some small white signs pointed out that this was a kids swimming area. I sailed over and beached high enough to keep my feet dry. I met a couple who had travelled down from Cairns to paddle down the Murrumbidgee, but had given up because of Blackwater, the number of dead livestock in the river and difficult to predict currents. They had already paddled the length of the Murray in their beautiful home made boat. Their dog always travelled with them. It sat on a mat between the two cockpits, resting its head on their solar panel. We traded experiences and stories until Kev, my host for the night arrived. Kev is planning to paddle full distance in 2017. Now he had three people he could talk too about his ideas. I think he is going to have a great trip.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow I will head towards Blanchetown and the last weir on the Murray; not sure where I will camp yet.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-f83fd990-7fff-588a-504d-6da7f6875437"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1354609427943761" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 566px; overflow: hidden; width: 488px;"><img height="566" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6v-fjtQ3FYLGlwo5znOMhQkkBAr7QHRvIRJvkV7qhIbPmfBjdMhmuypJWfRbMGSCM_gxl1hY9IhtaijeUoLK1pAs1WjdpJMYyBrwYZXd5sQHD7BLqfXucp7MLxT0FO7f_jx3l5Ul" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="488" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0Morgan SA 5320, Australia-34.033333 139.666667-61.311120264565169 104.51041699999999 -6.7555457354348292 174.822917tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-44534385783032035422020-12-13T16:45:00.001+11:002021-01-31T18:12:43.305+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 46 Schultzes Landing - Waikerie<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Day 46: 382 km Waikerie 30th Nov 2016</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Utopian dreams - Irrigation - Oranges - Murray River Queen - Rain - Cliffs - Great Yarra Reach - Armstrong brothers - Newspaper Interview - Local knowledge - It's complicated</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-b9a99a13-7fff-53b4-7a24-cfdcde1e02ad"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1353208484750522" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 43px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="43" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/S6XQCbVVEBtuFSQvGKdwhFtlKcrrTkZgs3gpPB0nXpmvTAq3Hq0BfVxavamEcb_5A3Iiws4HJPj6Edz1Y6DL626_K7-dANGSXEE_QJ3UZ1IRZJig2_eG-GZryxNRjO7k4jyax1ab" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Schultzes Landing to Waikerie</h3>I woke early, packed by 7 and after a cuppa, hit the river by 7:30. I wanted to make an early start so that I could spend a good portion of day poking around Waikerie. Waikerie is a special little town, built around the tall limestone and sandstone cliffs that typify this area. Like many of the other towns in the area, it began as a communal settlement, where all produce grown and wages earned were to be shared with the all residents. Like most places who did not alter these rules, the utopian scheme failed. Those settlers that remained did however establish successful irrigation schemes. The area was famous for its oranges. The bins in the main street are testament to those times: they actually look like oranges. A large farmer's cooperative handled produce until recently, where it was brought by a commercial juice company. Now local farmers have diversified. Oranges and citrus are still grown, but so too are grapes, mangos and grain crops. The community is proud of its river and settler history. The great events of floods and droughts and peoples struggle to survive and thrive in the, at times, very harsh conditions binds these river towns like a thread. A book in the local library was titled, “Where were you when the waters broke? Recollections of the 1956 flood.” And each community has pictures of when the river ran dry and tales of how they coped. Waker was a centre of local government. Its old buildings, built from limestone still stand proud in the main street. When the local pub burnt down about 5 years ago, they reused the old stone, discovering in the process, the original ceremonial stone and a dedication to the lady that performed the opening. Now revealed, it has taken pride of place in the new building. When we keep our connections with the past, and seek to understand them, we are the richer for the experience.<br /><br />I was not sure where I would stay in Waikerie. The caravan park which I thought came down to the water’s edge was still under construction and the free camping areas were too far out of town to leave my boat safely. Lying awake last night, I found that the Murray River Queen, the first of the new fleet of paddle steamers built for the Lower Murray in the 1970’s offered accommodation. If I could leave my boat safely tethered to her, I thought this could be a good option. I had followed the Murray River Queen’s story ever since she was launched. Growing up in a river town, I took an interest in such things. In Echuca, we restored old boats. In South Australia, they were building new ones. This break with tradition was interesting. The owners were clever. They travelled to Europe and to places along the Murray and saw what worked and what didn’t. What were passengers looking for? The Murray River Queen was the answer. It struggled in the first few years, but once featured on Bill Peaches “Australia” program it was a huge commercial success. Two other passenger boats were built, the Murray Explorer and the Murray Princess, however the Queen remained passengers’ favourite (at least according to the history on the boat <img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Pue7UqUZysWK_7NTOm9Fj2dsNzbyvBkv2O9EZjAxCsOxUvKtNow_YPLObAgRLKD5IOZnBwJjCzJCIG7nBoq6mjMoKpq2WxryLAodXT-sSyUVPpxZWqSxQ-pVC89MUdg-Z92AnAB-" />;). I wanted to get into Waikerie early enough to check out the situation and, if it turned out not to be suitable, to have enough time to find an alternative further down the river.<br /><br />In contrast to the sunny days I have been experiencing for the last two weeks, today began overcast and with the threat of rain. In fact I could see it falling on the horizon. The wind was building too, and it was not long before I donned full bad weather gear. This was not as dramatic as it sounds and it meant that in the wind and rain, which actually persisted for almost three hours, I stayed nice and warm. It was one of the occasions where I was happy that my cameras were waterproof. In that regard, I did not need to worry about the rain at all. <br /><br />There were spectacular cliffs today. I was able to paddle alongside their base and hear the slap of water against their hollowed out bases, where the water has turned their solid mass into a honeycomb like structure. Great Yarra Reach ran for 12 kilometres in a westerly direction, making a slight northerly curve as it did so. It merges into Island reach, where, after a short break, the cliffs continue. Island Reach swings South into Waikerie through Cockle, then Hart Reaches, all the time accompanied by cliffs on one side. On the other are a row of the most magnificent ancient red gums that you will see anywhere on the Murray. Their twisted roots and branches like fingers caressing the air and soil. The land available for the river to meander in is quite limited. You can clearly see the high ground on both sides. In Waikerie, it is only 1km wide. This means that in times of flood, the water rises higher here than in places where it is able to spread out more. Local authorities are planning for a rise of over 3m. Towns and particularly crossings tend to be built in places where the river has a bottleneck. Bridges and ferry cables don’t have to be as long. Before either of these, it meant that stock did not have to swim as far, which meant that less would drown.<br /><br />The Murray River Queen surpassed all of my expectations. My boat is now tethered to her stern, like an obedient puppy. The rooms are excellent. There is a great cafe / bar and dinner is sounding promising. I’ve booked into their Thai restaurant, which has a good reputation and the staff are both friendly and proficient. After a shower which felt like something you would write home about (they feel novel and special when you are roughing it in the bush most nights) I set off to walk around town and get a sense of history. The barman directed me to a cliff top walk to the town lookout, so I set off. A few minutes into the walk I was stopped by a man asking “Murray River Paddle?” He was one of two Armstrong brothers I was to meet that day, first Bruce and then Ian. Bruce had been following my page. It had first caught his interest when I shared a picture of a DC3 in a paddock near Barham. He has a friend who is restoring one and has one motor functioning, but is looking for parts for the second. I promised to share the location. The Armstrongs are local farmers. They have been in Waker all their lives. “Wouldn’t live anywhere else” said Bruce. He took me on a tour of his town, including the lookout and its proud buildings. He explained how the pumps had continually been improved; first steam, then oil then a kind of gas turbine, diesel and now electric. The pumps have to be capable of pumping water over 114 feet vertically from whence it is distributed throughout the region. Bruce had been looking for me. He knew I was arriving this morning and had brought in a supply of oranges and peaches from his farm. From the lookout, he showed me how the river moved through the landscape and explained how the first settlers irrigated and farmed the old billabongs using flood water and the natural cycles. Bruce set up an interview with the local paper for the afternoon and dropped me off at the local library so that I could read up on its history.<br /><br />Relaxing after the interview with a cold Corona, I met his brother Ian and wife Josie. Ian was a walking encyclopaedia on river heights and flows over the years. He could also identify which trees were from which floods in the landscape and provide dates for when channels were cut. He remembered the 1956 floods, which he said were the fourth or fifth high river in a row. He also said that they would not have been as bad for the town had levees not been built on some of the land on the opposite bank to prevent flooding there. This story I hear up and down the river. Water has to go somewhere. If it can’t run over its natural floodplain, it will flood elsewhere. Many of these old levels still exist. Whether they were built with, or without permission, they have consequences for the whole community. Ian was able to tell me the story of individual trees. The growth rates don’t fit with published scientific reports, showing just how important local knowledge is to understand the full picture. This kind of intimate knowledge of the landscape is what I am looking forward to gathering on the second part of the PhD. It challenges and grounds my investigation, provides a bigger and more accurate picture of what is going on. Like Belinda Hansen said, it's complicated, but simple. Simple once you understand. Throughout this trip I have been amazed by how little it takes to get people talking about their river. It is so important to them, and they want people to understand, they want them to make the right decisions and so they want to share what they know.<br /><br />Sitting on the back deck of the Murray River Queen, the sun is shining. The water is now calm, reflecting the blue of the sky. On the banks the leaves are the bright green they turn when the sunlight shines through them. In the distance I can see the cliffs I will paddle past tomorrow on my way to Morgan. I am told that they are rich in fossils and am hoping to see some.<br /><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-a7474a3d-7fff-d0c8-0bfe-a73cfca2b78e"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1353208484750522" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 574px; overflow: hidden; width: 494px;"><img height="574" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/fWabBE6TCVNwbMdzxrHhIE2FNeETJ4vaiU5ek3egi_Tp_N_EOdxxvUUvTqBc5UuP_YFJXTr-YolLvQW9AxHuXVGy4RCsk8LIxtBu9lWNRMCHWOwu9mVHtBsVnEPoxPTzrma3CXfc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="494" /></span></span></a></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-65475542310786421542020-12-13T16:35:00.000+11:002020-12-13T16:35:07.985+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 45 Moorook South - Schultzes Landing<h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 45: 410 km Schultzes Landing 29th Nov 2016</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Canoe trail - Wetland tour - Weir operations - Flood pulse - Overland Hotel - Hot days Cool beer - Wigley Straight </h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-79670d9e-7fff-4d18-5535-820491d929fe"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1351700741567963" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="45" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0Zc9mm2B5rfXIr0ezxaJ7CEtyfvWFnqS4mUcRPSJyhYNp-Tcn9AgvoDZdF8q87cdjW24NMU6-A7_Uuuw_WIpEKuAyIeTauXCDbsVfq2P6ufEMZFSmLnaWKmuyXz4TJPxue_oM15T" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Moorook to Schultzes Landing.</h3>I left Moorook South early to enjoy the light and to have plenty of time to take a few detours. Like Katarapko Creek, near Loxton, this area has been developed with canoe trekkers in mind. There are allocated campsites, each with their own fireplace all along the river, and marked trails through wildlife reserves and between lakes. With the river restricted to the space carved by the ancient Murray through the landscape, billabongs and anabranches are never far away. Under the influence of the lock 3 weir pool, these are flooded. Flood runners become streams resulting in a maze of pathways through the bush. I turned into one of these near Thurk Island (just before Kingston on Murray) to explore Loch Luna Game Reserve and was immediately surprised by the speed of the current. Once I got used to hugging corners and dodging snags again, I enjoyed paddling amongst the reeds and water plants. Normally a shy bird, reed warblers were everywhere. After climbing a hill to understand the landscape, I paddled back to the Murray and continued on to Kingston.<br /><br />Whilst it was fun to paddle in the small stream, I prefer the main channel. It too is edged by reeds and there are plenty of opportunities to explore its fringing wetlands.<br /><br />Making good time now, I noticed a pontoon boat drifting in the direction of the weir. I picked up the pace thinking I could at least tie up the boat to a tree so that it did not come to grief. On coming closer I saw that it had people on board. It was a tour from Kingston which specializes in the wetlands. When I saw them they had been drifting, listening to birds. We had a chat about what I was doing before they disappeared into Loch Luna to continue their tour.<br /><br />When I arrived at the weir, the personnel were removing the walkways from the top of the weir wall using an excavator on rails. As there was not yet enough water going over the weir pass for larger vessels, the yellow barrier floats blocked boats from entering. I tried calling the lock master, but each time got a fax. Later I found out I had been calling a number in Melbourne. I had forgotten to use the South Australian area code '08'. I tied up my boat, found the lock master and entered the lock once the gates were open wide enough. Lock Master Simon wore a big hat with a cattle tag on the bream and had worked for National Parks in Alice Springs before moving to Lock 3. He told me that he had been to a conference where they learnt about the carp virus. Apparently CSIRO is still number crushing before they bring it into the country. I thought it was ready to go. Simon had spent a lot of his free time removing willows near the lock. He had reservations about using them to prevent bank collapse. "People are people, they will let them grow, rather than managing them and they'll go wild again" he said. Simon gave me his card to keep in touch. He knows a lot of people who would be useful to talk to next time I come through. The wetlands manager at Banrock Station will want to talk to you, and my wife is involved in landcare: she knows a lot of people too.<br /><br />Simon pointed out a large dead cod. It was the first he had seen. "We've seen lots of bony bream, but up until now, no cod." I said that I thought it had come from somewhere local, because I hadn't seen any for the last 5 days. After starting two weeks behind the flood pulse, I am now two weeks ahead, so it is unlikely that this fish came from those killed in the Mildura region, or further upstream. Other than the odd bony bream, I saw no other dead fish today and no sign of shrimp gathering by the edge of the river, so my guess was that it was one of the wetlands that feeds into the Murray.<br /><br />Leaving Lock 3 behind, I set off for The Overland Corner Hotel. This was something I've been looking forward to for days. My memory of the place from 2012 was of a hotel in the middle of a dusty plain, accessible only by a small track through the Lignum scrub. That year had been particularly hot. For weeks the temperature remained above 40°C. The bush looked parched and had not yet begun to recover from the millennium drought. On the water, I constantly had to pour water over myself to keep from overheating. Nearing the end of the day’s paddle, tired and thirsty, I saw the most unlikely of signs. Standing on an angle in the gray mud amongst the lignum, it said hotel 700 m. How could I refuse? I set up camp in the shade of a small bush, changed into some decent clothes and trekked through the dust not really believing that there would be anything at the end of the track. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the most comfortable and quaint looking of buildings. It's 2 foot thick walls kept the inside cool and that was where I was headed. I ordered a pint and a burger and still think of this as one of my best experiences on the river.<br /><br />The Overland Corner Hotel gets its name because it marks the spot where, in the days of steam and before the Murray's system of weird was developed, that paddle steamers could reliably take the passengers in times of drought. From this point on they had to take the coach. This was something of a come down. The passenger paddle steamers of the day had cooks, dining rooms and entertainment. They didn't bump around, you had your own room and you could watch the banks pass at a leisurely pace with a breeze coming off the river to keep you cool and you could take as much luggage as you wanted. In the evenings the captain would join you at the long dinner table on the top deck spinning river yarns and tales of characters he'd met. Stagecoaches were no comparison. For those people the Overland Hotel was the last point of comfort.<br /><br />This visit is quite different. I do not have the high temperatures. For most of my trip the temperature has been 20s and 30s and I've only had a few days with strong headwinds and bad weather. I have, however, had floods. The Highwater enabled me to canoe past the leaning hotel sign, follow the space between the lignum bushes where the track must've been and paddle right up to the levee that surrounds the Overland Hotel. Apparently I was the first person to arrive by boat this year. I don't think I'll be the last.<br /><br />After chatting with the owners and enjoying a cool beer, I moved outside to the shady garden surrounding the hotel to enjoy the massive burger they had served me. I also used the opportunity of having mobile reception to catch up with family and conduct an interview with Matt from ABC Mildura (scheduled to air at 7:10 tomorrow I think).<br /><br />Rather full, I made my way down the aptly named 'Wigley Straight (Reach)'. For the next 10 km were the most impressive cliffs. The tallest being Telegraph Cliffs. It was at this point that I heard the low growling sounds of a large engine. I'm used to the sounds of pump engines whether they be diesel or electric but this was different. In the distance I could see the Murray Princess approaching. She is the biggest paddle boat on the Murray River, taking sometimes week long cruises on the lower sections of the river. I gave her plenty of room, which was a good thing, as the wash her enormous stern wheel kicked up was a little short of amazing. It could easily sink a boat and had more in common with ocean ways than what we normally see on the river.<br /><br />With 10 hours on the river today I was glad to finally find camp. Only a short run into Waikeri tomorrow, where I will restock my food and enjoy a walk around town.<br /><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-e0def278-7fff-bed7-9a4f-cd9e1deecea1"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1351700741567963" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 572px; overflow: hidden; width: 488px;"><img height="572" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4hiK5LlGyWJKimIZWmKs0mDB3i-M7vQkck8xoz7QG7jahOj1dV8cpChXpq4KrMHl8H1ANMG47d-YZbqBC0akXqDUpTWDqSSANEfF17sZqEUEIfEmomXfvd_XdTRmUejzDjfyxRZa" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="488" /></span></span></a></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-66200999798994905782020-12-13T16:27:00.004+11:002020-12-13T16:27:35.403+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 44 Katarapko Creek (Pyap) - Moorook South<h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 44: 452 km Moorook South 28th Nov 2016</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Katarapko - Seven Mile straight - River Islands - Orchards - Vineyards - River stories</h2><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1349922348412469:0" target="_blank"><img height="61" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WpCWFY1tGoRrVyDndH_qOwnMl833Zh174RYvYGpvMMrMdyiY9vPnBypVjoWwk66FD2h2MCxQSKKaL64r9AhY9xXqdaj2mtM4N_5kiZo3gBOdsiCkGO5j8i93QHiTn6EEf6IsBcEe=w634-h61" width="634" /></a> <div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-1a2b6462-7fff-53d5-80ea-a27a7a61edc5"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 511px; overflow: hidden; width: 499px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1349922348412469:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="511" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/evWNcGU92LcW1dqPcxsga8ECB9gRa8xs6lEKuHINDNeaSqFsBtGVm4yhgJcSY0P9XLfeHhMlzJh2B7g1qyHmbmVh2pAy5d4w2AH5y1r1w2y2PWG0HZ-I2XxO5a9lPoSfOqjnlIwe" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="499" /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-13dc0ca6-7fff-fea2-7756-dbdeb310fc3f"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 617px; overflow: hidden; width: 491px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1349930351745002" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="617" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2mj1BqqV4EoPkoeMwBdS5iRGGXyadrmIZGgcAojodLBLLHaTE6cDXrSYVFrgDKxWMkbCuJPlVIcaXziQ_WItWdjLqmfS59mNYunIV1mRj95YPSX31dqYVVm4GfioGUQf3ShJsHFu" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="491" /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-c86c8488-7fff-d45f-dea0-a0255fb51760"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1350099588394745" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="45" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2AtFWLhSLuGiAxhSrsNsJDEE4laq2J4sEAMrlrQpgRelb6RIvok7NQ5gMGyfoL--bv-FUC7Ft0v0gHcEO_LpuYWF2qESLrDSc43zG5DsXl7sVCiziSJU4uDXtZtAZIKbAXezfi8v=w568-h45" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="568" /></a></span></span></span></div><br />Pyap to Moorook South.<br /><br />I was delayed in leaving my camp on Katarapko Creek (just downstream from Loxton) because I had arranged a radio interview with ABC Riverland at 9:20. When you wake at 5:30 and get up soon afterwards this seems like forever. I t did mean that I could enjoy a leisurely breakfast and was able to use up the last of my butter, which had to my surprise, lasted 4 days without refrigeration. I had kept it low in the hold and had a wet towel on top, but given the strength of the sun, I didn't expect it to last. I consciously enjoyed toasting my bread roll on my spirit burner and layering the jam on. Pure luxury, chased down by a cup of tea.<br /><br />Packed and with still an hour to go, I took a walk through the sand dunes along the track that connects the designated campsites. One of them was on a midden. You could tell from the thick layer of mussel shell fragments. Middens were everywhere here, it must have been a rich environment for the original inhabitants.<br /><br />I had underestimated the size of Katarapko Creek. Creek indeed. Whilst it looked as luscious as the narrows (where the river flows through the Barmah Forest), it was twice as wide as the Murray at Echuca. Everything is bigger down here.<br /><br />The track that ran between the campsites had been cut off for sometime, as there was no evidence of tyre tracks. However it was covered in animal tracks. As expected, kangaroo prints showed up as they hopped across the road, but there were also tracks from small marsupials, goannas, snakes and small lizards.<br /><br />I enjoyed myself that much that I had to rush back to camp to be on time for my radio interview. These interviews are important to me as not only do they share my concern about the river, but they also are preparation for the second part of my study. This trip, and in particular the photographs I am taking, set up a baseline against which to compare people's memories, experiences and photographs of what the river used to be like. The radio is a way of reaching a wide audience and the more people from all walks of life I can reach, the better.<br /><br />Keen to get going, I set off and maintained a good pace until I reached my campsite for the night at Moorook South. This included the 'Seven Mile Straight', this time thankfully without headwind. This whole area is fairly densely settled, however on the Seven Mile Straight the countryside is fairly low. Billabongs and lagoons, filled because of our proximity to Lock 3 mean that all development is up on the hills and away from the river. The names of the old stations are preserved as landing names, Pyap Hut Landing, Zeppels Landing, Klaus Landing, Shiers Landing and amusingly New Residence Landing (must have been particularly posh).<br /><br />Where the banks were close, I could see orange farms and vineyards. The trees on the banks below most were in good condition, but below some, they were all dead. These changes stopped at their property boundaries. What was going on there: salinity, poisons, fertilizer, ringbarking?<br /><br />Moorook South has a lovely grassed camping area and the shop is well known by paddlers who have appreciated its wares after a battle down the straight, be it hot chips and coffee, or iced chocolate and ice-cream (depending on the weather). I met two friendly couples, who had travelled from Adelaide to spend a few days on the river. They invited me to share a BBQ with them and told me stories from their community at the end of the river. Without everybody’s stories, we don't get the whole picture.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I will push off early. I aim to make it to the Overland Corner Hotel for lunch and a cold beer (finally). The day will take me past Lock 3, more wetlands and canoe trails, Banrock Station and more Paddlesteamers landings. History is written all over this landscape. I am enjoying attempting to read it.<br /><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-01838d66-7fff-1898-71da-031d87af8018"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1350099588394745" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 566px; overflow: hidden; width: 490px;"><img height="566" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ErmJYQr6_IDfOpCO3fPe7zQxfVWZIEBPfLU_mxVyO76zTx6UXElYtrTNPgDTulbgU7tZJ0AtOCuhgR4R8Lego3vM4YDjUOJWShebMYce0QLujPnSaJ4DXKy8WeBQBUsmmcuJO2P8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="490" /></span></span></a></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-13324945865858178712020-12-13T16:13:00.004+11:002020-12-13T16:13:45.262+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 43 Booky Cliffs - Katarapko Creek<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Day 43: 482 km Katarapko Ck, near Pyap 27th Nov 2016</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bookpurnong - Riparian zone - Layers in the cliffs - Salt evaporation basin - In search of a cold beer</h2><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-4741d67b-7fff-2691-3fe1-e7d94fe64dfe"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1348714235199947" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="45" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/b0yzAFpf6OpFyQv6fkRzkD-sOAQziE-44_1I6cezqn0g9wbJ9rqDQNNl2X6mlCa2QMJzr7bBd_NKGW9BzAJp2Wef1mUVwHvQwvbo_cfcsC4V93IObT7zpcuLDSZvHzNANcsCw5Cn" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></a></span></span></span></div><br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Booky Cliffs to Pyap.</h3>My campsite last night was on a tight corner beach opposite Bookpurnong cliffs. The upper parts of the beach, which are now flooded, have beds of reeds. Behind them, in the shallow water, are flowering groundcovers and emergent rushes which cover the ground in a mosaic-like jigsaw pattern, broken up by areas of bare sand. These shallow waters are teeming with baby fish and all sorts of water life. The reeds protect them from the current, provide shelter from predators like larger fish and birds and are also a food source. These beds, or their equivalent are missing along much of the river. In fast flowing areas where reeds have trouble establishing, snags can be used to slow the current down on the river's edge. River Myall, or Swap Willow as it is sometimes known, provides a similar habitat when the water rises, as do willows, though these are not popular on much of the river because of the way they narrow the channel.<br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-c08d34e7-7fff-cd36-fc2e-0d3baeb989a9"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1348283085243062:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 625px; overflow: hidden; width: 499px;"><img height="625" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ndMHfINQpYva3JDbqJaUVz_IS7k3yZzO-zPDH7dgJOEx9mEnAelMHTeRXDlUBp4zuQ3W5QtvStL5IE_lk7obmHW75nnnDd2ddSq1KqVLPKvnebYrAUganq7saX_MOKf8OGLS0CX7" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="499" /></span></span></a></span><br />In Renmark, I watched how willows, reeds and rushes dampened waves from passing wake boats. Barely a ripple reached the, at times, fragile riverbank edge. With the demands we put on our rivers for irrigation, water supply and recreation we need to look after its banks. Looking after the banks reduces erosion, it reduces loss of land to farmers and householders whose properties border the river, it improves the quality of the water by filtering sediment carried by the river and by reducing the amount of soil entering the river, and, it provides habitat for the animals and plants which use the river as a corridor to travel from one place to another and is part of the natural picture which makes the Murray River such an iconic Australian landscape.<br /><br />At Kaiser's Landing about halfway between Berri and Loxton, are the most beautiful cliffs. Like others in the area, its soft crumbling face tells a story of past climates. There are layers of pebbles, sand, and clay stone, each representing a different period of time. The larger the size of the stone, the stronger the current and the wetter the climate was at the time. In the middle of the rock face is a thick series of horizontal layers. These must be harder than the rest because they jut out further. In the shelter they create fairy martins like to nest. They build their nests from mouthfuls of mud and saliva, much like swallows do, except theirs have narrow turtle neck like openings. In the vertical faces beneath them, rainbow bee-eaters are nesting. They burrow into soft sediments, a round hole the only clue that they have been there. Drifting past, the cliff is alive with the calls of small birds.<br /><br />The contrast to the other side of the river couldn't be greater. Where tall gums with diverse understories stood further up river, are dead trees and seemingly empty space. Little vegetation taller than a salt bush seems to be growing. This lower part of Katarapko Island has been used by the Loxton irrigation scheme as a salt evaporation basin since the 1960's. This has resulted in all but the most salt tolerant species disappearing from this part of the National Park. When the river has high enough flow that the salt will not negatively affect downstream communities, it is used to flush the salt out of the wetlands. This must be such a time and I wonder how the wetland will react. From the dead trunks, I can tell a little of what it looked like before. However, things may not be as bad as they seem. Apparently the salt marsh is an important water bird breeding area, flushing the salt to the sea in times of high flow mimics natural processes and the salinity is not as difficult to rectify as on the land.<br /><br />I planned to camp tonight at Loxton Caravan Park and have a wander through town to get a feel for the place and learn a little more about its history, but the caravan park was underwater, except for a new area, which would have been a long drag of the boat and had no shade whatsoever. No fun when you are in a tent. I pushed on.<br /><br />On the next bend I came across a teenager and his younger sister. They had pulled into the bank at a campsite and were collecting rubbish. In a few minutes they had two bags full and put these in their tinny. Complimenting them, they told me that they lived just up the hill and just felt like tidying up because you shouldn't leave the bush like that. What great kids!<br /><br />Katarapko Creek re-enters the Murray opposite the site of the town of Pyap. Like Lyrup, Pyap was one of the communes to be established in the depression of the 1890's. Unlike Lyrup, it did not last. They had problems with the pumps, many people had an issue with working communally and the management seemed to make decisions on whims rather than after considering submissions. The town was abandoned in 1903. With no cold beer to be found in Pyap, I headed up Katarapko Creek about a kilometer, finding a lovely cool spot amongst young gums and so far is still mossie free! There are Corellas, Murray Rosellas and Grass Parrots in the trees, Crested Pigeons down by the water's edge and Honey-Eaters in the tree crowns. The presence of Magpies and Ravens shows that agricultural land is not far away. The sandy soil is covered with the same flowering ground cover as at my last site, together with pig face, saltbush and a whole swag of dry land plants. A family of Kookaburras has moved into the old gum near my camp and are beginning their chorus. They keep interrupting however as one of the young ones can do little more than squeak. Sounds like it has a very sore throat, more like a frog than a kookaburra. I guess it takes them time to develop their singing ability. Behind my camp, on the high ground, red kangaroos are feeding. I can hear Butcherbird's whistles being relayed through the forest. Taking the road that leads up there I can see lizard tracks. A Bronze Wing ground pigeon breaks cover for the safety of a distant tree, and everywhere are sugar ants with surprisingly large mounds of sand around their nests. They'll have to move camp soon. The river is rising. After a bit of a break, the evening chorus had begun. This time the frogs have joined. Like the young kookaburra, I'm not sure it's an improvement.<br /><br />Tomorrow I have time to do a little exploring of the creek, before pushing on towards Moorook.<br /><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-8e556f3d-7fff-255d-7596-dc8c74551cbe"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 538px; overflow: hidden; width: 493px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1348714235199947" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="538" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/r0EqDzGIsw3baXwQ6aq_V6IXq-hvDLfB3vEbLL2ZHitB6lmxsYbjJdzSafSKM-sZ5f10IR31VsEB2Uzs72c6Z2wBFzzhbXFeOeIuuD2dsvkM0CI8HRuWVwVKl7uecwYxcP3WtuGE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="493" /></a>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-702aa45a-7fff-7ae2-241d-93e13451f0d8"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1348743768530327:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 613px; overflow: hidden; width: 502px;"><img height="613" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/X2IOk_RL3431rMLCQXp0lyPLzDPSvKieIgA2zqOV8O48-fdhN-57lZPaF7kEM2pKlVomijCPMe-EgJ7OARQoO2I730qu67858sj0cgQYoFX1PH-W58dvFZsliTNgcEKpKI4EF19u" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="502" /></span></span></a></span>
</span></span></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-85432517867862700662020-12-13T15:33:00.006+11:002020-12-13T15:38:05.520+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 42 Renmark - Booky Cliffs<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 42: 520 km Booky Cliffs 26th Nov 2016</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Pike River Anabranch - Lake Alexandrina - Weir pools - Weekend visitors - Social experiments - Wilabalangaloo</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-205f77fd-7fff-99a2-dc50-6648639eb466"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1347657198638984" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="45" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Ur17i-RrrKklvSEvP3NSbBtSYB3GJOOSgYcUWBTAfbL-VXsZpi-C-AwLX3UdBenK40bbJAiyJjuFkVC4fU-vESEhO2Psp7InRDKxsREV61IfJRf5BhTveEVoKnvjAj1I6ID5IR63" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br />I left Renmark around 9 am. A timely departure, seeing as my caravan park neighbours had just pushed off from the bank without their starter keys, and I was able to run these over to them. They told me that they had come from Goolwa, and that by the end of the millennium drought, there was so little water in the Murray Channel that a temporary wall was built from soil to make it navigable and to keep the salt from Flooding into the river. It was a contentious topic, with both long and short term residents split on what would be best. Many wanted the sea to be allowed into the lake as it naturally used to. Others thought this would kill off already weakened species. When the drought broke in 2012, it was removed.<br /><br />Around the corner is the Renmark-Paringa suspension bridge. The road hangs from the framework above it. The lifting span is opened twice daily at set times. If craft want to go through at other times, they need to give two hours notice. A houseboat was approaching the bridge at full speed and continued to do so until approached by a tinny, who must have warned the occupants that they would not fit, because their turn was even faster. I thought I was going to see the span lift, as it was almost lifting time, however, no such luck. What did go under the bridge was a large clump of cumbungi, roots, leaves and all. I had heard that there were rafts of water plants floating, but this was the first one I had actually seen.<br /><br />All the way along today’s stretch were campsites set aside for canoes and facilities for campers in general. It is certainly something that South Australia does better than both Victoria and NSW. Some of these were underwater, but the toilet blocks (thankfully) were always set up high. My camp tonight is one of those sites set aside for fishermen and canoe tourers. Set amongst bottlebrush and black box there are enough sites to cater for around 100 people. From my camp I was able to watch the last rays of the setting sun light the cliffs in front of me. There is no-one else here - perhaps the roads are cut off - just me and a family of red kangaroos. The camp is on a peninsula, with water and cliffs on three sides. Frogs are calling from amongst the reeds and the cicadas contribute to a low buzz in the air. At this end of the Murray one weir pool merges into the next, creating a flooded landscape. Old river channels carry water once again and billabongs are permanently filled. For canoeists it means that they can criss cross through the bush in a web of canals, getting up close to bird life and other wildlife. With the high water, some of those canals have got quite a bit of current flowing through them, which might be why I haven't seen too many people out and about.<br /><br />Some of the canals are as wide as the river itself. Pike River (which runs along the base of the high ground within which the River Murray meanders), is really an anabranch. There are signs at both ends pointing to the real river. On the higher banks, campers in caravans and old buses were a common sight. It is the weekend and Murray is no longer so far from Adelaide. A dad in one boat had 6 kids with him, having the time of their lives.<br /><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-3c6584a7-7fff-de24-9d1c-7f7622203184"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 642px; overflow: hidden; width: 493px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1347254898679214:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="642" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/EWDtaJXtGHdiUQnp-Sg7g2X-Y0JxziPiCcQsGpjfsV1tsEWf277nJlAbLa9Q0Poz7gCxC-wAJG3VB1oVKWjOaQbrkuZKsYHBtEClgF5TpyHCK3h7JSvYEKcOzAFjFRXoIKRBI9K2" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="493" /></a>
</span></span></span><div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-51f67b8b-7fff-2adb-0554-a8363aedd179"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1347254898679214:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 44px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="44" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2Ejkvg57nk3mlU0dRfPI_hQfNIo558ydgyaux1OtMO6QfbWG7jFKGFpBxYGYNd7-ET-TqSmYmY0yJ63Blo9uXOQfhOwXrV4w4JS9r7irNcvvvpbjOoJa2xQzaKP4TQCVjodutFI_=w502-h44" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="502" /></span></span></a></span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />I pulled over to Lyrup for lunch and a stretch and read a bit about the town history from an information board. Lyrup was one of those communities which was founded in the depression of the 1890's when there was very little work in the cities. Many were communes, social experiments. Most did not survive the test of time, but Lyrup is one of the exceptions. They recognised earlier than other communities that a single manager was more effective at making decisions than a committee, they had more clay in their soil, which was better for farming, and they allowed outside work and money to be used instead of coupons. The information board not only lists the names of the original settlers, but also everyone who left and why. Some left because they were dissatisfied, some married and some were expelled. The names of those who stayed have become street names; there is Bollenhagen Place, Tschirpig Lane and Olson Road. Today the irrigation is still managed cooperatively and the town is proud of its history. Lyrup is an example of how irrigation existed along much of the Murray long before its system of locks and weirs were built. It is proposed in some quarters that the drought of 1912 alone was not enough to run the river dry. Pumps along the river took what was left. These events were important drivers towards national agreements, and eventually federation.<br /><br />A little further down the river is a station with just as impressive a name. ‘Wilabalangaloo’. It is registered with the National Trust. You can visit the property and walk around several kilometres of tracks along the cliff top and through the gullies that divide them. Seeking an opportunity to observe the river from a high vantage point, I found a place with enough of a sandy base for me to pull in and followed a track to the top of the cliffs. To get a little more height, someone had placed a wrought iron spiral staircase at the highest point: a stairway to heaven. Although I would really rather have stayed on the ground I edged my way up the stairs, testing each step to be sure it was solid. I did not want to test the rails too much,as they might not have passed that test and I was glad for what was still there. Seeing the Lower Murray from above highlights how different it is from the Middle and Upper Murray. The river is much wider, the bends are longer, (most are two to six kilometres long) and when the wind blows along those straight sections, or big bends, there is nothing to stop it.<br /><br />It was nice to see people enjoying the river. The last 1700 km have been pretty quiet.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-e0954f6c-7fff-7700-2fb8-e3b8208a2a69"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1347657198638984" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 536px; overflow: hidden; width: 484px;"><img height="536" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GMiiwBHFntMwBsUduMokXs2hrRi1qod4ueit78m9fqHCV9Y_G5RDDpUTN_4NOjWdu4O98VaeOAKAV4DHG1b0YasWPnDTsLqyIqsrhGopbPDRW8NnU5vRRlShEbbG_GGpDKW-Zx_P" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="484" /></span></span></a></span></div></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-11298650405434849082020-12-13T15:22:00.005+11:002020-12-13T15:25:16.028+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 40 & 41 Headings Cliffs to Renmark Nov 25<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Headings Cliffs to Renmark: 565 km</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Blackwater - Flood frequency - Water quality - Floating logs - Renmark - Classic cars</h2><div><br /></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-f0888663-7fff-bb0d-513f-7eb71661d627"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1345347295536641" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 49px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="49" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GF5n6xPNpjeXKb6fFw4UDYwEGmxsfuKoBuFIEVEZsIT9p_3F-SntZeQR-Tt6xuGGCDz8bCSxDtLW_ht-HjWkaA90WyiS2nM1cmaIvSjfhndf17YTPPkW5sult2pd8q1jgDCZl2_T" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br />For the last part of the day paddling from Custom’s House (South Australian Border) to Headings Cliffs and for the whole of today we did not see one dead fish. We also observed that even at the time we left our campsite, that there were no shrimp gathered at the side of the river. This means that the black water and the fish it has killed upstream have not yet reached Renmark. It is possible that the blackwater in the river has been diluted by flows from tributaries, like the Chowilla Creek and Rufus River (Lake Victoria) and that the worst of its effects will be avoided because of it. Time will tell. However, there is no avoiding the fish deaths. There are reports that bream have been seen dead around Mildura. There are many backwaters and places where the river flows over the land, rather than simply down the channel upstream of Mildura which will have caused locally intense blackwater, so the fish deaths are not surprising. That the bream are also dying is not a good sign, they are hardier than the cod. Today, the river had not yet exceeded its banks around Renmark, however with a 30cm rise still coming from Mildura, this should be expected in the coming week or two. The question is really, how far will the effect be transported downstream? It seems that no-one really knows.<br /><br />Tragic as it is, the fish seem to survive, or recolonise areas lost to their species following these events. Their numbers bounced back from the 2011 events. They should following this one too. Here, the habit diversity of the river is the key. Each stream, each cutting and each snag, offers survival niches. Were the Murray simply a channel, the whole population could be lost by such an event.<br /><br />We arrived early in Renmark today and did a car shuffle from Mildura, preparing for Anna’s departure tomorrow. Since there is no public transport between Renmark and Mildura anymore, I hired a car. The car was driven to the caravan park where I am staying by a fellow who is a few years older than me. He is 58 and has been in Renmark all his life. “You know”, he said, “we never used to have black water when I was younger, so what has changed?” I agreed. In my 52 years at Echuca, black water - at least on this scale, has only been a recent phenomenon. Like most locals, he could name the years that the river had flooded in his lifetime. “We had floods in 74, 75, and in the 80’s, then 92, 2011, and now, but it is only the last two floods that have created this issue. They are no higher than those earlier floods and they were around the same time of the year. The difference is flood frequency, the number of times that the river has been high enough to flow through the forest has been decreasing. Before Dartmouth Dam was built the Murray’s level changed dramatically every year, watering its banks and rebuilding its beaches. It also seemed to flood about every 5 years. when Dartmouth was built, it doubled the holding capacity of dams in the upper Murray, where 95% of the rain in the Murray Darling Catchment falls. Water which normally flooded the forests and washed away the litter was caught and kept for irrigation. Now these high rivers seem to happen only every ten. In some places, much less. Large areas of the Edwards-Wakool Forest had not flooded since 1992 (24 years ago). Because the backwater is produced locally, it is possible that some sections of the river have been skipped. That dead fish have been reported at Goolwa, but nothing in between, suggests that blackwater has formed ahead of the main flow and highlights the complexity and patchiness of these events.<br /><br />Booking into our caravan park, the ladies at reception told me that the blackwater had scared away many of their customers. “People think that we are underwater,” they said; “we’ve had lots of cancellations.” There is a lot of fear around the high river. The black water is not poisonous. It is simply dark in colour and low in oxygen. If the river was low enough to expose the beaches, I would be swimming in it - mind you, not if there were a lot of dead fish around. Though dark, the water is actually clearer than usual. I can see my paddle to a depth of around 30 cm. When boat traffic picks up at this time of the year, I can usually only see about 5cm. I filter the water to drink it using a ceramic filter designed for the muddy water holes of Africa. The filter is fine enough to take out bacteria and viruses, but not colour and taste. Most evenings I filter three to four litres of water. I drink two during the day and use two for cooking, tea and water whilst I am on land. Surprisingly, it tastes as good as usual. Most houseboat businesses have closed, citing danger from floating logs and the blackwater. This is an overreaction in my opinion. There are hardly more logs floating than in a normal year and certainly much less for houseboat hirers to avoid than when the river is full of boats, swimmers and people floating down on pool toys. The fish deaths are not pretty, but they are still novel enough, that people count them, they are not everywhere. The blackwater itself makes the river reflect the blue of the sky. Despite its unfortunate initial effect, it feeds and will kick start the whole river ecosystem. Following this event, river life will boom, because it has now been fed. Witnessing the high water is an educational and beautiful experience. Its what a river does normally, before we began disrupting its cycles. People should get to know these cycles, not avoid them.<br /><br />The paddle into Renmark was a pretty one. In the morning light, the orange and yellow colours of Renmark region’s cliffs stood out against the clear blue sky. Whistling kites hunted low over the water and between trees. Darters sat on their nests - some for the second batch of chicks already. Black swans lead us away from their young. Anna found that she could imitate their call and held quite a long conversation with one of the parents. Perhaps her call was like one of the young signets.<br /><br />Renmark has an impressive foreshore. As a river town, it depends on tourist numbers from Adelaide. River towns have suffered enough from the blue green algae of last summer. They don’t need to have fear of black water keep people away from a (now) rare high water event. If you haven’t witnessed it, get out and have a look. Tell your friends too. Its pretty special.<br /><br />In town, an event was taking place just for the locals. Renmark High School students were celebrating the end of year with a prom. Like a debutante ball, the young couple had gone to great lengths with their preparation, but unlike the deb balls I know, the street was blocked off and couples arrived in classic cars. Locals lined the streets and cheered as each couple arrived. Each car had a number. As they approached the red carpet area an announcer described the features of the car, a little of its story and who was driving it. The driver would then step out of the car, open the doors for the young ladies and then the couples would also be introduced. There was a whole array of vehicle types, from 1950’s rockabilly style coupes, Pontiacs, Cadillacs, Mustangs, Firebirds, Holden specials from every era and Falcon 500’s. The locals voted on which made the best entrance. One young fellow, in a successful effort to impress, was in a red Bathurst Torana escorted by three Harley Davidsons. What a great way to involve, develop and celebrate community!<br /><br />Visit a river town if you can. The floods are part of their story. Get out there and discover it.<div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-b8a9d7aa-7fff-fa9f-8b9d-d9ca2e6a5b7c"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 539px; overflow: hidden; width: 487px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1345347295536641" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="539" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5HeIwZmHyJZRVQIrOQn6mjgToxTRksE4B_4IzuIpneUxyrsOjnx8GqtVBTkiwoGEXM-RjKqJmgorGDEEQgLT_mR_dqZ8oFt2PdlNn9vCmmnm4paI8mPEH7jLi5BiJRdCYwBM7238" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="487" /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Day 41: 564 km Renmark - Rest Day 25th Nov 2016</h2><div><span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-283b71bd-7fff-82e4-868c-af76daafd9df"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 498px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1346169142121123:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="468" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RU7WyQ_4-lNDDBgzb1zrXbEidsRYBRpArt1slXPDrv9VWhYQyyiqaLG2ESMjCWQHZ7EWCckBiiNC20dqswkQsn4GVNbWxfT5YfB5jgy8gFpCHSx3N6-bYK7rIR9wZme_EIBICDlg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="498" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bea6d3ab-7fff-d52a-f5e5-dc80efac0623"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1346169142121123:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="45" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bkO84mMUZJEIqnfKgd_YgXq3GjpqrxhgDvGeEF59kcqDzkNEIEzvyZwhf8CH9UtOVUaI1W7niqoqBM_zRMVBJcd4oA9eTF-RcQ8dUCcG3p9gmOJtD01gS7ukmUBxDVMcai63Q87F" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span></span></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-27300236243113413612020-12-13T12:36:00.001+11:002020-12-13T15:40:39.284+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 39 Customs House - Headings Cliffs (near Renmark)<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Day 39: 595 km Heading Rd. Renmark</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Rain - Life in a tent - Natural splendour - River rising - Chowilla Woolshed - Kangaroos</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-7e997b66-7fff-b8b7-3aa2-c2df6a7fa362"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1344219678982736" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 48px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="48" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/QZ141_Ir4m5bp4UNEKFPcNtQMqE5puPPkU-C34NY7ACOED1IHiJBlJNwhVluop0Xz9Yo8K-0hG_QdCzG1LNV2fY1-OU2jpPPGflLziV8Y-dXfWoxTY1wchXaC4gk-4ARSwzDo4CZ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br /><br />It rained much of the night. It all began while we were cooking dinner. At first quite lightly, forming perfect circles on the surface of the water just beyond our boats. It was so light that we could more see the rain than hear it, but it was enough to begin taking short cuts whilst cooking dinner. Not long after we had all the ingredients in the pot, it began to rain more heavily. I suggested to Anna that she take shelter in her tent and I joined her once I had made things tidy and weather safe enough outside. With dinner on a slow burner we joked and told stories till it was ready. There is something very comfortable about a tent. Once you’re inside it is like your cocoon, your own bit of civilisation, a grown up sort of cubby house. The rain continued well into the night. In the early hours of the morning, when it stopped, the moon and the stars were so bright, the air so still that they are fixed in my memory. This is what camping in the bush is like. The night cooled off, so much so that when morning came, mist was rising and travelling in a layer above the water. Washing my face and hands in the water I could feel that it was warm. The mist continued to rise for the next hour. First it seemed to be driven downstream by the sunlight, but increasingly, as seems to happen in this part of the river, it was driven by the morning breeze.<div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-72458921-7fff-eb71-c9be-f04c51852031"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1344278645643506:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 597px; overflow: hidden; width: 494px;"><img height="597" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/j3z99ugEuVeTWZxsT4iAoOSKICyJHhcApnVeqUVt-xrK-6N7mquGowEvr5UFDmY4V7CkNv953GbZLtTPDfCOe25OIDW7jh6ySKo5wUc-9C_wZw4qazSlAmh1PQ4qN0XSvz1-nkUZ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="494" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br />There are so many birds here that I cannot put a name to them all. Perhaps because, like a big family at the dinner table, they are all trying to talk at once. The number of bird species reflects the diversity of landscapes that intersect here. Here the red gum and black box woodlands that have been part of the character of the Murray for most of its length are joined by mallee on top of the cliffs that jut into the river channel. Callitris pine grow on the steeper faces, grasslands and pasture on the gentler higher slopes and reeds form thick beds that stretch for hundreds of meters along the waterfront. We saw reed warblers singing so loudly they did not see us approaching, honeyeaters squabbling amongst the foliage, ring-neck parrots flying swiftly from tree to tree. Grass parrots investigating hollow logs, apostle birds moving as a group through the woodland. Spoonbills sat in their nests, messy imitations of the whistling kites, surprisingly close by. Young magpies practising their songs, somewhat shyly still. Nesting darters that looked like they were into their second sets of eggs. Whistling kites dived on fish swimming near the surface of the water. Herons picked at shrimps gathering near the water’s edge. More than once we were caught in eddies whilst starring into the trees and spun in the opposite direction to where we wanted to go.<br /><br />The river is still rising here, not as quickly as the 4 inches a day that some people reported around Mildura, but steadily. It is now at the top of the lower banks and smiling into the forests beyond. When it does this, you can see that the river sitting within its natural levees, is actually higher than the forest - not as extreme as in the Gunbower-Perricoota-Koondrook Forest, but still higher than the land beyond. The nearer you get to Renmark the narrower the available land the river seems to have to travel within. Cliffs and high ground begin to appear on both sides. It was these cliffs that prompted the south Australian Government in 1968 to propose that a dam be built on the Chowilla Station that would back water up, all the way to Wentworth. The dam was eventually knocked back because of the amount of good land that would be covered, the number of towns inundated and the decision to build Dartmouth Dam on the Mitta Mitta River. Had the dam been built this most beautiful part of the river would have no longer existed.<br /><br />Anna and I pulled into Chowilla Woolshed for lunch. The woolshed has group accommodation and caters for special occasions. They have pictures of wedding tables being set inside. Anna did not think this was a good idea. “You would all smell of sheep” she said. I tried to explain that they have a great atmosphere and are something completely different, which people are often looking for, however there was way she was going to get married in a shearing shed, she said. Chowilla, together with Calperum Station are part of the Bookmark Biosphere reserve. Both are functioning stations, but are run to preserve the cultural, historical and environmental heritage of the area. Rotary send school students to Calperum Station as part of a Murray Darling Basin Freshwater Research Initiative to expose secondary school students to issues along the Murray River. La Trobe University send their students there to understand the arid zone. The name ‘Bookmark Biosphere Reserve’ comes from the name of the original station in the area. Bookmark was later divided into Chowilla and Calperum. Now, they are working together to preserve our heritage, like so many other private initiatives and groups along the river. Inside the shearing shed were photos from the late 1800’s. One showed sheep being driven across a floating bridge, others showed paddles steamers loading wool. The people in the pictures looked healthy, but thin. They always wore their finest. In many of the photos they looked like they were on a picnic. They may have wished to show family how well they live in the bush, and how civilised their life is, despite the challenges. It was these challenges though, rather than the lace, that defined them. It comes through clear as day int he pictures that depict their daily life.<br /><br />At Chowilla station a creek enters the river. it was not flowing quickly, but its contribution to the river was made more obvious by its colour. It pushed a brown cloud out into the dark Murray water. These flows dilute and aerate the blackwater in the river. It may be happening more often than we give credit. We noticed today that we had not seen any fish gasping for air. For the last week we have seen a small species of fish swimming near the river’s surface, mouthing at the water’s surface. We hadn’t seen any today. Like on other days, we saw quite a few dead cod, all yellow, showing that they had died some time ago. Putting these two things together, it seems that the cod deaths are happening upstream and the fish being transported down the river. This may change in the coming weeks, but seems to be what is happening here now.</div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-33348d22-7fff-9b4a-b289-ba07c4eedf50"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1344219678982736" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 539px; overflow: hidden; width: 496px;"><img height="539" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bzwY3va6C1gGjJghFiObkwvVgb96Gp1i62obtUq71KwSUDs1fXdAINc6q2ZeyfVC8CNFhwbJ_Htm_bkW_PSKTI2krcv45jvUeqzpO3Hv1VHk7hniSxwNA6BUF34yQOkwbJkSN5TE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="496" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br />We pulled into a campsite frequented by round Australia travellers on the downstream side of Heading Cliffs, about 30km out of Renmark. Here the steep cliffs retreat inland several hundred meters, allowing a river flat to form at their base. We gathered speed and launched our kayaks up on the shore, then, finding a spot between two black box, pulled up our boats and set up camp. Endangered white breasted tree-creepers flitted around us whilst we cooked and whistling kites practised their manoeuvres on the ever changing breeze. We walked up to the top of the cliffs to see the sunset, stopping to watch some young red kangaroos on the way. From the top of the cliffs, the sun set as an orange ball. Its light bathed the valleys between us in a golden light. The birds were quiet now. There was just the light. Over the river the sky turned blue and green. The swirls caused by the current picking up some of these colours on its otherwise dark surface as it continued its journey on to the sea.<br /><br />Tomorrow we make for Renmark. It will be Anna’s last day with me. Having her with me has been a real highlight. It is not often that a father and daughter have a chance to do something like this together. When your daughter lives on the other side of the world, it is even more special. For Anna, it has been a real dose of Australia. Its wilderness, its isolation, the harshness of its environment and its gentle beauty. She has brought me within 600 km of the sea. Not long to go now.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-5d9de4f9-7fff-fe07-792d-0021f4514aa6"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 614px; overflow: hidden; width: 498px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1344225678982136:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="614" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_ah-wI2GohTHHltr57DRjrDT4QVGd_nFSNf2UMP3nxpalv6LG8iU3fw--0WanwCsbd5DSMU_vEKLZJJ3Xr-e8-586neMhp7PtrQo26aUc_dpgexJltcQWEuVyXXx4hCJnAXWh6E7" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="498" /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-eef9c1ef-7fff-3ced-7b0b-e1cf77f773bf"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1344226285648742:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 300px; overflow: hidden; width: 512px;"><img height="300" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4glaAuqT68mBmXTvnihG6X2jDNUvu0kNNFpUFuM8xurGxWp7okEm2bFcTS6lK-eNHSoxtk2ql-_T1onJ72Bw5JstBF83CtbWR4-zYS4dK-iTwdb_lOhsFRj64eQSTj-rNcMNh_YK" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="512" /></span></span></a></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-72521742253465866482020-12-13T12:29:00.002+11:002020-12-13T12:29:33.421+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 38 Kulcurna Station - Customs House<h1 style="text-align: left;">Day 38: 636 km Customs House 22nd Nov 2016</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Kulcurna - Customs House (South Australian Border)</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-138fd2cd-7fff-a649-b40a-821a7ab1df11"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1344278622310175" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 47px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="47" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/USEoczCtQqe8vU6Nn2zbQnNqQAIaihEaPYHzc5V7xi_2d629DrLY9JBUlIydaFkh6M7XTQdEvXJthWTovoNQVZ5keQCBGMVSqivk5QdbI5TR6t7Tsf1gVl4MlwwgzGMYyqyLAj-H" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br />Anna and I had a nice brekky at Kulcurna Station. No rush to get away today. With only 30 km to paddle we could take our time. Belinda Hansen, our host showed us old photographs of the area. The owner before the Higgins family had cleared all the trees and dug irrigation channels into the limestone. The cliffs too, were treeless, both on the face and at the top of the cliff. I assume they were cleared, however since the photographs were taken before weirs and dams were built on the Murray, perhaps the natural fluctuations in river height and frequent floods did not allow trees to establish along the cliff toe. <br /><br /><br />Now, with reliable water, trees have begun to colonise the water’s edge and black box are growing back on the plains where they once stood. Many are descendants of the 1956 flood.There were plenty of big floods before that according to Belinda. Not any more. Understanding how trees got to where they are puts their current condition into perspective. We can’t replicate big floods like the one that occurred in 1956, so we have to make choices. Should we try to maintain woodlands at all costs, or would grasslands, lignum, or mallee vegetation be more suitable to the area long term?Not long after we got going we passed Cal Lal police station. All that can be seen now is its old tin chimney and part of one wall. Its toilet, still standing when I went past in 2012, has fallen down. Everything has got to go sometime... even a dunny :)P. <br /><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-1656f8e5-7fff-10ed-5d4d-50562ce2af0c"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 601px; overflow: hidden; width: 491px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1342376185833752:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img height="601" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/H5_Fr_eRVOERFrZbt-BPbl3Xe2toGI3xDGk1PhtYR-6SVOCanW6yvMj2xyMeG3YD1aka-C8LkCZELe6LBAVb_M15W4HVLYoF3YwcaDjjYRfyrb1QXzT_rDgJsMp9qWwIsME571cI" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="491" /></a></span></span></span><div><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-b9295ce4-7fff-8662-019b-d0bf295e9517"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1342377315833639:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 590px; overflow: hidden; width: 490px;"><img height="590" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0k_zowfeukXHh-o-1OQccLW6DscItIZubupS5mXA31M9qjmCBoMcY21NxTCumsO-1ri1hmv-eluwwjVZTQbOtYVYW5Us4Cn2F5E0C4oNzhyUQMFVJSvlPNjjG8dptmdLvrc-ECPs" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="490" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br />A few kilometres later we paddled past Higgin’s Cutting. This is one of the cuttings which is now marked as the main river. Just before the cutting there is high ground close to the river channel. Quite a commodity in the times when paddle steamers were the main source of transport in the area. <br /><br /><br />On this high piece of land two tall palm trees can be seen. It was here that Belinda’s great grandparents, Irish immigrants, settled. With her husband often away for months working, Belinda’s great grandmother had to fend for herself. They bred them tough in those days. With less current flowing, the original channel is now beginning to silt up. Reeds grow on both sides and tree branches reach far into the channel.At 658km we found the border to South Australia, at least on the NSW side. On the Victorian side, it is 12 km later. The border is marked with a large sign mounted on a tall steel post. On the NSW side it is on top of a bank. For an unknown region it is actually in a swamp on the Victorian side. In this high river we were able to paddle up to both. Our clocks reset automatically, granting us an extra half hour (at least theoretically).<br /><br /><br />We paddled on to Customs house, the old border store and only chance to stock up on supplies in the area. It is the beginning of a canoe trail through the wetlands created by lock 7 and one of the few places that caters specifically for paddlers on the river. We set up our tents in one of the campsites down by the water’s edge and enjoyed a hearty, hot, one pot wonder, cooked up on our trangia and eaten inside Anna’s tent because it had begun to rain. There is something cosy about sitting in a tent while it is raining. They are a bit like cubby houses for grown-ups. Outside, it is dark. Birds are still singing - despite the rain. Pobblebonk frogs are in their element and there are no mossies: an almost unheard of situation on this trip. With the gentle tap of the rain on the tent fabric and darkness all around, it looks like it’ll be an early night. Two more short days on the run into Renmark. I’m hoping that tomorrow this means that we will be able to find time to explore some of the wetland canoe trails this area is famous for.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a2d3e7d-7fff-266e-eb06-7e7a7067d502"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1343550865716284" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 568px; overflow: hidden; width: 485px;"><img height="568" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cXRLGfH8cxrxLh-3nLmQzU4KXiEJc4mAmbgEl1uWNPJnclrUSukljngUZQO_n8qrte3Mt_jyLson9u4Bm0tXHmnhUsDTibhvbykyPcvfNb98cu4GbEEQnXkB7AnTZgFY4AM0ARI2" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="485" /></span></span></a></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-47715207556281148642020-12-13T12:23:00.000+11:002020-12-13T12:23:03.168+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 37: Lock 8 - Kulcurna Station<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Day 37: 666 km Kulcurna Station 21st Nov 2016</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Lock 8 - Memories - Being overtaken by a dead fish - Refuges - Erodion - Flies - Delvils Elbow</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-d39474ed-7fff-d63b-63f8-cd686b9efe14"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1342359599168744" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 47px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="47" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/OJBWUZb2ol1NHODk-qZpAZIjWYOHt1MAQJjFkUdF0QHUCJtZIc4nCgB5wyWErik2BJMe7qNIE1WU5_nrN0mHVPdQZqPIN1jiFlz8cxnoL87lTeltHJKXyTDF1l4vrIdXJLn2RtXn" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br />Lock 8 to Kulcurna Station<br /><br />It had been a warm night at our campsite at Lock 8. The sun has a lot of strength this time of the year and sleeping on the ground was like lying on a hot plate. When we were kids, before we were told to be sunsmart, we used to lie on the concrete at the town pool. It was too hot to walk over, so we would splash water on it first and then enjoy the warmth from below and above at the same time. It was easy to fall asleep, but that didn’t matter. The goal was to be brown, all over, and we thought that you had to get properly sunburnt to get a good tan. However camp was no town pool and with the fast currents and amount of dead fish, not so appetising. I haven’t been for a swim so far on this trip - which is a first.<br /><br />Today, we finally got ahead of the dead fish. The last couple of days have been shocking. We made macabre jokes about sticking flags in the bigger cod to see who made it the furthest in 24 hours: we had the speed, but the fish went 24/7. Being overtaken by a dead fish is not a point of honour. It seems that blackwater is worse at this end of the river and I wonder whether with each new input of organic matter from the forest, the levels in the river are accumulating. Upstream, blackwater was the result of water flowing through the forest and sitting in shallow sections long enough to soak up the organic matter - like a strong brew of tea. Patches were local and soon diluted by the main flow. Down here, where the river is wider and deeper, and where the river is only just beginning to break its banks and enter the floodplains on either side, the blackwater is clearly from upstream. Perhaps the levels of organic matter are more than the microorganisms can break down and so the effect is transported downstream. Belinda Hansen, manager of Kulcurna Station worries that here, the effect will be worse than in 2011. “Back then, it was all over in one slug, this looks like it is going to go on for months”.<br /><br />Back in the Middle Murray, the cod survive by finding points of aeration behind snags, especially those with fine twigs. These aerate the water through waves and ripples. They are also know to swim up tributaries, like the Campaspe and Goulburn Rivers. I thought that no such rivers existed down here, but I was wrong. Today we passed by quite stately creeks; Carr’s Creek, Mungo Creek, Rufus River (the outflow from Lake Victoria) and Sharp Point Creek: each as wide as what we would call a river in Victoria and capable of creating their own flood events following heavy rain. There is diversity here that takes time to recognise, that takes time to understand. We tend to look for blanket solutions, when the answer is more complicated than that. “Complicated, but simple”, says Belinda Hansen. Complicated, because it takes time to understand local environments. Simple, because once you do, it makes common sense. Their key is to involve locals, especially those who have built up an understanding of their area over a lifetime, or in cases, much longer.<br /><br />Every now and then the Murray of today, bumps up against its parent banks. The banks left when Australia was much wetter, our mountains kilometres higher and the river as wide as the great rivers created by the great rainforests and tallest mountains in the world today. It was kilometres wide and left banks that were 20 to 30 metres higher than today and bends that ran for 10 to 20 kilometres. Today’s river winds around inside this ancient river course, like a trickle. However, every now and then it bumps into one of these walls and, like a steady drip, erodes into it. When it does so, it reveals something of the past. Our lunch stop at the base of an enormous rise was an example. Erosion was rampant. Gullies had eaten into its face and had worked their way inland hundreds of metres, revealing multi-coloured, soft sediments. The ground was covered in saltbush and the kind of small round limestone pebbles that form in this area when rain dissolves the calcium in this ancient sea bed, growing crystals as it evaporates, much like lime does in kettles. It was hot and the kind of strong wind that heralds a change in weather, was blowing. We had a view over the dry land bordering this corridor of green, the ribbon of life that the river is to the areas it flows through. In the distance we were watched by red kangaroos, licking their forearms to cool down. On the old billabongs, dead trees stood sentinel, telling their story of the past.<br /><br />Out on the water, there are few insects to bother you. Coming ashore they lept upon us. Too hot for mosquitoes, but not for flies. Our backs were covered in them and they were determined to find things to nibble on around our faces, including around our eyes. When Anna left the bank in a flurry of splashes and arm waves, all her flies came to me. Thanks Anna! They kept with me through the three thunderstorms that followed that afternoon. They somehow found places to hide in the heavy rain that fell. Emerging to sit on my hat, like dogs on the back of a ute. These flies wanted to travel down the river. It became part of a joke between us, especially when we came together for a break and the flies would swap people.<br /><br />We passed four stations today. The first was Ned’s Corner, a former sheep station which is now run by Fund for Nature, as a wildlife reserve managed for endangered animals, which around here means not just limiting the number of cats and foxes, but also the number of kangaroos. University students from LaTrobe stay in dorm-like accommodation near the kind of big old shearing shed that is typical of the area, as part of their arid zone land management studies. We had planned to call in, but didn’t as we had word that the managers would be away on that day. You have to get supplies some time or other when you live in the bush. It seems that more and more stations are opening their doors to the public, providing an opportunity to see what life is like in this part of the country and sharing their love of the land they live in. Lake Victoria Station offers ‘Possum’s Riverboat Safaris’ as part of a ‘Murray Darling Holidays’. The homestead is set behind the ruined walls of the original limestone building and its owner, Paul Chors is an authority on local history. A little further downstream, Warrakoo Station, is impressively preserved and now run by the Mildura Aboriginal Cooperative. Perhaps because of its proximity to Devils Elbow, arguably the most impressive place on the river where the Murray erodes into its grandfather banks, creating a crumbling vertical face. Here there are clear layers of white sands and green clays. Books talk about the Parilla Sands and Blanchetown Clays. I wonder if these are them. Having the high river I was able to paddle right up close and look. I had to be careful though, as behind me I heard blocks break off and at the end of the cliffs was the most enormous whirlpool. Not far downstream of Devil’s Elbow is Kulcurna Station. If I was to choose one location as being quintessentially Australian on the Murray, it would be Kulcurna. Located at the edge of wetlands, nestled at the base of tall red cliffs, it looks out over red gum forest. This is my third time here. Something in my psyche, the image of what it is to be Australian is twigged here. It is a family home, with all its memories, and Belinda Hansen, our knowledgeable host, is its connection. I have written this post on the wired in veranda, over looking the river, listening to John Williamson’s ‘Galleries of Pink Galahs’. It almost seems written for this place.<br /><br />After walking up to the top of cliffs to find reception to send this post we will move on. We have a short day today. We can explore, but we will need to rug up, the temperature is 20 degrees lower than yesterday with rain predicted.<br /><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-b7097764-7fff-3116-75a6-4fc1dd20e702"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1342359599168744" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 573px; overflow: hidden; width: 489px;"><img height="573" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tDdzpA7F7Y9coRXwlvkfPj0LMA_bem9ZERG8kvRsLSFirU-zSbKrAlZbC4MKx1_nI7pBrYRrxrCMBceEqJwQawIsnmShZ6xGzOLrlcdrz-r9p1f4gDvpm8KPaMIed8HJkVSII9Sp" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="489" /></span></span></a></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-91582084030625761012020-12-13T12:15:00.003+11:002020-12-13T12:15:50.031+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 36: Moorna Station - Lock 8<h2 style="text-align: left;"> Lock 8 Campsite 20th Nov 2016</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Moorna Station - Ecology - Dead Cod - Heat - Lock 8 and 9 - Thunderstorms Building</h3><span id="docs-internal-guid-328d5779-7fff-ea9c-ca89-b65d3c6e5be9"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1340576489347055" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="45" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/B-9DhJBb9fa38lXBvtgwUFRYsFMYIU8lxsnvEFdliQBEdN_l5u79mW9VIB5TyYySvrdUjLnDiVuBWSnXRr1HrRA1Lv14CWpJB8OnvImpop223CLBz9DdKPhXx4ZLHDBWqltFmKpo" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span><br /><br />Over toast and a hot cuppa, Annabelle, the manager of Moorna Station, shared her views on why blackwater in the river was such an issue. She takes a holistic view. Seeing the interruption of water cycles on a range of scales, from the seasonal floods which no longer happen most years, to those driven by trees and plants by drawing water from deep down on the soil, or by being a driving force behind the building of beaches and floodplains, as red gums do on the inside of river bends. Annabel argues that salinity is the greatest threat to our environment, but one that can be overcome, if we use native plants carefully. If there had been native grasses she argues, there would not be so much black water. They would have helped decompose the leaf litter that the floods have taken into the river, reducing the sad toll the event is having on the murray cod population.<br /><br />Throughout the day, we saw many dead cod, usually quite large ones. Shrimp gathered on the side of the river for oxygen, but downstream of lock 9, many had also died. There was a thick layer of dead shrimp along the water’s edge. In this section of the Murray, the river runs from one weir pool to the next, it’s artificially high water level flooding billabongs. Though these areas are usually covered with water and so should not be a source of black water themselves, the lack of current exacerbates the condition when water which has been flowing through the firsts enters them. The situation may be quite different to the middle Murray, where I come from, because there are few flowing rivers that enter the Murray. Although on this paddle I have noticed that blackwater is patchy, that it tends to come from distinct areas and is soon diluted by the river channel, we may be seeing a cumulative effect. Every now and then the river flows through a snags which aerates it, or takes a cutting where two bends of the river near each other. These spots are lifelines for the big fish. People have told us stories of cod following the wake of their fishing boats, because the waves increase the oxygen content of the water, helping them to breathe, or hanging around snags in plain sight, when they are normally quite a shy animal. Much is assumed when it comes to working out how cod survive blackwater. The 2011 event is said to have been much worse than this one and yet the death of large cod shows that many survived. One can only hope that many find ways to survive this event also.<br /><br />The river landscape continues to be a delight to paddle through. It looks wild, has thick understory shrubs in some places and grassy meadows in others. The old trees are generally recovering very well from the millennium drought - which cannot be said for many other parts of the river - and although there has been some tree fall, most of the older trees are still standing. It seems like we are coming to the front of the main rise. We are starting to see the kind of debris that floods pick up as they rise, sticks, duck weed and leaf litter. In places the river has not yet broken through its natural levees, leaving the areas behind them dry. In others the water can be seen rushing into the forests. There is another benefit to this... less mosses. At the beginning of this trip, I was paddling on a falling river. You know that your campsite is safe on a falling river, because levels are dropping, not rising, however on falling rivers, stagnant pools have had time to form and the mosquitoes are much worse.<br /><br />Mosquitoes don’t like moving water, so now, being ahead of the main flow there are way less mosquitoes. Now that is a welcome change.<br /><br />We continued to see plenty of whistling kites. There are more than when I was a kid and I wonder if there is a cooperative deal with fishermen. Their nests are large collections of sticks, high in the tallest trees. Occasionally you can see a young head looking out. No place for fear of heights - or strong winds. We saw a nankeen kestrel and a group of white breasted woodswallows huddled together on a branch of a dead tree. Ibis and spoonbills frequented the river shore. Galahs and little corollas screeched their presence to all who wanted to know and families of kookaburras used family chorus to do the same. In the heat of the day, when all else is silent, we often heard the beautiful whistling of butcher birds. Mudlarks defended their territories against all comers, whether they be marauding crows, or whistling kites who glide on the breeze. Willy wagtails flitted through the undergrowth and occasionally out over the water. Wattlebirds and honey-eaters quarrelled amongst the branches, and where the banks had broken away, we could often find rainbow bee-eaters with their soaring flight. Near older trees, swallows and fairy martins would fly out onto the water and circle us. Perhaps we stirred ups insects sitting on the water’s surface. It also seems like a greeting.<br /><br />Today was our first real hot day. It was so hot that when Anna and I took a lunch break in the shade of an old box, our paddles were too hot to hold and the deck had softened. We cooled both down with water and hope that the food did not get too warm. Next time we will find a spot for the boats in the shade. A hot day meant impromptu water fights, including sneak attacks. It meant breaking out the serious marathon hats with the side and back flaps and using a sponge to wet ourselves down all over. We invented the armpit challenge. To do this you first soaked your paddling gloves and sleeves in the water and then put them straight up in the air above your head. The water runs ‘refreshingly’ down your sleeves and top. It usually involves some deal of shrieking - but then so too did the sneak attacks. <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WQ8CzspJfcc-Gw19LsCVbe2Dpk7GiZ4tB8WDSD-AtSCa-1CngQrOPMVNnSNHoHyKqjvtC0aKLmF_kjJv43ow8etl7MhdMNtluXY3_uTulaLKsG4EJeJ14f9hjnHQlfLv6-LLaZT" />:)<br /><br />We travelled over two weirs today, lock 9 and lock 8. Lock 8 is one of the more isolated weirs on the Murray. Annabelle noted that we left a surprisingly sane impression on her, noting that this was often the case this far into this kind of journey. Paddlers are often scared of the lack of facilities in this area. There is little mobile contact possible (hence a text only entry tonight... I found a spot near an old tree where I have one bar of reception) and no chance to supply for three or four days. This is not an issue for us, we are able to filter our own water and have weeks worth of food. Tonight we have found a comfortable camp just downstream from lock 8 on a parking spot on the river road. It has shady black box and even a bench. Now that the day has cooled a little I am about to cook our evening meal on that. i have instructions from my wife Ruth to see how classy I can make this, so I am going to try... salmon on a bed of rice, with sautéed zucchini, onion, garlic and a slice of ginger, seasoned with freshly cracked pepper and murray salt (well I’m calling it that). I think we’ll let it cool before we eat it though <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DATUQt2VR0eEWrULdGHyUX4DKSteRisRl_tKIYfDwbs7aLVJNBcdq5N0p9OHu1OuG1TcpuQ_NKHhEr26rFiwCS6O3zGHjBQ1hqvdWtrszhHQnF-Lvi9RZ2vRjdShv5wznpbqoESz" />:).<br /><br />Around our campsite whistlers a red-lored whistler is proclaiming its territory. It may be hot out in the bush today, but it is still beautiful. Time to grab another wet towel and get dinner going.<div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-ab0ad794-7fff-98d0-ef43-964d9e81f10c"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1340961242641913:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 442px; overflow: hidden; width: 481px;"><img height="442" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/djIFiyriWMLdzBz8Q9_1uKorEtor0zJq_BF6-L4GTmnMeWNIwBSwcwsXDmD_298cshguUrTn3WJmOHd9sv1JoK60KqcC52Qghy3vHpmAXuG6Ts9pp_BcUwPb1ydIFTJ3hWCgA4Vc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="481" /></span></span></a></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-62457516878168285692020-12-13T12:06:00.009+11:002020-12-13T15:42:49.537+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 35: Wentworth to Moorna Station<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">784 km Moorna Station 19th Nov 2016</h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">Wentworth Weir - Quiet waters - Blue Sky - The Walsh Family - Flooded landscape</h2><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-5ec57dee-7fff-2fec-2bca-bf06cca87512"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1339261776145193" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 44px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="44" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nu2RLwVFeRJXmgv3mi5-Nq9QHDv3WhgvLSbbdKnBP0kNE6DEhOxpGEGLQbvxCWZ03jnSXXrPsm1gC88Qa2I8AzKCPUJZok6jWeBDuk-HrP3noeFP--9STPgRglm5wHXPyL9qIzB-" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div>Our day began with discussions with our neighbours about how to go through the Wentworth weir. The discussion had begun the evening before when we registered with the caravan park owners. “Don’t go through the weir”, they said, “a bloke with a tinny lost his boat there a few weeks ago: he swam to shore but his boat was sucked under and only came up a few hundred metres downstream.” Others assured us, it was little more than a ripple. We had made friends with Richard & Leigh and Paul & Marg the night before at the Royal Wentworth Hotel. Both were travelling Australia in converted buses. Richard volunteered to take us down to the weir and have a look. Paul & Marg decided to go down there and keep an eye on us. In the end, everyone went. Approaching the weir I could see quite a bit of turbulence, which concerned me, and it wasn’t until I found the navigation markers for the safe passage that I felt good about going through. We got a good speed up, just in case and slid down the small drop over the weir. It was a safe passage, as the signs suggested and having this officially marked gave us confidence for future weir crossings. As we left the weir our friends photographed and cheered. Actually, it is them that deserve the cheers. Both retired couples, over the past three days they had explored almost 100 km of creeks, rivers and billabongs in the area by kayak. Not your average retirees. Their actions motivated us to take as much time as we could to get into these backwaters during our trip today too.<br /><br />Travelling down a flooded river is an interesting experience. The river is much bigger in all ways. There is more water. it is higher, flowing through the forest wherever it gets a chance; and the currents and swirls they create are stronger too. The quietness of the river, a complete absence of traffic and even people along the banks, adds to the sense of being alone - which makes it feel bigger too. However, it is when you venture into the forest, between the trees, into the flooded billabongs and alongside the reeds that you see the true value of having a high river. When the river is high, it interacts with the landscape. Once in the forest, everything slows down. Often there is hardly any movement discernible in the water. Even air movement drops, which together with the towering gums, creates the most amazing echoes.<br /><br />In one of our breaks from the main stream, we saw a pink eared duck, in another, how the old course of the river had shaped one of the ancient sand hills. Where the river once flowed is now a billabong, but it is still as wide and majestic as the river itself. The area is peppered with these river remnants. Long after the high river recedes, these places hold water and become important breeding sites for waterbirds, turtles, frogs and all manner of creatures.<br /><br />We pulled into the Great Darling Anabranch for lunch. The Anabranch is a section where the Darling River splits in two for around 500km. When I last passed this way in 2012, it was little more than a creek. Now it looked like a major river, certainly larger than the Murrumbidgee was where it entered the Murray when I passed it a few weeks ago and with the kind of flow we expected to see in the Darling, before we found out that most of it is being retained in the Menindee Lakes to sure up the water supply of people living in and around Bourke. As we beached our boats, two goannas raced up the trees nearest to them. One of these was right in front of us. It sat there half interested in what we were doing and half concerned the whole time we had lunch. The other goanna was in a tree a bit further back. It was higher, pretending to be part of the bark: both would have been easy catches and a good feed, however we decided to stick to the contents of our tucker bags.<br /><br />The sky was beautiful today. The river appeared blue too, as its smooth, dark surface reflected the colours above. Clouds moved through, changing shape and patterns. My need to take photos every 250m prompting me to look at them. They are so often ignored. We tend to look at our level, ignoring what is going on above us. The skies can be magnificent, and not just at sunset.<br /><br />Around 4:30pm we arrived at Moorna station and waited on the porch overlooking the river for the family to return home. Moorna is a grand house, with high ceilings which hold the heat of the day at bay. From the porch there was an excellent view of the river. Moorna is set high above the water on the edge of one of the high sand dunes typical of the area. A well kept lawn bordered by rosemary and flowering plants runs down to a traditional country fence and a set of broad steps down to the river. Moorna was built before the Cobb and Co coach established its Mail run, when there were only bullock tracks and bush. How exciting must it have been to see the paddle steamers come up the river with supplies and company, and for the captains, or their guests to spend time in this outpost of western civilisation?<br /><br />Moorna is run by Annabel Walsh. Her family views themselves as custodians of the land. They pioneered the use of fences which allow wildlife to pass, but not stock and are champions of the use of native perennials on farms, especially native grasses. Annabel is one of the driving forces behind 'Stipa', the Australian native grasses association. Native grasses make farms more drought resistant, because of their deep roots and adaptations to local environments. It was plains full of native grasses that led explorer Thomas Mitchell to declare the inland 'Australia Felix'. Paddle steamers provided the means of getting wool to the ports of Melbourne and Adelaide on a scale which brought prosperity to those early settlers. Moorna heralds from those times. Since then, Moorna has handed over most of the river frontage, which runs all the way to lock 8 to National Parks. Today this riparian landscape is managed by an aboriginal cooperative. Whilst she is glad to see that long association with the land continued, the bureaucratic processes involved have led to the fences becoming run down and the native grasses they planted being eaten out by an overpopulation of kangaroos. Annabel believes that local indigenous people still have the knowledge within them to manage the land back to health, and that she could provide them with tools and strategies, but is hindered by the complicated and distanced nature of management. She says that to improve the river, you need to look after its connection with the landscape. By planting native grasses, much of the organic material which is causing the current black water event can be assimilated into the soil, their roots anchor the soil and their tufted growth slows down river currents, protecting the banks. After the recent heavy rains that led up to this high river, the Murray ran red, the colour of the sandhills. Australia needs more people like Annabel Walsh and her family, and to respect and incorporate local expertise into the way we manage our river landscapes.<br /><br />This has been one of the most diverse, resilient and impressive sections of the river so far. At low river, the beaches are river gold. Now, at high river, the focus is on the trees: no less impressive and with a longer story. The banks too, give hints about the changes that have happened in the past. The river was not always this shape, or ran where it does now. Its story is older than our habitation of this land, of anyone’s habitation, however it is what makes it all possible. For all of our sakes, it needs to be looked after.<br /><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-3d3f76a1-7fff-8e95-5bec-475cce14c72e"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1339261776145193" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 568px; overflow: hidden; width: 484px;"><img height="568" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vWcQp3dMvWd_MBcMH0VmZN9Ynp5IoZJZ_k4MG_Z-UieJByEmRl1uSYlXy1WC26umHaoJF5YIy1ydaHLtS79pvIE9fhmMTXHmfSLH-hDCrFQq3S3OmtmQP6lXfLipuYKVOnMsMUhU" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="484" /></span></span></a></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-81689273953469247782020-12-06T17:06:00.009+11:002020-12-13T15:44:52.391+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 34 Mildura to Wentworth Nov 18<h1 style="text-align: left;"></h1><br /><h1 style="text-align: left;">Mildura to Wentworth</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Anna joins me - Long meanders - Dunes - Cowanna Bend - Royal Hotel</h2><div>Today was the first day paddling with my daughter Anna. She has decided to join me for the 320 km stretch from Mildura to Renmark. Many say this is the quietest stretch of the river - at least from Wentworth down. It begins with the ancient rolling sand hills of the mallee, alternating with river flats and ends in the tall limestone cliffs of the Murray Gorge region.<br /><br />The day began with a short chat with the captain of the PS Rothbury, who brought us up to speed on navigating the Mildura Weir. “It is easy”, he said, “there isn’t one - it’s been removed”. Mildura is the only weir on the river still on rails. Torrumbarry Weir used to be like this too, until a new type was built with gates that can be raised in the 1990’s. When the river rises weirs like Mildura can be pulled out of the river and replaced once it falls again. So there was no weir drop to worry about and with the level being the same on either side of where the weir used to be, there was no need to use the lock. As we passed the downstream side of the lock, we saw a team of workmen motoring slowly through the weir garden. No doubt they were inspecting infrastructure, but it just looked like they were having a good time and didn’t want to rush to get back to the office. It was the last boat we were to see for the day. There was no-one on the water for the next 50 km.<br /><br />The biggest change between today’s river and that of the days before was the bends. Six to ten km long bends became the norm. Around Echuca, where I come from, if the river does not take a corner within a kilometre, we call that a long straight and there are legends about the winds that can blow along them and the battles we’ve had against them. Here we would be laughed at. The river runs in its ancient bed. No meanders within the meanders. This is the ancient river. How old must these banks be?<br />Around 15 kilometres downstream of Mildura we came across Mildara winery. Mildara is set at the top of a high sandstone cliff. The kind of formations built when the inland seas of 30 million years ago dried up and the sandy sediments were blown into big rolling dunes. Real mallee and gold once you put water onto it. The winery had built a solid set of steps from the top of the dune down to the foreshore where a barbecue was available for staff and visitors on the river bank. The effort put into making the steps was typical of the approach the Mildura community has put into making the river accessible to all. There are roads, picnic places, fences and a walking track which ran for at least 20 kilometres. The river charts we use suggest that this part of a whole Murray River walking trail. What a great thing that would be.<br /><br />After 26 km we came across Cowanna Bend. This place was special. Cut off by an ever more permanent river cutting, it is virtually an island and by the looks of things, one on which there is no livestock. The diversity and richness of the understory was greater than any place I’ve seen on the Murray so far. I have been used to seeing black box woodlands with either saltbush, or grass, not the intricately patterned wilderness I was seeing here. The trees seemed healthy and wild, tangles of branches and thick canopies of leaves. Beyond the face of the forest, it appeared mythical and untamed. We drifted past this semi-flooded landscape, watching soaking in. On the NSW side were the communities of Coomealla, Dareton and Tucker’s creek. Houses set on high ground, or built on man-made islands of soil - the contrast could not have been greater. There was even a golf course around which people scooted in electric cars. Were they aware of the treasure across the river from them?<br />To get to Wentworth from Victoria you have to drive over two bridges. One at Abbotsford over the Murray and another over the Darling at Wentworth itself. Abbotsford Bridge is a single lane span lift bridge, designed to let the paddle steamers through. There were gates with stop signs either side of the span, which stopped the traffic when the span was about to be lifted. Wentworth Bridge uses hydraulics to lift its central span. No other bridge on the Murray has the same mechanism. Being between two major rivers, Wentworth is prone to floods. In 1956 when flood waters came down both the Darling and the Murray the town was only saved by the efforts of its farmers and the little grey ferguson tractors. The huge levee they built still surrounds the town, protecting it from future floods. The caravan park we are staying in is outside of that levee. Its vans and cabins are gradually being moved onto higher ground to avoid the rising river.<br /><br />In the park, and later in the Royal Hotel we got to know two couples who were travelling around Australia. Both had spent the last three days kayaking on the rivers and exploring the streams and billabongs in the area. They too had explored amongst the flooded gums, seen kangaroos hopping to high ground, marvelled at the ancient trees and enjoyed the birdlife as their kayaks glid quietly through the trees.<br /><br />I think Anna particularly enjoyed this aspect of the day. She photographed many birds, even a nesting tawny frogmouth. How she saw it I do not know. For me, having company was novel and refreshing. That company being my own daughter was special.<div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1338252996246071:0" target="_blank">Link to original Facebook Post</a></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-81f90697-7fff-643f-4fdd-f14ec43cbcd9"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1338252996246071:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 329px; overflow: hidden; width: 483px;"><img height="329" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tp2DswK-i-GvD4zZJwx5q7ZDGeh8Rhqlq6cqt_yGkFT_l1oDsUoaWPrQaomqaVoe817v8pmh_3OYBIpmOrwjNALS3xfkFKdGTzh9wP5-hW56DfBdjtHQP6R_jfTyqELhoW-tnJ4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="483" /></span></span></a></span><br /><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1338252996246071:0" target="_blank">Anna photographing a tawny frogmouth in an overhanging tree</a><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6b40bf1f-7fff-033e-2a1d-df5bd79e89df"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1338245369580167:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 519px; overflow: hidden; width: 481px;"><img height="519" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jz99JmxV-hI25otVm8o7btURCl1M3t1EFj7suvVOOS7u5OBNNLRDKtk3n097MTUleumcPgrt_xwEwVX0fg4mnd7LSag2IUme22CHORUCF77uVRI7MxVTCJGLmNKsBqMfeOkLfrSy" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="481" /></span></span></a></span></span></div><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-379828a8-7fff-9560-cc5f-1e6336a3aed3"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1338252996246071:0" target="_blank">Panorama photo</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b255a3fd-7fff-c2d1-4899-66a72546fcc9"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 569px; overflow: hidden; width: 487px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1338037209600983" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><img height="569" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/lz2Lw2QDtXuJHzzrtZiQ3aPVUyCgo6IHavFzXMlNDMbJ6rBL9E0tSkcGkY3oceflVhnU7uAGsoKHNHjH6o3jSwVg5VKkPC5dMWMMcaEEr71otxnjmy0I_4yWQ1gnzSXnG1MwRuDN" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="487" /></a></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1338037209600983" target="_blank">More images</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1337868196284551" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 569px; overflow: hidden; width: 494px;"><img height="569" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/azFLTbWpiJqIwGha5SYIRlRp_lnC5JaWrYYUDn0PvxK0hDkyQGF8hKCkWMI18dG8DjBNJX9j3yva_3no3fAXRqlYWNqnAZdI-ePAvJsI6A9vi-vw9HJzXy_4RpYAxrH7Gv23oNjN" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="494" /></span></span></a></p>The rat is allowed to ride on the outside today, because we've got company. My daughter Anna has joined me for the 350 or so km to Renmark.<br /><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1337868196284551" target="_blank">Facebook Post</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><br /></p></div></div></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-10975710795486245632020-12-06T16:51:00.009+11:002020-12-13T15:48:36.366+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 31 Karadoc to Mildura Nov 16<h1 style="text-align: left;">Mildura 885 km</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Super moon - Alan - Gol Gol - Tree health - Bottle Bend</h2><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 5pt;">The evening had been a bright one. There had been a ‘super moon’, an exceptionally large full moon. I had watched it rise through the trees and it had lit my tent throughout the night. When I awoke the excitement of people and the urgency of conversations from the night before were but memories. I like that about mornings, there is calm. I packed, keen to be out on the water in the crisp morning light and to be in Mildura around midday, I had not taken much into my tent that night, so packing was easy. I was almost done when I saw Alan, from the cottage next door moving around. He offered me a cup of coffee and breakfast which I gladly accepted. Whilst sitting in Alan’s lounge chairs under his open veranda, overlooking the river, Alan told me more about his life, about his life in a small country town in the Mallee and of one of his adventures, a trip across the Simpson Desert, along the French Line between Dalhousie Springs and Birdsville in Little Grey Ferguson Tractors. He was the support mechanic. Steak and eggs was a luxury. Bryan the musician, who had left a copy of a song he had written about the Murray in my boat, turned up and accepted the offer of a coffee. Within the next ten minutes, the whole community seemed to be gathered around Alan’s fireplace. Subs, who owned the house boat they look after came down with a copy of the weekly newspaper. It had an article on blackwater he wanted to share with me. Accepting the offer of a cup of coffee before going off to work, he told me of his plans to take his houseboat up the Darling River next year. He would keep me informed. I was moved by the sense of community, support and care these river people showed each other and how they had taken me into it. Pushing off, I nosed the current into the fast flowing stream and was soon on my way again.<br /><br />It was not long before I began to come across residential homes of Gol Gol. Stately homes, with landscaped gardens and terraced river frontages: a contrast to my hosts, simple accommodation. Some of the big trees which lined the river bank had been knocked over in the strong winds of the storm the previous week and were still in the process of being cleaned up. You could see the effect the weir pool had on their roots. Red gum roots will not enter permanent water, but form a layer above it. Where water is at a permanent high level, or young saplings grow on beaches their roots form a intertwined plate rather than penetrate deep into the soil. It is this plate that they balance on, but whilst they do not lack for water, they are vulnerable to falling over in high winds. The smooth water reflected the sky giving it a blue colour in my photos. In reality, it was the colour of dark tea from the tannins that had leached into it from organic material picked up from the forest.<br /><br />Large areas of black box and river red gum were in the poorest condition of any I have seen on my paddle so far. They even seemed worse than after the millennium drought (the fifteen years of below average rainfall that finished in 2011) when I did my last paddle. Why had this section of the river been particularly hard hit and why had it taken so long to recover? I estimated from the branches of the dead trees that at one time 75% of the forest floor would have been shaded by black box; now it was more like 15%. Even if you accept drought as natural and its effect on trees as a natural thinning event, where the fittest and those in the best positions survive, it was still shocking. Along the river’s edge the red gums had also suffered. On some stretches one in three old trees had died and more had lost strength, cut back to a few young sapling-like branches which had grown since the drought broke 5 years ago. The root systems must cut back too. To be healthy, they need to be fed sugars from photosynthesis in the leaves. When I worked as a landscape gardener, we had a rule of thumb. Actually it had to do with replanting bushes and trees from one place to another. It was that the roots of a plant are as extensive as its foliage. What you see above the ground is what there is below the ground. When we dug out a bush we trimmed back its foliage to maintain a healthy balance. The leaf mass on these trees was only enough to support a tiny root system. With fungi attacking the abandoned roots and so little resources for such big trees, it’s no wonder they take so long to re-establish and no wonder that the younger trees show more vigour. All the more respect to those forest giants that manage to rebuild the spreading crowns that river red gum are famous for. If those trees die, it will be a hundred years before the river is lined with majestic gums again. It will not be something we see again in our lifetimes. I prayed for more good years and that we find a way and the will to help them recover.<br /><br />Right at the beginning of my paddle, I took a detour into Bottle Bend. This billabong is infamous for having become highly acidic in the drought. People often comment on the smell of murray mud. It has its own peculiar smell. Living thing is the Murray get their energy from organic matter. Some is washed down from the mountain catchments, but in a long river like the Murray this is soon consumed. Some is produced by vegetation along the banks, this is one reason why overhanging trees and areas of reeds and rushes are so important - particularly if you like fishing, or observing birdlife. And some is brought into the river from the forests following floods. This organic matter supports a food chain that begins with micro-organisms that break it down, waterbeds and mussels that filter feed on these, shrimps, frogs, platypus, fish, turtles and birds, as well as land animals and insects that depend on the river as a food source. All use oxygen, but deep in the mud where the oxygen cannot penetrate are micro-organisms which use the naturally existing sulphur from the soil. Under drying conditions this can form sulphide gases, which is what gives the mud its strong smell. In some situations, the sulphide produced by these organisms becomes sulphuric acid. This happened at Bottle Bend. The water was so acidic, it would have dissolved a car body. The little water that was in the billabong was pink. It killed everything it came into contact with. There was concern when the river rose in 2011 that it would kill fish in the river downstream. Luckily it was such a high river, that like the blackwater in most cases this year (so far), it was diluted by freshwater, limiting its effect. Paddling into Bottle Bend 5 years later, it now looked like any other billabong. Young trees lined its shores. The water had the same colour as everywhere else. It had recovered.<br /><br />Approaching Mildura, I paddled alongside the majestic Mallee Cliffs, 20 to 30m high red cliffs where the river has cut into ancient sand hills, exposing the geological story of past climates and landscapes. A fringe of red gum and river coobah (river myall) grew from sediments which had eroded from its face, the fresh green fringe a contrast to the ancient rock behind them. Planes flew into Mildura airport and jet trails from the flight path between Europe and Australia criss-crossed the sky. I could hear the rumble of traffic in the distance. There is something exciting about coming into towns and cities when having been out in the bush for weeks. There is such a contrast between the two environments, but there are also people.<br /><br />I found a spot in the Buronga Caravan Park on the NSW side of the river. That afternoon I met with three other source to sea paddlers, Tim Williams who completed the journey round 10 years ago, Kia James, one of the few women to do the journey solo and the legendary Mike Bremers who has paddled both the Bidgee and the Murray and had just come back from a stint exploring sections of the Darling River. We talked all afternoon, after which Mike and I moved on to the pub for dinner and a few beers, where we swapped tales long into the night. Finally a pub that was open (and had beer)!</p><i>Day 32 and Day 33 were rest days in Mildura</i> (<span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">see calendar</a></span>)<span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1335089109895793:0" target="_blank">Link to original Facebook Post with images</a><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-16cde666-7fff-fb99-4ef7-f5c961d84381"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1335089109895793:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 306px; overflow: hidden; width: 486px;"><img alt="Screen Shot 2017-01-22 at 4.08.37 PM.png" height="306" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5p-aqvZ9_lMX8BIvq_I_a6Idi2Iy9NzCkZju0FTmylZ9liKpOcDSTww9eph5729muskPYbylKnF5SS-6muFgWEODDywduB26WGHZjbadhmIU_kpd89DRclsWLNZnfkE-vGhzi8Z7" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="486" /></span></span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1335134519891252" target="_blank">More photos</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a6169a1-7fff-d4ff-1c39-bda364909968"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1335134519891252" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 565px; overflow: hidden; width: 487px;"><img alt="Screen Shot 2017-01-22 at 4.12.41 PM.png" height="565" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0HLiYrcluLeF96tILxPqEUCXwyC4tJcoBi_GUpKchR7apohdqbNUIBVx5V_Py0rAmd69lM2q_-NbDSk-cgEfhQmD0RwYR2fl_IWVzRUKeKp2Xm_Uit0jUxGYWx2LGcwQRXwVDBO4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="487" /></span></span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1335226489882055:0" target="_blank">River landscape near Karadoc</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7e9d355c-7fff-f333-fdb0-f3aed7a32b03"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1335226489882055:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 541px; overflow: hidden; width: 484px;"><img height="541" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qWAoXMuvNmJ257Dpk5Cxa5ltGb601HTjrAxxcXaS6_xqw0XJbt_ao0jOrfZyvBGC6nSfX-cHUo6BJ6dc0TgZpS1vHsRbmLo8LpsVFkYx72ppVMj6Hbyo4maejAd6KALWWPio8yfI" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="484" /></span></span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/videos/1335187229885981/" target="_blank">Video: Black box woodland near Mildura still recovering from drought</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-426ef49b-7fff-a6f9-9d37-0aac42198623"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/videos/1335187229885981/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 434px; overflow: hidden; width: 568px;"><img height="434" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/S0uAr9-J1bGisnvCIrh4oT7MGB9iCjO-H9K_QqBzzRvUDmsdWTL3jSH7D0h9G_X6UKnJnQS1PKHvRQ5b_Id9oGUEE7G5hX3ihcbzUlQGdRXdCUaI35g0WSzEZzvZ50ldPzf3NAXT" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="568" /></span></span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-1494408530106632782020-12-06T16:46:00.004+11:002020-12-13T15:50:15.293+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 30 Mallee Cliffs (Nangiloc) to Karadoc Nov 14<h1 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 5pt; text-align: left;">Mallee Cliffs National Park: Nangiloc - Karadoc</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Friggincharlies Hut - In search of the Big Tree - Sandhills - Blackwater - Tree deaths - Bryan the Muso</h2><br /><br />Sheltered though I was at Friggincharlie’s Hut, my camp was not far above river level. Driven by the wind, the water was surging back and forth like a mini tide. I set two sticks in the bank, one for the lower level and one for the upper. Before going to bed and once in the night I checked the levels. All seemed ok. I tied my boat to the tent and placed it right next to the veranda, so that if it began to move I would know about it. At first light I checked again. The water level had risen about an inch and a half overnight. The amount the water rises depends on how far it can spread out in a place, so a rise of 2 cm in the forest, might be a half a metre somewhere else. It plays to be cautious.<br /><br />The strong winds from the previous days had dropped, making conditions much nicer for paddling. The sun even came out occasionally. Today’s paddle would take me past the, apparently, biggest tree on the Murray, Mallee Cliffs, Iraak and Colignan. I had missed this last trip, and given the heads up this times determined to try and find it. Once in location I paddled slowly past looking through the bush. When I had no luck this way I headed in amongst the trees. It was fun paddling in the flooded forest, almost surreal, but something I was not game to do on windy days. I had heard too many trees come down. First you hear their cracking roots, then gradually they begin to move. It is usually not as fast as you might think, more of a gradual thing, but with 30 m of tree coming down, you really don’t want to be anywhere nearby. Today was wind-still. In the shade of the canopy, there was a stillness, a silence that is not present in the rush of water in the river channel. I wove my way in and out of the trees, avoiding floating logs and low branches, but could not find the tree. I did find a ‘big’ tree which I photographed in place of the famous one and enjoyed the experience all the same.<br /><br />With good current and no winds I made good time. I hit 14 km/hr once and averaged 10 km/hr for 20 km. After that I slowed down. After a few cuttings (which I did not take) the Mallee Cliffs after which the park is named came into view. Here the river has cut into the base of an old sandhill, leaving a sheer 20 m high sandstone face. on top, mallee gum can be seen. At the base river red gum and river myall grew. They run for almost two kilometres along the river, but way longer in the background. Cobb and Co coaches used to run along the top of the sand hills as they did all along the Murray - perhaps because the tracks would not get muddy - but it must have been hard on the horses. Where they descended onto the flats was a winding tack called the ‘devil’s racecourse’.<br /><br />Just after the Murray Cliffs a gentleman called out to me from a houseboat. Not seeing too many people I did not want to waste the opportunity for a conversation. I turned around and pulled alongside. Joe and Margaret welcomed me on board for a warming bowl of soup and a big cup of coffee and told me about their river and life on board their houseboat. They would not swap it for the world they said and they were always having visitors. the grandkids in particular loved being on the boat. Both keen fishermen, they told me that although the shrimp were gathering at the side of the river for oxygen, in the 2011 blackwater they all died. This was not so bad - so far. There has been lots of talk of debris in the river. I hadn’t seen so much until the winds had picked up, however Margaret had photographed a big old tree floating down the river just the day before. I found it caught on another snag about 500m downstream. Interestingly the one inch rise I had seen, had been 4 inches for them. Note to self: set campsite a little higher than planned. Heartened by the soup and good company I set off for the last 20km of the day.<br /><br />The sun had come out, making photography a pleasure. The sand hills and flats gave way to low banks and distinct zones of vegetation. I was surprised to find that there had been many more tree deaths in this part of the National Park. Not just on the water’s edge, but well into the adjoining planes. It seems that the millennium drought was too long for the trees to survive. Deaths were not limited to red gum, but occurred through the black box communities as well. Even if viewed as a natural thinning event, it was still pretty devastating.<br /><br />Coming into Karadoc, I drifted past all manner of houseboats and even a paddle steamer. Numbers were down on usual as many people had taken their boats up the Darling River for protection from whatever the flood might bring down. As I was passing a figure ran to the rivers edge to shout encouragement. It was Bryan, musician and engineer, living the dream alongside his friend Alan, deckchairs and fire pits under the stars and next to the river. Looking for a place to stay, I took up Bryan’s invitation to camp on his block and in the process made two new friends. Alan used to be friends with John Williamson’s family. He used to do their accounts. Whenever he visited Mrs. Williamson would have a meal cooked and would not take no for an answer. Both were mallee boys. Their stories are those of the pioneer families, of blockies who began with ten quid in their pocket and worked hard. Who faced life’s challenges and had now found peace by the river. Bryan showed me a tawny frogmouth who sat in his tree. His mate was calling from across the river. With the setting sun building silhouettes of mallee gums against a background of golden red, I climbed into my tent.<br /><br />Tomorrow I make for Mildura and a rest day. I look forward to that.<br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1332784713459566" target="_blank">Original Facebook Posts with images</a></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-534857e3-7fff-8ae0-2aac-95744a6d1726"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1332784713459566" target="_blank">Post 1</a></span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-587e64b0-7fff-e114-9c6c-44657133c264"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1332784713459566" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 570px; overflow: hidden; width: 492px;"><img height="570" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_4R07oZUrpBfgzHoF4vvXB0It4_8iW0zoLkoUYVYeP2mJna6S5lWFu6EPlh5hs0RCKH9GxGiDtURYW6hEIm3poiqiNV0OkD7ai3gl08nA0NNDbvjZPjBVGVsX423kiPWomH8mgL2" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="492" /></span></span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1332110790193625:0" target="_blank">Post 2</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c8eb6cad-7fff-a57b-684c-a5ccf0fc0328"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 574px; overflow: hidden; width: 490px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1332862543451783:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><img height="574" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Gl3JZLoEcxgIh3ARKDV6u9M4U8E-xd-jQjY1sAYZiqK0LrHGuPf32EGH8rNe9_sdhd-D-2PqYfcsKlavC9eOge8Uw38JRkE43aDPSVgxVkWIkYJxaFD2XkHkVmjUuHl2-sMm3nSX" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="490" /></a></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-40458c37-7fff-197c-0b96-a879bade51bb"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1332110790193625:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 542px; overflow: hidden; width: 492px;"><img height="542" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/P5CDdmnZJ1DIMbBik5wXa7Te9ik63MNkZ_QG_4IcZ5_t1rTc3FZ6I9O8ntZ_0qjdV0U6uX3fs9PAps7nLqXDEmglsLX1bMffmMh34hNT6LNjYnPk3zk9xsr20DVK0z-_I5ex1cNY" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="492" /></span></span></a></span></p><p style="height: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>x</p></span>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-83679076982736530822020-12-06T16:28:00.004+11:002020-12-06T18:11:29.525+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 28 Tammit Station to Hattah Kulkyne Nov 12<br /><br /><h1 style="text-align: left;">Tammit Station - Hattah Kulkyne NP</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">The night the thunderstorm hit.</h2><br />Last night was one hell of a storm. The day had been rather muggy and although a chance of thunderstorms had been predicted, when rainclouds eventually appeared on the horizon they seemed isolated and rather harmless. Just for good measure I made storm preparations, closed and strapped the hatches, put the solar panel back on the boat with its straps, hammered my pegs into the ground, rather than just pushing them in, and tightened the tent fabric. Because it was so hot, I decided not to cook but to snack in my tent, where I could be away from mossies and flies. I set the tent door like a verandah, to let more air in and so I could see the sky. I didn't get to eat much before the wind picked up speed.<br /><br />The sky turned dark. Suddenly 6pm was like 8 or 9. Sand began blowing through the tent. I packed everything I could in their water proof bags to keep the dust out and in case the rain was heavy, as I found that heavy rain forced its way through the seems and zips. Lightening began to flash all around. Counting the seconds between it and the thunder I knew it was moving closer. I read the last warnings on my phone and turned it off too. By now I had closed the tent door and moved everything to a safe, or useful place in the tent. The wind built in intensity steadily, not in gusts, like it normally does. I kept thinking that it could not get much worse, but it did, stronger and stronger, till it was like an angry beast, like a bull roaring down your throat, like dragon's breath. It was so strong that I thought it would blow my fully laden boat away and I felt certain my ultralight paddle had been blown away like a leaf on on Autumn breeze. I lay on the windward side, and put the heaviest things I had in the corners, so that the wind would not get under the tent so easily. For a full 15 minutes the wind threatened to flatten the tent like a failed pancake and would have done so had I not held it up. Fighting against the wind with one arm, the other braced on the tent floor and lying low to keep a low profile in case of lightening, or falling branches took all the strength I had. After 15 min, the wind eased and then came from the other direction, however no longer enough to crush the tent. In the calm I dashed out and finding my paddle still there, brought it into the tent. About 3 hours after it had all begun, the first nervous bird calls and insect chirping heralded the end. I don't know how the poles didn't break. Perhaps I was spared the worst because I had sheltered behind a single sturdy black box tree. Maybe it was the tree that saved my paddle. I count my blessings.<br /><br />Thanks to all those people who texted to see if I was ok, or forwarded warning posts.<br /><br />For most of the day, the wind was strong, but nothing like last night. It formed breakers in the water and threatened to turn my if I stopped to photograph for anything more than the minimum time. My boat handled the waves and things stayed dry, but by 1pm I was ready for a break.<br /><br />I found a little island, formed by the river on one side and two flood channels taking water to a seasonal wetland on a farm property. On one side of the island was a canoe tree. I sat in a fallen branch eating my lunch and feeling like Robinson Crusoe. The extent of my decision making seemed to be, do I have a sleep, or explore the island? Sheltered from the wind the warm sun was making me dozzy. I was about to decide for the first option when a tinny and two blokes with cold beers and a purpose built boat esky turned up. Ryan from Prill Park Station and his mate Shaun were out for an explore. Although his family have lived in the area for 4 generations and said that high rivers like this happen all the time, he hadn't seen it in his lifetime - at least since he'd been old enough to drive a tinny. Ryan said that in the past, when the flood plains and wetlands would flood regularly, they could run 10,000 sheep, because the soil moisture would last almost the whole summer, now they could only run 3,000 - and that only by opening up additional land. He told me that when it does not flood, the creeks that connect the water holes don't flow and the old gums, many hundreds of years old have died. He said that people only see what is along the river, or in national parks. They don't know about the losses that are happening on private property as a result of river regulation. Ryan blamed water trading. He said that when water has a price, no one wants to let it run into the bush, or out to the sea.<br /><br />I continued on another 14 km till I found what I hope is a sheltered camp at the base of a sand hill, amongst the box trees and saltbush. Outside the tent mallee birds call. The most beautiful is the smallest, a wren, or pardalotte sized bird with the vocal range of a lyre bird.<br /><br />Tomorrow I make for Colignan. It is the last predicted day of high winds (50km W / SW).<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1330178843720153" target="_blank">Original Facebook post with images.</a></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-63f9b3e5-7fff-fc72-4159-96c39b86bb16"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1330178843720153" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="45" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LpziNYNchsW5zcg-XiVFmq1RnuUqgN33L2F2iN5vkzImbl2d553LMYh-S0tK5ih0Q3XClvIAySXi6O9uQn9fgkrwLVj5MH_jMyDGGdYBaKh3oRob7Vhx-yUyuv1F8d2cjOpuqF-5" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-1cbbffa0-7fff-74c0-e47a-3209c6587375"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1330178843720153" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 571px; overflow: hidden; width: 487px;"><img height="571" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RjkJHg_KboXufuZSlVGlGneULkb0a9kKvB_6rAapUuob6equnp17I5Zh-jEGk59ZFFkajG05hTZVT1rVhgGyRFstBVerZ6cNn0HKVYjew6Gjqr5MuJTqbtoxFeV2rXnHmm0BH_3O" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="487" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-84702065354660696662020-12-06T16:23:00.005+11:002020-12-06T18:10:24.998+11:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 29 Hattah Kulkyne to Nangiloc Nov 13<br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Friggincharlies's Hut: Hattah Kulkyne National Park to Mallee Cliffs State Forest (near Nangiloc).</h2><br />When passing through Hattah Kulkyne National Park make sure you take the time to go for a walk amongst the sandhills. My camp at the base of one of those sandhills was chosen mostly because it afforded me shelter from the wind, but turned out to be a full of birdlife. While I was sitting on my boat cooking dinner a group of rainbow bee-eaters were hunting, so too a large group of fairy martins, both acrobatic gliders. Wanting to join in on the fun a flock of short billed corella glid over the Murray to land in a dead tree, adjusting for the wind, but not flapping. Only one stuffed up the landing. On the sand hill were bablers and a flock of finches, there was also the smallest little song bird, the size of a pardalotte but with the most beautiful voice. Looking it up (there's an app for that) I found it was called a red lored whistler. The landscape is totally different to the Redgum forest that follows the river. Taking a walk through the dunes you walk through casuarina groves, mallee vegetation and open grasslands. It is this intersection between landscape types that creates the diversity of life the national park is famous for. It doesn't take long to get spectacular views of the river either.<br /><br />In the morning I used the left over fuel in my metho stove to heat up a cup of soup, but otherwise hurried to get in my way. The clouds were building and there were enough dark ones to threaten rain. If I could get it into my boat quickly it would be dry for the evening.<br /><br />Despite a few drops of rain, the clouds were initially little more than scenery. However, it did not take long for the wind to build, which it did. I faced my second day of 50km/hr headwinds! The long straights and reaches in this part of the river allow the waves to build when driven by a stiff breeze. Soon I found myself edging through white capped rollers. Most were around 30cm high, but of one straight they reached 60cm. I was glad that I had a good spray deck and jacket and that my holds were well sealed. Another boat might have sunk. After one such straight I met a MSB boat on its way to Mildura - and they said they found it difficult!<br /><br />In such times it is difficult to do my photography. When I stop paddling to take my 250m recording shots of tree condition, the boat threatens to come to a standstill. If it does I lose steerage and the wind begins to turn me sideways to the waves. That's tricky. It's easy to tip. I left out my panorama shots, they take about 30 seconds and don't work out when the boat bounces. I tried to do my videos, but a lot were little more than 'oh here comes the wind again, better go'. Even the normal camera was too slow and complicated. I reverted to my pocket camera, because I could take a photo with one hand and leave the other holding the paddle. This way i managed to get photos in all but the worst conditions, where safety meant the common sense thing was to concentrate on surviving what the weather was throwing at me. Keeping calm was key: deep, slow, steady strokes, not too long or high, least the wind catch the high blade and unbalance you. Flooded landscapes are not the best for swimming, or getting back into the boat. Self talk helped. Slow down, keep calm, concentrate.<br /><br />Like Wemen, Colignan is situated at the top of a sandhill. It probably offers residents great views of the river and surrounding forest as well as bring flood safe, but it makes them difficult to get to from the river. The only stop I had was at Mt. Dispersion, named after a botched attempt to scare away a group of aboriginals who had been following the explorer Major Mitchell ended with seven shot dead. So not really dispersed, but also more of a sandhill than a mountain. I think the heat may have been getting to him.<br /><br />Sheltered high ground was hard to find today. With the winds, waves and rain starting to take their toll on my energy reserves I found shelter and set up my tent on the veranda of a bush hut. Out of the wind and rain I could cook up a warm meal and dry my gear. The best thing about the hut was its name, 'Friggincharlies Hut'. Thanks Friggincharlie. I promise to leave no sign of my passing.<br /><br />Despite the wind, paddling through the Hattah Kulkyne National Park and Mallee Cliffs State Forest has been one of the prettiest stretches on the river so far. Just as impressive as in low water, when it is popular amongst campers for its long beaches, but very different at this level.<br /><br />I am beginning to realise how important it is in my quest to understand the river, that I get to know it in both high and low water. It is challenging at this level, but I'm glad I'm out here, giving it a go.<br /><br />Tomorrow the wind should drop - I hope.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1331478813590156" target="_blank">Link to original Facebook Post (with images).</a></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-e638632f-7fff-0360-189b-56ffe79aa52a"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1331478813590156" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 570px; overflow: hidden; width: 486px;"><img height="570" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/GCL-Df8s71Dqei-ylcjLZCVY7fvWDFG4GtkJuxeccAu9IEVL-yLcv3bcHaxd1CDlKvABGekZ_2vsTJ8qB-KF8D3VvntGNtvbd0tPShaaJ8d0hRmaG9pKeXhPDIsme2CBkav5WiaX" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="486" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-84156883778274259582020-12-06T16:19:00.008+11:002023-06-23T23:20:26.785+10:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 27 Robinvale to Tammit Station Nov 11<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Robinvale to Wemen</h2><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIbb1hlEHtjbYW007qodHwDCzgJHlO0QuN_nnYYFCIraULmidr5VQVz5U7pe0vxnfa9x0DPza45SlxmD54vIhtY-m_OqYd2t3KOtqMw0Rx666YqEKJKKmGXQEVocNqvfmHfg1vqF1UR6iXRgHEkPrIRlrCasFaTdlmkw43n-sV8klT7CX6wZJT6tDSWE/s320/IMG_1619.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKvsr3Uh03U7MkEkFiqNH7QCCxxarm9CuqjDr_mMeMAMuhuYuw39bNOcKD5fL-MlTMnuPjNsMjBC0F5Bqp7adtSl9uWy67DK04E2cJW9B70cPO0avFTUQ9WLg1aWpSfNtEyQTxjNqbge5HRLXQSrusoDCw1WQoHQYXV6m9Bd5ZzuyhnPrzcLNn4NyHq0/s4608/DSC_7857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKvsr3Uh03U7MkEkFiqNH7QCCxxarm9CuqjDr_mMeMAMuhuYuw39bNOcKD5fL-MlTMnuPjNsMjBC0F5Bqp7adtSl9uWy67DK04E2cJW9B70cPO0avFTUQ9WLg1aWpSfNtEyQTxjNqbge5HRLXQSrusoDCw1WQoHQYXV6m9Bd5ZzuyhnPrzcLNn4NyHq0/s320/DSC_7857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfciHp-UhhqTyD0nyeRXJPf999SzqQmq-K4XO512doTZrBagM1tfgQ5MHiQHOqXFOUrLqdj8EH8VdCDEPd6Sjo6OD8s_rq9x7F8HScqcI0GxVCYGufuINb17eYq4saoVhNzYNNJsz2B-Z0KAJkTKOFUKqtiCJVCGk_OZ11DjcwlrQ2FW8OqKMPLEwwW0/s4032/IMG_1618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfciHp-UhhqTyD0nyeRXJPf999SzqQmq-K4XO512doTZrBagM1tfgQ5MHiQHOqXFOUrLqdj8EH8VdCDEPd6Sjo6OD8s_rq9x7F8HScqcI0GxVCYGufuINb17eYq4saoVhNzYNNJsz2B-Z0KAJkTKOFUKqtiCJVCGk_OZ11DjcwlrQ2FW8OqKMPLEwwW0/s320/IMG_1618.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCNaOdXXcHE14L68ZmS99hU_HhBcNn0QHgTNHMKbc1NvjxFpzSfTIcx-96tPH2FfRZUSylx_Po1dn4csf2YLWCa-BhQrpL4rsx-Zx-RVG2aTr4OEyxkQdTPxCtC-M5qH8-uvOaYVd7vgruvb-lq8HxoBgVy1pSr_u_XO7TxuSK2FKXi0QaoS5gPhzPnk/s4608/DSC_7859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCNaOdXXcHE14L68ZmS99hU_HhBcNn0QHgTNHMKbc1NvjxFpzSfTIcx-96tPH2FfRZUSylx_Po1dn4csf2YLWCa-BhQrpL4rsx-Zx-RVG2aTr4OEyxkQdTPxCtC-M5qH8-uvOaYVd7vgruvb-lq8HxoBgVy1pSr_u_XO7TxuSK2FKXi0QaoS5gPhzPnk/s320/DSC_7859.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTGNjNgIveWw0gqCwkXKGIkX2TDm0djpiXAX2Q9Oxtr6SGfXgOA_YUvQTjEeoKvuPO7A4yNLF1hrcs4-ROMc7v-ZD3GJa-3ckKEp36908FVznmWAdoWcMQ-5WjO1YZ7OGyN5Qd0bWSFGZ-0mD8syzT_DqNEAnjpoYxJnt5CgwJ4X9W55IwWFVCYOvZ2I/s4608/DSC_7858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTGNjNgIveWw0gqCwkXKGIkX2TDm0djpiXAX2Q9Oxtr6SGfXgOA_YUvQTjEeoKvuPO7A4yNLF1hrcs4-ROMc7v-ZD3GJa-3ckKEp36908FVznmWAdoWcMQ-5WjO1YZ7OGyN5Qd0bWSFGZ-0mD8syzT_DqNEAnjpoYxJnt5CgwJ4X9W55IwWFVCYOvZ2I/s320/DSC_7858.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AlmLwUY6_dkjZtXk-2uXgsLq2yOeiwuy3JWF8-lUibLGVGQX1rNYuwBgLvFibprLt4qLA9E0AR-oKReFNEb4BFLApyGPBarTFAh5O4Riddbb0DL1qfMDq-U8FrmWVP2W_2P3bbYxKRmcCJIFDTugzUQwbxpceiJFwfbexB3buZ0cjmUT8AkmaNUs-Iw/s4608/DSC_7863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AlmLwUY6_dkjZtXk-2uXgsLq2yOeiwuy3JWF8-lUibLGVGQX1rNYuwBgLvFibprLt4qLA9E0AR-oKReFNEb4BFLApyGPBarTFAh5O4Riddbb0DL1qfMDq-U8FrmWVP2W_2P3bbYxKRmcCJIFDTugzUQwbxpceiJFwfbexB3buZ0cjmUT8AkmaNUs-Iw/s320/DSC_7863.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paddling out of Robinvale caravan park was a bit surreal. I had to dodge the electricity poles that the caravans normally plug their extension cords into, watch out for fences and pick a course into the current through the garden. Once out it was through the bridge and down the wide, high river. The current was flowing well and there was no sign of the predicted light winds, providing the same glassy surface I had been blessed with he last few days. I passed Euston, older but much small than Robinvale, perhaps because NSW in the early days of settlement allowed Victoria to get a head start on them. Melbourne was much closer, but it meant that all the wheat, sheep and wool went to Melbourne rather than Sydney. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2_WEK3yyC5IAZmxXVqBpw9YYanKq_unvcayPXJ5kWUNJA-R3jRXZ9YfW6YB0ajS1BgZTkzxx4446iFcuOkotq_NAwovgfkfK9DP7xbu6mSdQg0M9Riiey01oVKDS3XgMZj8ix76n1Wlq5MW99ceTrhEewIPAvZlKF_dfY5JI5PSA1NZQumde2XpmX48/s4608/DSC_7940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2_WEK3yyC5IAZmxXVqBpw9YYanKq_unvcayPXJ5kWUNJA-R3jRXZ9YfW6YB0ajS1BgZTkzxx4446iFcuOkotq_NAwovgfkfK9DP7xbu6mSdQg0M9Riiey01oVKDS3XgMZj8ix76n1Wlq5MW99ceTrhEewIPAvZlKF_dfY5JI5PSA1NZQumde2XpmX48/s320/DSC_7940.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzZKYP68ZjJOsJCpRAcsG6xF-vgpqbQdxQqq6suESBCdGbx-cohxVVykWb6ITRPYdMBQOMrM70LTr88h11vNNk8DNnCL26USTRdVCueqMi_k70HPrL0jp6fDWCBnM-T6FakXrUbP5G-cqGOGApNSwm2AWx31mVk_kf-Z9qxzShEj3L2uXMzI1XzIl1wg/s4608/DSC_8013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzZKYP68ZjJOsJCpRAcsG6xF-vgpqbQdxQqq6suESBCdGbx-cohxVVykWb6ITRPYdMBQOMrM70LTr88h11vNNk8DNnCL26USTRdVCueqMi_k70HPrL0jp6fDWCBnM-T6FakXrUbP5G-cqGOGApNSwm2AWx31mVk_kf-Z9qxzShEj3L2uXMzI1XzIl1wg/s320/DSC_8013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiallwUdqAQ-NDiqTavJ4ktHamGR_F5yG2WMdi0qQ1j3Jg4iIf9r7TQwnA1hz-prbGwQ5SRw5SU51QuT05gCFLhTrEsZK1xnd4n5ahrTvgbmzNYKcr6bEM7KLNJxTdb9CRQuKqz2vDSKkWU4Sr0jq39PFBtpd2yQWu7DChcXEQwLZoSMFdFGxw9BTMVo/s4608/DSC_8096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiallwUdqAQ-NDiqTavJ4ktHamGR_F5yG2WMdi0qQ1j3Jg4iIf9r7TQwnA1hz-prbGwQ5SRw5SU51QuT05gCFLhTrEsZK1xnd4n5ahrTvgbmzNYKcr6bEM7KLNJxTdb9CRQuKqz2vDSKkWU4Sr0jq39PFBtpd2yQWu7DChcXEQwLZoSMFdFGxw9BTMVo/s320/DSC_8096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UZCGfjqPnkiLRQ0I2oEAwAMdcYJuGB6fONpbL2_oac9LO3vhrHdMaxuywnkHCtwGgZcfpbS5H7hjHRZ-o0u1GWRioVaVEwuEbmEsjp3zLKEq60v0oK3cSjV6C77k4yNvdAYrTWzTJGVLacbOIq-FoRA21DN6wpoA638lWoU9nygK_f3RoIG1bCLHrn4/s4032/IMG_1624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UZCGfjqPnkiLRQ0I2oEAwAMdcYJuGB6fONpbL2_oac9LO3vhrHdMaxuywnkHCtwGgZcfpbS5H7hjHRZ-o0u1GWRioVaVEwuEbmEsjp3zLKEq60v0oK3cSjV6C77k4yNvdAYrTWzTJGVLacbOIq-FoRA21DN6wpoA638lWoU9nygK_f3RoIG1bCLHrn4/s320/IMG_1624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzOaKvJSfWPwhrcC0CPHeq-YzjRcr5hR1F3deH882UqoIlIWmqp3bxLxDsyoxvCA3pMu0bf_nWId67kBH943A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Towards the end of the paddle steamer days, both states competed to get rail to even the most distant communities, but by then one of the twin towns along the Murray had begun to dominate. It was usually the Victorian one. An interesting legacy from those times is that most NSW towns have Victorian area codes. Phone numbers in Deniliquin, 80km North of the border, begin with 03. Euston club looked really welcoming, especially as I could paddle right up to the green lawns leading to its entrance. It looked as if they designed that way, to be welcoming to river people. However, I had only just begun. There was no stopping now.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On quite a few days i have thought, I can take it easy today, there is a good strong current out there, only to find that large segments of the day had dead water. Although there were some tight bends and quite a few places where the river flowed along flood runners and anabranches through the forest, the current was good all day. There were no big anabranches, only cut-offs, short cuts the river had made when the meanders near one another. Its difficult to say how long it takes these meanders to become the main stream, but if they have a clay base it seems that it can take the best part of a life-time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around the corner from Euston is the Euston weir. When there is a high river, lock masters let down gates at the top of part of the weir to create what they call a navigation pass. This provides more depth for boats that want to pass over the weir. Because in most cases, the weir is still present beneath the water, water is higher on one side than the other, creating a ‘step’. Frank Tucker, in Oct 2016 Paddle Boat News, says that this system causes trouble for paddle steamers, especially when travelling upstream. To make it up the step, Captains have to approach the weir at full throttle, hoping to bounce up. If they do not have enough speed, or the current is too strong (and it really is quite strong now) then there is a danger that they will get stuck halfway, with the paddle wheel blades biting air. On the way downstream, the rudder can find itself in the air and the paddle steamer drifting sideways. Understandably with this deal of risk involved, it is not paddleboat captains favourite activity. In my kayak I was wary of undertows and so called the weir master, who directed me through the smoothest water. In a kayak it was like going down the smallest of slides. No drama, but better safe than sorry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Euston weir is set into a high sedimentary rock face on one side. The other side is forest. If nervous about the weir, the lock master said, you can just paddle through the forest. The clay cliffs continue on for 2 kilometres. They have three clear layers, two red layers, with a yellow layer in between, each being about 4 meters thick. River Red Gum and River Myall, the wattle with the pen like leaves grow from its base and seem to be protecting it from the eroding force of the river current by slowing it down next to the cliff face. The vegetation was so effective at slowing the current, that it actually ran backwards close to the cliff. Where ever there are eddies and strong currents there are whirlpools, so breaking out into the current took some care. Ten kilometres later the cliff appear again, this time even more imposing. They make for great photos. I hope some of mine work out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcgrg9Yohx0UCN3fRk-jPRJaIjDCo8GVFXWMzKNoot9csw-3jG6e7HpTJqNdlafc3FyJrYABK6lt6_g4gzEg5pRHypq4DqsWYZp7JmjMT_lRiY5vaNUTbzI9qaJup10KURa27D6RMcwixOCKVHdoRIVsCAGfEdoncDd255_NuyT0Js0XDrt9BAr-_-vo/s4608/DSC_7990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcgrg9Yohx0UCN3fRk-jPRJaIjDCo8GVFXWMzKNoot9csw-3jG6e7HpTJqNdlafc3FyJrYABK6lt6_g4gzEg5pRHypq4DqsWYZp7JmjMT_lRiY5vaNUTbzI9qaJup10KURa27D6RMcwixOCKVHdoRIVsCAGfEdoncDd255_NuyT0Js0XDrt9BAr-_-vo/s320/DSC_7990.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Red sands of the Mallee Cliffs. Old sand dunes, now being cut into by the river.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLWdYUf-uadP2UgtKya_GBU_fOqxlmaDHVxE4M58F5Tl_6RS1ocdWozSiF7qcZyg331tISHwcVSGIx_8qOpcsXXFW0Y5NruE3gYjEniFyeCzloWpI8mRn1xz05CSTvHnsBPFB0EtFyVrWR-H6l48_nlXsMVUA7TWoXUMK5xxGzy834weeu5v12n6thuc/s4608/DSC_8096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLWdYUf-uadP2UgtKya_GBU_fOqxlmaDHVxE4M58F5Tl_6RS1ocdWozSiF7qcZyg331tISHwcVSGIx_8qOpcsXXFW0Y5NruE3gYjEniFyeCzloWpI8mRn1xz05CSTvHnsBPFB0EtFyVrWR-H6l48_nlXsMVUA7TWoXUMK5xxGzy834weeu5v12n6thuc/s320/DSC_8096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6WNOBfpLd2fXq-CbfUfJ5Ay3Lp-iWcBD2WCgg_9z7nbgcD3ePR82RHf41Cp-QLd4pMAaVzYugydHpQ5mg1fkd_H9awP3iwnFMf8y_73KwHGBkra0KhWHxLNZYtmm374Ph-SINIOWNf8xJlRsUfurNYRawGfnXX5pSlFon_fIoSPeWnwbV5u7pj5LTok/s4608/DSC_8325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6WNOBfpLd2fXq-CbfUfJ5Ay3Lp-iWcBD2WCgg_9z7nbgcD3ePR82RHf41Cp-QLd4pMAaVzYugydHpQ5mg1fkd_H9awP3iwnFMf8y_73KwHGBkra0KhWHxLNZYtmm374Ph-SINIOWNf8xJlRsUfurNYRawGfnXX5pSlFon_fIoSPeWnwbV5u7pj5LTok/s320/DSC_8325.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBNXaqooEiQgGz0XYfASRWi_Yre4Zo76J4ObPiZYzZ4jzkN3htLw9ig30vZGG_vz6UmprKSoDznImZ3bJXccHIIKW8Ors5F2ka9x4Nv5u7Whj6bh9kcY7jF8bFh7v0tZQJZfNge6u2h2jj2DlrePXivNLI8Jo0nT3PKSvUvT88IvzSkAMCuT2-nUxUck/s4608/DSC_8330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBNXaqooEiQgGz0XYfASRWi_Yre4Zo76J4ObPiZYzZ4jzkN3htLw9ig30vZGG_vz6UmprKSoDznImZ3bJXccHIIKW8Ors5F2ka9x4Nv5u7Whj6bh9kcY7jF8bFh7v0tZQJZfNge6u2h2jj2DlrePXivNLI8Jo0nT3PKSvUvT88IvzSkAMCuT2-nUxUck/s320/DSC_8330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tree martin nests. Safe on the face of a cliff. You can also find them under bridges or in large hollow trees. Preferred spots are over water.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLjoe31UcMrlf4fvJQHR6CztZdXgX6K6MlgZWVie3ou_vyL2xiUbIPAGeugN4xm7TyuawFoo5S-YYv2FPO6cHo1KDe0vej2LiTFDOuRmuxavINsM9SkRs9A8JS_s1CcP0PlLia-LXsPTvbqGbJYOlisDlnajzE-5ff11kL9B2sPqzzpgnADtSXDPBGDE/s4582/DSC_8366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="4582" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLjoe31UcMrlf4fvJQHR6CztZdXgX6K6MlgZWVie3ou_vyL2xiUbIPAGeugN4xm7TyuawFoo5S-YYv2FPO6cHo1KDe0vej2LiTFDOuRmuxavINsM9SkRs9A8JS_s1CcP0PlLia-LXsPTvbqGbJYOlisDlnajzE-5ff11kL9B2sPqzzpgnADtSXDPBGDE/s320/DSC_8366.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThQTlQ1pI9T7h-UKw5DrXwMJWS_1J1sVS8jspaQpnlpT1RsEHCas7BbCjAkSionh5GPuiKaj63JurqjujwnhH1oPXsBE2Djre4RSiWSVsJO7r3pNbC7V7BvOHJlwztd4bpr0zC3tpbeRsWyyP2OHwK_C0tMMe2AwNkBJm03AggDSs44_aQuMnVT0eQ8M/s4608/DSC_8370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThQTlQ1pI9T7h-UKw5DrXwMJWS_1J1sVS8jspaQpnlpT1RsEHCas7BbCjAkSionh5GPuiKaj63JurqjujwnhH1oPXsBE2Djre4RSiWSVsJO7r3pNbC7V7BvOHJlwztd4bpr0zC3tpbeRsWyyP2OHwK_C0tMMe2AwNkBJm03AggDSs44_aQuMnVT0eQ8M/s320/DSC_8370.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7VgXKduiwu2w1_yrsHYAA18ieYnOuFEk9QsqlaQ9lH0YD8bkkVvkP553AsVVb6psJTnUfgNHsD-F31ki_RywySPBW5lySo541CKoNahSOVkA6UuQ5_m5G8LjtngCrtIpNUBuJgLyHvJIm9mR6F9T2FLSnRjo6vnqYW7kTcFdiEz_SSoQBzAW3v0kE3M/s4608/DSC_8378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7VgXKduiwu2w1_yrsHYAA18ieYnOuFEk9QsqlaQ9lH0YD8bkkVvkP553AsVVb6psJTnUfgNHsD-F31ki_RywySPBW5lySo541CKoNahSOVkA6UuQ5_m5G8LjtngCrtIpNUBuJgLyHvJIm9mR6F9T2FLSnRjo6vnqYW7kTcFdiEz_SSoQBzAW3v0kE3M/s320/DSC_8378.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpDnInPaEoWWNsDf3zIv8FB-t4cBF2dEATm5tjeprH1A5ZJCcdVeDlqYa4jit08m-0rp9FbtCcKtGyU4wp3V0tFXCruXdKPXD7GJf6NE1dQO8j967fMtDBpCI7zO9MFac805KqoVSgS4fJO4bQFBX-nBe8BdjuwSiKa0m8EMm8Qvlz0Rk6boRYO8jmzM/s4608/DSC_8402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpDnInPaEoWWNsDf3zIv8FB-t4cBF2dEATm5tjeprH1A5ZJCcdVeDlqYa4jit08m-0rp9FbtCcKtGyU4wp3V0tFXCruXdKPXD7GJf6NE1dQO8j967fMtDBpCI7zO9MFac805KqoVSgS4fJO4bQFBX-nBe8BdjuwSiKa0m8EMm8Qvlz0Rk6boRYO8jmzM/s320/DSC_8402.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6qB2CKnflO6ERr3gXraXYfboHoIQibQVtxp7PHAR8mlbI8thyeD91FkN-pySX61xIdavKpR1VdNBpKP2LFV3JOetVLubnMca0gA4KurbXywSXgSb6wI_e8LKXrNl8f6tpW17Ovxa7NttP7t7g73xqLwNv6Ab443U6O7ufa6bHHNPiPhbB7LU_KLhslY/s3720/FullSizeRender%2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2790" data-original-width="3720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6qB2CKnflO6ERr3gXraXYfboHoIQibQVtxp7PHAR8mlbI8thyeD91FkN-pySX61xIdavKpR1VdNBpKP2LFV3JOetVLubnMca0gA4KurbXywSXgSb6wI_e8LKXrNl8f6tpW17Ovxa7NttP7t7g73xqLwNv6Ab443U6O7ufa6bHHNPiPhbB7LU_KLhslY/s320/FullSizeRender%2018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxB_gR-eo3ng8ZC7Keu3uUYwn94MTpISrGOUHkfDkvicfdks22bExM9ZOZpLdZ_3A6oRZaLWECb9HPzzJuWjA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of the day the scenery alternated between River Red Gum Floodplain Forest and Black Box Woodland, some of which was grazed. However, just when you settle into a pattern the river throws a curved ball. Just beneath Tammit Station (1078 mark) is Danger Island (also know as Gell’s Island). A lot of things that are dramatic at low river are hardly noticeable at high river (like Euston Weir), but Danger Island is not one of them. Even though you can’t see the rocks which extend halfway across the river - real rocks, and sharp too, that could slice a kayak or tinny open just by looking at them - the swirls (sudden vertical upwellings or downwards movements) were shocking and to make things more dangerous, they would appear in apparently calm water. Using the map as a guide to what was beneath the water I gave it a wide berth and travelled through with speed, so as to have maximum steerage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfrI04wv3TzZLuDBRECY_7oLQhVhLdFlsbOYdq_HhbbNMdMjojqWD0ejOfyW981e3dsAvVCwwYNRDG0XRzl931wVWu-dUVxp70zqGek1zBQ9b2rsmkxfj1GiMZEDKjODiyjzCtj7YzwtAw7eqwEMMjhUmO27NLVAHAd58ZpQ0Lhid7Z4UEEQGoFi0Cb4/s4507/DSC_8520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3004" data-original-width="4507" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfrI04wv3TzZLuDBRECY_7oLQhVhLdFlsbOYdq_HhbbNMdMjojqWD0ejOfyW981e3dsAvVCwwYNRDG0XRzl931wVWu-dUVxp70zqGek1zBQ9b2rsmkxfj1GiMZEDKjODiyjzCtj7YzwtAw7eqwEMMjhUmO27NLVAHAd58ZpQ0Lhid7Z4UEEQGoFi0Cb4/s320/DSC_8520.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWD1awrIYv5tkQuPwtmQ6JG3_3iBPQvT3MpJ1_WJoXbGPOAABovJc6uXw5A3Geg-Cl3P2ncmhq3qrSiWo5ptxBswWsB6zCg9S_mF07DwSdEW2wtS0x_8cE8TPgHnCV-U11qn9uge8k23yZFg0WsbGZzEfQBM7fgUJ2HtgtzSCEXrbDqznMvwl7w_HW4Pc/s4608/DSC_8542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWD1awrIYv5tkQuPwtmQ6JG3_3iBPQvT3MpJ1_WJoXbGPOAABovJc6uXw5A3Geg-Cl3P2ncmhq3qrSiWo5ptxBswWsB6zCg9S_mF07DwSdEW2wtS0x_8cE8TPgHnCV-U11qn9uge8k23yZFg0WsbGZzEfQBM7fgUJ2HtgtzSCEXrbDqznMvwl7w_HW4Pc/s320/DSC_8542.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNH98Q609XrqkxpZFEflq0wLUoU0vlpswEiL3f9jXvJR8HQuGFC34uMhG6C9f6GxF8js95D3T3U1qqVI6Lb0vHVdRj-iDXfEm8b9tjVlECrB4i4fbC2oSRu8wvIJMJyK5k5HsC_euCl20Ucr1Ql9rWHX5KeglSDtwwAecb7UZDZHpGFAnQd8Hb4U2UXic/s4032/IMG_1633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNH98Q609XrqkxpZFEflq0wLUoU0vlpswEiL3f9jXvJR8HQuGFC34uMhG6C9f6GxF8js95D3T3U1qqVI6Lb0vHVdRj-iDXfEm8b9tjVlECrB4i4fbC2oSRu8wvIJMJyK5k5HsC_euCl20Ucr1Ql9rWHX5KeglSDtwwAecb7UZDZHpGFAnQd8Hb4U2UXic/s320/IMG_1633.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lunch break</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QJ-qOhLLHmY8uZTTMd5m3pe2-ZI1Vqm9wvRY7A8kFsqMAglQvi84hHNPjkCA02-zA5Gu6q2OQXU97yh73k8dMf17XSw2tMp37__qQUlnkUwp6CdOecmwxvEbsatswYSx0iu4OkYIddlNjnT0JAe_3hRja4Ap-svJcH0013X1omZjADGtKIKgL3S7ZAI/s2767/IMG_1636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1701" data-original-width="2767" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QJ-qOhLLHmY8uZTTMd5m3pe2-ZI1Vqm9wvRY7A8kFsqMAglQvi84hHNPjkCA02-zA5Gu6q2OQXU97yh73k8dMf17XSw2tMp37__qQUlnkUwp6CdOecmwxvEbsatswYSx0iu4OkYIddlNjnT0JAe_3hRja4Ap-svJcH0013X1omZjADGtKIKgL3S7ZAI/s320/IMG_1636.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Old pumping equipment. Before the weirs, all irrigation was carried out by steam driven pumps along the river banks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxBF78RegnCYtkWayNe2BLDsm4lW79wb1UYhIeHdDVGn-CceDB_3JjeemeWtbCHMlb9Ok8ka4DqohZgQ-LTOA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not long after Tammit, I made camp in the shade of two Black Box trees. All around me thunder is rolling through the clouds and in the distance I can see downpours happening in isolated spots. Occasionally strong gusts of wind come through. I am eating cold tonight and enjoying the comfort and safety of my tent. Though I do hope the predicted large hailstones pass me by.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tomorrow I will be paddling through Hattah National Park and the following day hope to arrive in Colignan, then Karadoc and arriving in Mildura on Tuesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEvwjfqHMRSacWStOaJm17W5wEBubgFApwia1EgGShmrx8rsepYv2U_Nox6X9DxJ6ylEQxf5vQ_vbXWDzImQByfBTYxhN1UB18JdiKnhEE-ZVswpjrM2k7U2amDmSnv7q14ZIGsjQ3Tf1waanyPh36eTsJTQ943EiXG0UVq4Mng3TyU-FZRYtlUcdwRg/s4608/DSC_8682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEvwjfqHMRSacWStOaJm17W5wEBubgFApwia1EgGShmrx8rsepYv2U_Nox6X9DxJ6ylEQxf5vQ_vbXWDzImQByfBTYxhN1UB18JdiKnhEE-ZVswpjrM2k7U2amDmSnv7q14ZIGsjQ3Tf1waanyPh36eTsJTQ943EiXG0UVq4Mng3TyU-FZRYtlUcdwRg/s320/DSC_8682.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">High organic matter content has dropped the pH making the water silky smooth to touch. Like when soapy, rain water forms bubbles which sometimes last for many seconds on the surface.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPdYyaH-uHYXm6AzOiw-J0M84d9JQQg3taMAcIP7NXoV69Kx3ox5em5vyW0vkk4MoO4XCqYsVki2dyJLy1KbAsN-vFRrtM1l1gNRLfkFBgO-3Fv2-dzzpA0QPd1MweHrvTfmA6b8kyHM99zUjIsEMYqULyWzd_D3fVA4DNjsZASEv68D9Io7T-TB-0YM/s4608/DSC_8694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPdYyaH-uHYXm6AzOiw-J0M84d9JQQg3taMAcIP7NXoV69Kx3ox5em5vyW0vkk4MoO4XCqYsVki2dyJLy1KbAsN-vFRrtM1l1gNRLfkFBgO-3Fv2-dzzpA0QPd1MweHrvTfmA6b8kyHM99zUjIsEMYqULyWzd_D3fVA4DNjsZASEv68D9Io7T-TB-0YM/s320/DSC_8694.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Strong current sweeping past a tree trunk that would normally be on a river island, but now looks like it is mid channel.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBYVTd--8F8LzepbC6Zu7qCYwhWj7AIh5R5pvbyoXkV8TRr1JNOnFXIMMtgtHOwrAq8zyxcyuIqq00G62MISb27oJyS7EMzF2Wgm2XrMhDDUTYCldorlVJpsJR1E7gRvJttQfna7udBIB2hK6mJZj-08wDKRcOInDEXZjiqujxdzxw1aTj2b3oDUpI-Q/s4032/IMG_1637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBYVTd--8F8LzepbC6Zu7qCYwhWj7AIh5R5pvbyoXkV8TRr1JNOnFXIMMtgtHOwrAq8zyxcyuIqq00G62MISb27oJyS7EMzF2Wgm2XrMhDDUTYCldorlVJpsJR1E7gRvJttQfna7udBIB2hK6mJZj-08wDKRcOInDEXZjiqujxdzxw1aTj2b3oDUpI-Q/s320/IMG_1637.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Old shed at Tammit station</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1331kg3iWKOSoQQGcVfknHdDsPDEoIb09TBKi-cBkbLWmHDMmg56h7B4xrD_7ZbAeElZmZMLBFu_mQRXj9P_DER5HfAt-DsLmP48oYn9-0aZuu5ZDHjhk4pf9tAEQMFXBjfvYTdKE49sDjgNyqR68LdoEfN04gY6L2Q3wezuChVa3TlpXXEPzz6bplbM/s4032/IMG_1639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1331kg3iWKOSoQQGcVfknHdDsPDEoIb09TBKi-cBkbLWmHDMmg56h7B4xrD_7ZbAeElZmZMLBFu_mQRXj9P_DER5HfAt-DsLmP48oYn9-0aZuu5ZDHjhk4pf9tAEQMFXBjfvYTdKE49sDjgNyqR68LdoEfN04gY6L2Q3wezuChVa3TlpXXEPzz6bplbM/s320/IMG_1639.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My choice of campsite has been chosen by others before me... signs of a midden.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDnAL3W2smreCIEbsf9UW_O9Cm-5mi-ZUKpjiC_tPp1EfFv63VwFC80Nr9OLbMvRKc6KQzfQSasQDcqAQYVoZ08LLL7QJpBzEGQs9wDgU0acmkJ-2K-UhVGlxDY-d2h09rpYYu_VpJU-mu7mVzqj71lbyvxhKsjVK_LFjq5tFwMgVScG2eOilTFMMY74/s4032/IMG_1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDnAL3W2smreCIEbsf9UW_O9Cm-5mi-ZUKpjiC_tPp1EfFv63VwFC80Nr9OLbMvRKc6KQzfQSasQDcqAQYVoZ08LLL7QJpBzEGQs9wDgU0acmkJ-2K-UhVGlxDY-d2h09rpYYu_VpJU-mu7mVzqj71lbyvxhKsjVK_LFjq5tFwMgVScG2eOilTFMMY74/s320/IMG_1640.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tammit Station dry irrigation channel</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS2kX7w3K97jGC9tz2nLmwSz4SwIvWYmJuc0pW2ecOruByl9FpyWCzvof8LKAhdQQkm5U2bVWcFKZHBmGexeEs4Q9U7PT_qoFOkIYqQN_w_ZiTy5mRN-2mjK0HPF7fZHrHXTbeQv5c4nehvr-598xyWZWcgilUmho98v-i4uSJdzDPRgomombsws9ZFI/s4032/IMG_1641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS2kX7w3K97jGC9tz2nLmwSz4SwIvWYmJuc0pW2ecOruByl9FpyWCzvof8LKAhdQQkm5U2bVWcFKZHBmGexeEs4Q9U7PT_qoFOkIYqQN_w_ZiTy5mRN-2mjK0HPF7fZHrHXTbeQv5c4nehvr-598xyWZWcgilUmho98v-i4uSJdzDPRgomombsws9ZFI/s320/IMG_1641.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My camp for the night</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzYgs79xf3fn0BIS8kCntjL0a99eLbip2rRu6s7jkuyZXZ5p517jH46E44MK2lgZ8MnAWP4VWnGA9gkjpXBpMTA5keU7gXYMIM7BteM2ytabz33xt44uHIdNQpPskqpkg-pZT9EJkIb-AifP-WPFo8l-W7vAFi4tXakzseyXU2DvegJz4a_J3zmMFlAc/s1136/IMG_1659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzYgs79xf3fn0BIS8kCntjL0a99eLbip2rRu6s7jkuyZXZ5p517jH46E44MK2lgZ8MnAWP4VWnGA9gkjpXBpMTA5keU7gXYMIM7BteM2ytabz33xt44uHIdNQpPskqpkg-pZT9EJkIb-AifP-WPFo8l-W7vAFi4tXakzseyXU2DvegJz4a_J3zmMFlAc/s320/IMG_1659.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the evening I was hit by a powerful storm. It flattened whole areas of trees (and my tent), but I escaped without damage.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1329101247161246" target="_blank">Link to original Facebook Post (with images)</a></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-e7c2043a-7fff-d22a-c5da-a7e65f3dbafb"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1329101247161246" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 45px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="45" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XxfsRxH7NneWFXaOWBmttPl5G3es40evoy3z77g5gcnYJt3ueRuPSctGbMpED2VdFzdVapUEqSvYUumC5JPjWXGetmZQBfc7RehSOzlXBlpM_YOQH4ywdMIuHleax_plUnHE-86z" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-7d0fb1ee-7fff-7049-0cac-c2e38584ef85"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1329101247161246" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 565px; overflow: hidden; width: 484px;"><img height="565" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/qDGR7NYvK4yPHErrTvzu7Fia4UH_vNicV_78ywewZve1RfYskTqe1laOW-NGdHDg2yzsStKrdQEQ7bJa7ADh2cbPFxueKeAawYw4HllDuwTfCu7uleKFJpb1MfIfibgFdqW4JhgU" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="484" /></span></span></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwAdE6H3dHhNMqYeZp4Nr8pWIVH9hZ9bLLtv92xHsJXHJRAolxVNZYKh9_6eK4Sy4wN8sTeoO_zki4vEVPyeYC7MuP-REMw4hu14Whp87oqfN_gacu8NOfUQZzbo15du0yMNiOOw_V0IzMA58vLiK1Y-g5i93gT1icjQ7Z0gtsF5baDsv32VbRMSKdVs/s2048/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwAdE6H3dHhNMqYeZp4Nr8pWIVH9hZ9bLLtv92xHsJXHJRAolxVNZYKh9_6eK4Sy4wN8sTeoO_zki4vEVPyeYC7MuP-REMw4hu14Whp87oqfN_gacu8NOfUQZzbo15du0yMNiOOw_V0IzMA58vLiK1Y-g5i93gT1icjQ7Z0gtsF5baDsv32VbRMSKdVs/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-65183786978534761532020-09-13T13:21:00.013+10:002023-06-23T22:21:38.416+10:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 26 Invincible Bend to Robinvale Nov 10<div class="separator"><br /></div>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">Tol Tol to Robinvale</h1>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FdN_HoY13UE/X1122vZmphI/AAAAAAACYwU/nH0Feax5uLA8z2uAYbOWH_zWyDUm2Cg6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s943/Tol-Tol-RobinvaleMap.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="943" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FdN_HoY13UE/X1122vZmphI/AAAAAAACYwU/nH0Feax5uLA8z2uAYbOWH_zWyDUm2Cg6wCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h354/Tol-Tol-RobinvaleMap.png" width="625" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">With only a short run into Robinvale today, I took time for a cuppa and a good chat with Jess, who had turned up for another day’s work at the farm. She brought in two avocados, one of which made a lovely lunch out on the water. It was a perfect day for paddling, no wind, clear skies and river landscape.<br /><br />There were three notable points on the river today. The first two were sandhills, the biggest so far. The sandhill at Tol Tol would easily be 15m high and its little brother a few bends earlier was not much smaller. I agree with Andy and Albert Gorman, the down stream side of the first would have made an excellent camp. It had a gentle slope that ran into the river up from a black box woodland and was mostly covered in grass. Too many sticks are a bother when you have a tent.<br /><br />The remarkable thing about these sandhills was that although they are generally very easily eroded, these had stood up to the high water and strong currents without any sign of bank collapse, or even damage. The difference between these and most other sandhills I have seen was that they had a belt of redgums and river myall had grown along their base, all but stopping the flow of water in front of them. Collapsing sandhills have been a problem along much of the last 1,000 km and particularly worrying for people who have their houses on them - great to keep above the flood waters - not great if they collapse. So the trick seems to be to vegetate the base.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1YnnCsdI6ZA/X114oI5cTII/AAAAAAACYzc/_X6mOIW452wsS5ohvmfTzgZnuNINR6HdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_6575.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1YnnCsdI6ZA/X114oI5cTII/AAAAAAACYzc/_X6mOIW452wsS5ohvmfTzgZnuNINR6HdQCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h469/IMG_6575.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Leaving 'Little River Cottage', a welcome dose of hospitality, kindness and company.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KXeTpA0xC4U/X115jK6_IaI/AAAAAAACY1k/6KLD4QQ3l6YmG8UHdSARWS2uA88aONO6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s3787/DSC_7299-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="3787" height="138" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KXeTpA0xC4U/X115jK6_IaI/AAAAAAACY1k/6KLD4QQ3l6YmG8UHdSARWS2uA88aONO6ACLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h138/DSC_7299-PANO.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Perfect day for paddling; no wind, clear skies and impressive river landscape.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AGsJVuRSQUY/X116Ng2JuhI/AAAAAAACY2o/OXNjTOwIi7IDLOn54aTPq1f7dao66I9PQCLcBGAsYHQ/s4402/DSC_7295-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="4402" height="101" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AGsJVuRSQUY/X116Ng2JuhI/AAAAAAACY2o/OXNjTOwIi7IDLOn54aTPq1f7dao66I9PQCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h101/DSC_7295-PANO.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aNoO9vJ14U4" width="320" youtube-src-id="aNoO9vJ14U4"></iframe></div><p><a href="https://youtu.be/aNoO9vJ14U4" target="_blank"><i></i></a></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/aNoO9vJ14U4">YouTube</a>: Just after 1156 at the cutting downstream I can see a swallow capturing mosquitoes of the water surface, morning calls, dragonflies flitting across the surface of the water - they're always welcome - water is still and the sky blue…</div></span><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EuWOh4Q_P1E/X12AW7RuFbI/AAAAAAACZAw/9vJozjHYY9oDrrXZQ32LSxfd7RlYUc_PQCLcBGAsYHQ/s4608/DSC_7334.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EuWOh4Q_P1E/X12AW7RuFbI/AAAAAAACZAw/9vJozjHYY9oDrrXZQ32LSxfd7RlYUc_PQCLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h333/DSC_7334.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sandhill downstream of Tol Tol</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLdSQwehvJE/X12B83L_DII/AAAAAAACZDQ/yg7ecWs5tJA3IRHTOCuxMz6XVcC-K6xRACPcBGAYYCw/s4608/DSC_7335.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLdSQwehvJE/X12B83L_DII/AAAAAAACZDQ/yg7ecWs5tJA3IRHTOCuxMz6XVcC-K6xRACPcBGAYYCw/w500-h333/DSC_7335.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Edges of sandhill make good camping spots.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vsnnn75FZ_U" width="320" youtube-src-id="Vsnnn75FZ_U"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/Vsnnn75FZ_U" style="font-family: arial;">YouTube</a><span style="font-family: arial;">: Note the stability of this sand hill, with red gums growing as a protective buffer to the currents of the outer bend. No doubt on sediments that have collapsed due to erosion, however this layer of vegetation both protects the sandhill and captures future erosion, allowing recolonisation by other red gums and you can see here, the Acacia stenophylla, and as the face becomes less steep, also by saltbush and grasses…</span></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The third feature of note was Bumbang Island. This is a 12km piece of land which is now cut off from the rest of Victoria by the river, which is in the process of cutting a new course to its South. Saving kilometres is more efficient. Today the river was racing through there. There is a spot, just after a clay bar in the middle where there is a strong undertow. Logs have been seen to disappear there and only surface a hundred metres further downstream. I have been through this cutting at low water. I had no desire to take chances with the power it had in high water. Bumbang Island is an aboriginal reserve and wildlife sanctuary. Today, most of it was under water and there was very little current for the full 12 kilometres. If the water is shallow enough it could cause black water trouble for Robinvale, which is immediately downstream. About half way around Bumbang are the remains of an old post and rail stockyard. One corner of the stockyard is fixed by wire to the oldest black box I have seen in my journey so far. It was well over 2m in diameter. Given that black box grow much slower than river redgum, this would make it many centuries old indeed. Not many old trees remain, Andy Gorman of Meilman Station informs me, because when steam was still the primary source of energy in the bush people worried that they would run out of dried wood and Chinese labourers, seeking work after the gold rush were employed to ‘ring the trees’, leaving them standing until they were needed. Many are still standing. Black box is growing back, but since it takes such a long time to grow, it will be centuries until the landscape approaches its earlier form.</div></span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tt68-wFapHQ/X12FQvD5BhI/AAAAAAACZIA/I1oXADLB5GUQ5zZSP0kYKtqp14EAMKRJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s4608/DSC_7348.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tt68-wFapHQ/X12FQvD5BhI/AAAAAAACZIA/I1oXADLB5GUQ5zZSP0kYKtqp14EAMKRJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h333/DSC_7348.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FsE2hmIBsJo/X12FULNA9uI/AAAAAAACZIY/nXJ9MxgEGl890th8riN8m2j_Ocv1x4gFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s4608/DSC_7488.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FsE2hmIBsJo/X12FULNA9uI/AAAAAAACZIY/nXJ9MxgEGl890th8riN8m2j_Ocv1x4gFQCLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h333/DSC_7488.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q3e8Ue0yzOw/X12FQIm83yI/AAAAAAACZH4/h-ECRJkkl_8JmbfRSGYZPdWLa7DqCcMogCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSCN6190.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="375" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q3e8Ue0yzOw/X12FQIm83yI/AAAAAAACZH4/h-ECRJkkl_8JmbfRSGYZPdWLa7DqCcMogCLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h375/DSCN6190.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Floodplain forests of river red gum and black box. In the last image a spoonbill can be seen wandering along the top of the bank.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2bJNStNubw/X12FUKJs3yI/AAAAAAACZJA/39SvKqXcYHUKAirOWUpUrgJ2okmmnKJDgCPcBGAYYCw/s3693/IMG_1893.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="3693" height="116" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2bJNStNubw/X12FUKJs3yI/AAAAAAACZJA/39SvKqXcYHUKAirOWUpUrgJ2okmmnKJDgCPcBGAYYCw/w500-h116/IMG_1893.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ia9tah7Nw9I/X12FWFn1unI/AAAAAAACZJI/FICFcQKti34HFaJ38v2lCp83lR9mdV4HACPcBGAYYCw/s3701/IMG_1894.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="3701" height="114" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ia9tah7Nw9I/X12FWFn1unI/AAAAAAACZJI/FICFcQKti34HFaJ38v2lCp83lR9mdV4HACPcBGAYYCw/w500-h114/IMG_1894.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgleGViEFQGrUoGa-KsjNMbXCjEHEoS12IBZpbg6uu6BpEltuflJmz00ROnJ_-UYnc0Wc7Sbn_Lmp14lmN6HmBdL5bjD3j0u19e_5Yl2alOvLoNXdepkPHcnEfX9nF9RJI6mtTQfleKw/s3742/IMG_1895.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="3742" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgleGViEFQGrUoGa-KsjNMbXCjEHEoS12IBZpbg6uu6BpEltuflJmz00ROnJ_-UYnc0Wc7Sbn_Lmp14lmN6HmBdL5bjD3j0u19e_5Yl2alOvLoNXdepkPHcnEfX9nF9RJI6mtTQfleKw/w500-h113/IMG_1895.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Wide smooth and dark. Flood waters nearing Robinvale were low in oxygen and high in</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> organic matter.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y-8gRVNHWGg" width="320" youtube-src-id="y-8gRVNHWGg"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/y-8gRVNHWGg"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/y-8gRVNHWGg">YouTube</a>: Small patch of saturated CPOM right of mid stream... Approaching Tol Tol and the sand dunes are definitely getting bigger.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XdWxVnCe0BE/X12FTfhzTCI/AAAAAAACZJM/VSArzQ4A0rAWJhUHXBr8Natst7lC1slDwCPcBGAYYCw/s4608/DSC_7399.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XdWxVnCe0BE/X12FTfhzTCI/AAAAAAACZJM/VSArzQ4A0rAWJhUHXBr8Natst7lC1slDwCPcBGAYYCw/w500-h333/DSC_7399.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-leB2Nau2ay0/X12FQbLb7EI/AAAAAAACZIw/cskKiHnwHgQYl6qvbOfUx9swRLKIbLOmACPcBGAYYCw/s4608/DSC_7393.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-leB2Nau2ay0/X12FQbLb7EI/AAAAAAACZIw/cskKiHnwHgQYl6qvbOfUx9swRLKIbLOmACPcBGAYYCw/w500-h333/DSC_7393.JPG" width="500" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The lower end of the second sand hill tapers off to provide good floodsafe campsites.</div></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dN_GDuQHKno/X12JsoHlVWI/AAAAAAACZM8/SWDXAPPVxq0-EQLxLA3foYbdCpuBYeCrACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1593.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dN_GDuQHKno/X12JsoHlVWI/AAAAAAACZM8/SWDXAPPVxq0-EQLxLA3foYbdCpuBYeCrACLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/IMG_1593.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXPk1IDZWcIVH8K4Tf00uWcJgqM8ph_1gEC23yePW4mhWH8-A76YK5S4cHdBnbRme6bOs_I-CgKP3Iv1g_ysu2_ok302Mam0VL8qI46E9vsLfu8AnSHFd77PIAXGGgcUkEsLd3qg3T_4/s2048/IMG_1594.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXPk1IDZWcIVH8K4Tf00uWcJgqM8ph_1gEC23yePW4mhWH8-A76YK5S4cHdBnbRme6bOs_I-CgKP3Iv1g_ysu2_ok302Mam0VL8qI46E9vsLfu8AnSHFd77PIAXGGgcUkEsLd3qg3T_4/w375-h500/IMG_1594.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFftehd9v_U/X12Js4oA4CI/AAAAAAACZNA/Qdt3HFB-er01tkjFwQBoaE_McKo7twfkACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1595.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFftehd9v_U/X12Js4oA4CI/AAAAAAACZNA/Qdt3HFB-er01tkjFwQBoaE_McKo7twfkACLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/IMG_1595.JPG" width="375" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Groundcover vegetation amongst black box on top of the river bank.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwK-01CjSAA/X12KHtdWYYI/AAAAAAACZN0/3sycYCz_Ipwzf_2rOvsWHzjcWKYpqshOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1596.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwK-01CjSAA/X12KHtdWYYI/AAAAAAACZN0/3sycYCz_Ipwzf_2rOvsWHzjcWKYpqshOwCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/IMG_1596.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vLPLIjLpmAg/X12KHg65w-I/AAAAAAACZN4/rId4PPNnosUHj7fGOCAQHmkSeL4NMtrNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1600.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vLPLIjLpmAg/X12KHg65w-I/AAAAAAACZN4/rId4PPNnosUHj7fGOCAQHmkSeL4NMtrNgCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h500/IMG_1600.JPG" width="375" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Habitat trees on the bank edge. Approaching Bumbang Island.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">A little further is a lagoon, hidden by the trees which have grown over the place where it used to join the river. The lagoon is the way to Euston Station. The original station, settled by Edmund Moray in 1846. It was Moray who embarked on a trip to Adelaide to propose that stem navigation on the Murray River had potential. The South Australian Government supported the initiative, setting a 2000 pound prize for the first steamer to reach Swan Hill. Two people answered that call, Francis Cadell and William Randell. Randell, with little ship building experience built the Lady Augusta near Mannum. It had a square boiler which was held together by chains because under pressure it began to swell. Cadell had his boat made in Sydney and delivered. Both were unaware of the other until arriving at Euston, Robinvale’s sister city, then the race was on. Cadell won by half a day, but both remained key figures in the development of the river trade which played a key role in the development of inland Australia.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cy90BrwLWRg" width="320" youtube-src-id="cy90BrwLWRg"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/cy90BrwLWRg">YouTube</a>: Old log landing upstream of Robinvale.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DeF3X8uvMWg" width="320" youtube-src-id="DeF3X8uvMWg"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/DeF3X8uvMWg">YouTube</a>: Dying river red gums</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>To support that trade, 26 locks and weirs were planned along the Murray River. The idea being that boats would be able to travel along the river at any time of the year, that communities would not run out of water and that irrigation would be possible on a larger scale than was possible with steam pumps along the Murray River. Only 16 were ever built. Torrumbarry weir was supposed to be number 26, it is the furtherest up the Murray. After that comes Euston, which I will probably pass over tomorrow, given the height of the river. Nothing was built in between. Paddle steamers were overtaken by a steadily expanding rail network and the construction of the Hume Dam had begun in the 1930’s. They were seen as no longer necessary. The weirs remain a legacy of the past, but one which enabled the rich agricultural industry in this part of the state to develop. Their weir pools created permanent wetlands, which are important breeding sites for water birds and fish and the steady water levels are attractive to water sports and real estate development. From here on the river changes again. Particularly in low river, one journeys from weir pool to weir pool. Today, with a natural Spring high water event, that is not the case. I look forward to a different take on this section of the Murray River.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrqV_GAyQdxPj5G58AMBGpvtKmDCKNZ_Rvzk-OA8DtbxuYeqN9N_tQLk_HqXi-MUBuA34t8_xPxr_AZp2A9ct-i24GjJr_z1R7jLZdn9cAjcHGcDdhHTNYCbr2ZCayxF2F0ACUHoVZAI/s3949/DSC_7609-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="3949" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrqV_GAyQdxPj5G58AMBGpvtKmDCKNZ_Rvzk-OA8DtbxuYeqN9N_tQLk_HqXi-MUBuA34t8_xPxr_AZp2A9ct-i24GjJr_z1R7jLZdn9cAjcHGcDdhHTNYCbr2ZCayxF2F0ACUHoVZAI/w625-h126/DSC_7609-PANO.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ic9DSKxFfec/X12OdtqYbGI/AAAAAAACZVE/ivPtCYyvCZgV0jBJuTMxiaiRb7ge5wHIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s3714/IMG_1898.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="3714" height="143" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ic9DSKxFfec/X12OdtqYbGI/AAAAAAACZVE/ivPtCYyvCZgV0jBJuTMxiaiRb7ge5wHIwCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h143/IMG_1898.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Wide river landscape approaching Robinvale.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-esbBwZUOwW8/X12OXxu59iI/AAAAAAACZVg/KMlFndApcxY1ghdrOq1YCMstHYm5T7a4wCPcBGAYYCw/s4608/DSC_7591.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-esbBwZUOwW8/X12OXxu59iI/AAAAAAACZVg/KMlFndApcxY1ghdrOq1YCMstHYm5T7a4wCPcBGAYYCw/w500-h333/DSC_7591.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4poMApCGAvc/X12OYrjmNcI/AAAAAAACZVY/TOGGMZUWT9c-71DUpfbju7RpEK3XExVAACPcBGAYYCw/s4608/DSC_7657.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4poMApCGAvc/X12OYrjmNcI/AAAAAAACZVY/TOGGMZUWT9c-71DUpfbju7RpEK3XExVAACPcBGAYYCw/w500-h333/DSC_7657.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Peaceful, slow flow around Bumbang Island - most of the current flowed through the cutting.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ccimMliTLo/X12ObCbBOOI/AAAAAAACZVo/J4IuvSy2NAsK8ox5DePqriKKfGZ-kz25wCPcBGAYYCw/s4608/DSC_7706.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ccimMliTLo/X12ObCbBOOI/AAAAAAACZVo/J4IuvSy2NAsK8ox5DePqriKKfGZ-kz25wCPcBGAYYCw/w500-h333/DSC_7706.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Company for the run into Robinvale: thanks Kia!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGpTXoEbkP0/X12OcSEftgI/AAAAAAACZVk/InDv2CZYmlsLxmHaScy4W_eV9bP5R_bTQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/IMG_1604.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="375" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGpTXoEbkP0/X12OcSEftgI/AAAAAAACZVk/InDv2CZYmlsLxmHaScy4W_eV9bP5R_bTQCPcBGAYYCw/w500-h375/IMG_1604.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Historic sheep yards.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUpc4NLAos5rMoH1YQvDWX3dB23ANYx-NCl-PJRiHaMcCnxCLKd-hJqk9kTQUtIaHd_TOqBaSHM5dnbRQaFPRFA0obMPfElwToYyNQWEIxRepHRrPW-DEZ_04UkSqy1lzTHnKdI5U1-Q/s4608/DSC_7773.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUpc4NLAos5rMoH1YQvDWX3dB23ANYx-NCl-PJRiHaMcCnxCLKd-hJqk9kTQUtIaHd_TOqBaSHM5dnbRQaFPRFA0obMPfElwToYyNQWEIxRepHRrPW-DEZ_04UkSqy1lzTHnKdI5U1-Q/w500-h333/DSC_7773.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Dead river red gums in billabong flooded by water backed up by Euston Weir.<br /></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AVRBNShndg/X12Obw024GI/AAAAAAACZVg/jsZ4XO5WrJkNFxe9s0mmJNJrIt4-5wLtwCPcBGAYYCw/s4608/DSC_7821.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AVRBNShndg/X12Obw024GI/AAAAAAACZVg/jsZ4XO5WrJkNFxe9s0mmJNJrIt4-5wLtwCPcBGAYYCw/w500-h333/DSC_7821.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcllmgZoqGjo7Qq5UtHncswmnSbo4gv2c92jh_Gv_T1U03grvs8-Ly-STSDpdOHtWwczH6qU1yrx03IvTwAgrfHc7cLeugSugiBpqFcdZmN3GNkZsbDF-lPhGZnXqQvzTYBb3Swe-KTs/s2048/IMG_1605.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcllmgZoqGjo7Qq5UtHncswmnSbo4gv2c92jh_Gv_T1U03grvs8-Ly-STSDpdOHtWwczH6qU1yrx03IvTwAgrfHc7cLeugSugiBpqFcdZmN3GNkZsbDF-lPhGZnXqQvzTYBb3Swe-KTs/w500-h375/IMG_1605.JPG" /></a></div>Robinvale's famous Oasis Pub... lost to fire. I had to find somewhere else for a pint and parmi<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1327864353951602"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Tbr4CwCgTpjUHOfXg2OWlb_eYpVD5iLwCb2qHpzjLCOnkJ9Z63MJJT2J-tcPlD5O8VsuJxj1sxdU2W9XlEn7ZyfuslYhiyeXMAIagOcRP4-DALmdckZgUk-jHUhJDhJhn6Q6Z_c" /></a></div>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1327864353951602"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Fh5GzSdyJeV_ejJWtGI-_zfJT94YbifwtZlvjQaHNucN9T9l-WTdLI-x6fNQrdsOjP1e5HsUbMYGblNAvKdvTLqPfS3kYtKMv8xpYHmu0lO2boyeiUXUU8lWpU2CQYUCZ1aT3Ow2=w493-h43" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/0/blog/post/edit/8232040098542598240/6518378697853476153#"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/m-J7b-wMgs7EqIugDbDCTNn9u-ehkHquBWyyAh0G_Xf0G9e2_qB8Gwp74hB_jWboGT9OeMGufZY58ZtAZhjkgYJ0d5VG2H2Ao-zGLdiZqSJ-cuGY-nNcOSTN-siMw7iXgSbe5oqT=s16000" /></a></div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a16eda42-7fff-c1c4-92c5-ea768699dc40"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MurrayRiverPaddleEchucaToTheSea/posts/1327890383948999:0" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a></span></div><br />Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-40961918363831823892020-06-28T11:27:00.019+10:002023-06-23T21:58:17.713+10:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 25 Yungera Station to Invincible Bend Nov 9<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Yungera to Tol Tol</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sunrise, Yungera Station, Boundary Bend, Victoria</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yungera Station</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yungera Station: pulling my fully laden boat to the river.</span></td></tr>
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<br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday I passed a major milestone. Just before Tala Rocks, the only known stone fish trap on the Murray that remains today, I passed the point where I had paddled 1000 km since beginning at the Hume Dam about four weeks ago. If you take away days set aside for organisation, rest and time with family, that's close to an average of 50 km a day, which is the target I set myself given the necessary delay to the beginning of the trip caused by major flooding in the Upper Murray.</div></span>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://youtu.be/zZ6sdjyZbeg">YouTube</a>: Approaching the 1200 km mark just after Yungera Station (morning bird call).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i></i><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Overbank flow through blackbox and river reg gum woodland, just after Yungera Station. Saltbush and Exocarpus understory.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/XwJBrYUnOMs">YouTube</a>: Between 1194 and 1192 opposite the Yungera Island just passed a big area flooded Black Box where where the river and travels more through the forest then it does down its channel... leading to pretty much next to no current in the bends... picking up slightly now ...maybe doing one kilometre an hour ...that area of box Forest is really quite special with trees over 1 m in diameter and and many canoe trees amongst them ...in one spot I counted about five canoe trees in about 200 m.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">In that time the river has changed from looking like a mountain stream, with the hills bordering its catchment clearly visible on either side, to a broad meandering river with 6 km long bends. Above Yarrawonga the Murray was confined to its ancient river bed, regularly flooding and changing course in its narrow valley. Blocked by an uplifting of the earth's crust between Echuca and Deniliquin, it was forced out, split into two rivers, which rejoined, flowing back into the ancient channel 400 km later. It has passed through two giant Redgum forests, the first built on sediment dropped when, blocked by the uplift, the Murray formed a huge lake, and the second, the remnants of a delta where it used to flow into the inland sea that the explorers sought but never found because they were 30 million years too late. Now I am paddling under that sea. No longer covered by waves, I am in the arid zone. Whilst the red gums remain, black box is becoming more common. The silver wattles have been replaced by River Myall and Saltbush and Lignum line the banks. The salt left in the soil beneath the surface by the sea continues to challenge both people and nature. How they cope with this will be part of the story of the next 1,000 km.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ra92rawodOY/XvfohPOE5VI/AAAAAAACWYk/vzJOsLVvZc4fZCBIKeSdYliP57FLYvwCACK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1572.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ra92rawodOY/XvfohPOE5VI/AAAAAAACWYk/vzJOsLVvZc4fZCBIKeSdYliP57FLYvwCACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h480/IMG_1572.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Since the Wakool Junction, the river channel has increased dramatically in width. The parts of the river which flowed Northward around the Cadell Tilt have rejoined and flow is notably stronger. Once again, the Murray is and its floodplain are contained within the channel of the much larger and more powerful stream that existed here in ancient times. The high banks are visible as red cliffs when the river reaches the edge of this corridor.<br /> <br /> In the place that this photograph was taken the flow in the river channel has almost stopped, with most of the flow taking the shortest possible route through the forest. This means that there is only current in those sections of the river which run the same direction as the water is flowing. Current speed varies from zero to seven kilometres per hour. In this photograph water is flowing slowly out of the forest and into the river channel.</span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-axpSUBbRFGo/Xvfr2EmlqMI/AAAAAAACWZA/pDoJeRUa2SQ3DKP9N3ZEfYh2bXQQbZ-xwCK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_6717.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-axpSUBbRFGo/Xvfr2EmlqMI/AAAAAAACWZA/pDoJeRUa2SQ3DKP9N3ZEfYh2bXQQbZ-xwCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_6717.JPG" width="625" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/dzSfZ0IWEPw">YouTube</a>: Yungera State Forest beautiful old gums... I've just passed some High ground back here... The High ground tends to be on the outside of the bends it's not surprisingly really has the river is always forming new lower ground on the inside of the bends... meaning that the High ground, the oldest ground built-up through sediment deposition... floodplain sediments or aeolian Sandhill sediments and this is usually where you will find your Black Box ...not surprisingly ...so outside of the bends and usually at the start of the bends you'll find this fellow, Acacia stenophylla with its long thin dark green leaves... and the peak usually not the end and your find Black Box on the outside of the bends and Red Gum floodplain forest on the inside of the bends and immediately downstream on the benches.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Round Yungera Island, so much of the rivers water is flowing directly through the forest that there is next to no current at all. It makes for a pretty picture through. When the light is right, the forest floor sparkles as the ripples from the flow catch the sunlight. Slow flows through the forest create areas of blackwater. I'm yet to see fish kills resulting from it in this area, however it could be that these have been caught in the forest debris. Now, after 4 weeks, I seem to have old caught up with the flood pulse down the Murray. Floods travel like long waves down rivers. The pressure of the wave causes the water to rise even before the flow does. Both are slowed down by the forests. They absorb the flood pulses, protecting those areas downstream and release it slowly, a bit like a mountain spring. This is why high rivers downstream of forests last longer than those upstream. From here on the Murray sticks more to its channel and both the changes in height and flow should be more predictable.</span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Old Black Box with Saltbush and Lignum understory on the outside of a bend.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i></i><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Organic matter stranded in an eddy amongst vegetation (Saltbush, Lignum and River Myall) at the bank top NSW, forming a thick mat on the surface for the first metre away from shore.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span>Right at the peak of the flood wave... Rising flood waters spreading through a Black Box woodland at Boundary Rocks, opposite Cod's Head Reef Campsite, Yungera Island.<br /><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">At Boundary Rocks I pulled up for a short break. There, the most enormous whirlpools visibly sucked down the surface of the river by up to 10 cm and have a diameter of up to 5 m. Some of them appear suddenly. I took care to stay well away. They are caused by the way the current flows over the rocks below them. We tend to think in two dimensions when it comes to water, but movement occurs in three. The swirls caused by snags and rocks include currents that come to the surface, creating boils and others that go down. When these are extreme they cause whirlpools. Its part of what makes some parts of rivers quite dangerous. The Murray seems so tame, but it has its traps. It is, after all, a wild river. On the shore I can see the waters edge gradually creeping millimetre by millimetre further, or is it receding, when you're at the peak it's hard to tell.</div></span><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Over lunch I called into Meilman Station. Meilman was settled around 1850 and has been run by the Gorman family since the 1920’s. After serving me a hearty lamb roast sandwich, Andy brought out some of his research into local history, including old newspaper articles and photos. One of the photos showed the paddle steamer Ruby moored in front of their house in high water in 1931. The sandhill on which their house is built is at close to 3 metres higher than the current high river. High rivers were frequent before the Hume Dam was built in the 1960's. The changing levels shaped the banks until there was a stable angle, bit by bit, year by year. Now with high rivers happening less frequently, the shaping is happening all at once, which is one of the reasons for the bank collapse we are seeing along many stretches of the Murray. Andy's son, Alfred, showed me some great drone footage he had shot of the high river. They had been using the drone to look for some missing sheep. The property stretches all the way to Euston township and includes several lakes and old water course, many of which run once the river is up. This is what makes looking for sheep in these times more difficult, but is also what makes the understanding of landholders like the Gormans such a valuable resource. Over time I would like to get in contact with as many river landholders as possible and ask them how they see the river has changed, what they think the issues are and what the causes might be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Meilman Station ahead.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Reminiscences of a pioneer - Edmund Morey - A bush Christening. Morey wrote a number of articles. These are searchable on <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/18137048?keyword=Edmund%20Morey">Trove </a>and held in the National Library, Canberra ( Edmund Morey - squatter, Euston N.S.W., 1846). Also part of the Balranald Euston Tooleybuc History Project, Country Areas Program, North West Riverina, Schools Commission, 1984 - Frontier and pioneer life - 18 pages. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DKL7UplltjuEI3ow_p8T-DNjgYy4C8izVK46wn-6EMc/edit?usp=sharing">Here is a record of the 14 entries Edmund Morey wrote about life as a pioneer on the Murray River</a>.</span>
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<span style="font-family: arial;">Paddlesteamer Marion loading wood at Mielman Station in the 1931 flood. Gorman family.</span>
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After Meilman I made for a sandhill the Gormans had told me about, just after invincible bend. In this area the river seems to be doing its old trick of meandering around inside the ancient meanders. This leads to a lot of hairpin bends. During high rivers like this, the river flows straight through the forest rather than around the bends, so instead of great current, I had a lot of areas of dead water. In one of these places I came across what I thought at first was a very odd looking snake. It turned out to be a blue tongue lizard attempting to cross the river. It had blown up its abdomen with air, making it look a bit like a balloon animal. To make headway it wiggled from side to side and tried to do things with its feet as well. Nothing was happening quickly, but it made it across. Lucky there were no whistling kites in the area.</span></div></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ezjezMQgGPc">YouTube</a>: Blue tongue lizard swimming across the river. It seems to have filled itself up with air (swallowed, or filled its lungs?). Most other lizards sit low in the water when swimming. I kept my distance, allowing it to cross safely.</span></div><div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some movement in the water once again...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://youtu.be/MizAMe-AM2Y">YouTube</a>: This cutting this is so large that it is as wide as the main river channel I will take the original channel though because I am interested in the comparison between the current state and how the river looked in the 1800's so this is the channel I'll be taking. The river channel I'll be following the original channel is still wider but you can see in high water conditions like this that most of the river is flowing through the cutting.</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The still air today was great for both photography and recording bird call. There were perfect reflections and the sounds seemed to be magnified by the forest. The most beautiful call was from a butcher bird, whose whistling call defies its rather nasty habit of impaling its prey on spikes. The cockatoos were in pairs and small groups, nesting communities. They cause quite a problem for local fruit growers and the almond plantations in the area which they see as a gifted food source. Locals say that the flocks in summer have to be seen to be believed.</div></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i></i><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There looks like there has been a fire through here with charring on the base of some of the trees and epicormic growth up much of the trunks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;">Just around the corner from where I was to make camp, I came across a boat coming the other way. There aren’t many boats on the water these days, so we came together and had a chat. Father and daughter, Barry and Jess were just giving their boat a bit of a run after a winter’s rest. Jess handed over a stubby. Barry had heard one of my interviews on the ABC and asked if I was that person. They invited me to stay at their river holiday home, which is where I am now. Again lucky and amazed at the generosity of the people around me. We finished the day off with a few more beers and swapping river stories. Everyone has their story and I want to hear them. There is always something to learn. Barry says that the cockatoos are a big issue in this area. They feed on the almonds and fruit trees. He says that flocks have never been bigger and that they are causing real issues for many trees, whether they be on private property or where they roost in the forest. Barry wanted to emphasise how many things are going well with the river, saying that we only hear the doom and gloom stories. Salinity he says, has never been lower and water is reaching the mouth of the river once again. We all know stories of where things have gone wrong, but its important to reflect on what works as well.</span><div><br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">First sign of the Avery's boat... the first boat I have seen on the water since around Gunbower...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/uE1Z2siDkv4">YouTube</a>: Coming into Invincible Bend just passed 1158 floodplain River Red Gum forest I've just met Barry and daughter, Jess in that boat and they have invited me to stay in their place have a night how nice is that! This is Invincible Bend.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSL_M0X8GOY/Xvf9eeYTaVI/AAAAAAACWb8/Q5mJOdG8gC0pg_910WQtjGVymxzsYJn0wCK4BGAsYHg/s2048/IMG_1615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSL_M0X8GOY/Xvf9eeYTaVI/AAAAAAACWb8/Q5mJOdG8gC0pg_910WQtjGVymxzsYJn0wCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h469/IMG_1615.JPG" width="625" /></span></a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Barry Avery at Little River Cottage, Invincible Bend.</span></div></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tomorrow I make for Robinvale, where I will stock up on supplies</span>.</div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-11744922865083944462020-06-21T11:53:00.034+10:002023-06-22T21:25:20.488+10:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 24 Narrung Station to Yungera Station Nov 8.<h1 style="text-align: left;"><font size="5">Narrung - Yungera Station</font></h1><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n_u1XpmgGUU/Xu6-KoOu6FI/AAAAAAACWOs/BDKi1VNmLyoeZx96z4nLfB6BIy4Py3LLQCK4BGAsYHg/s1266/Narrung-YungeraMap.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1266" height="356" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n_u1XpmgGUU/Xu6-KoOu6FI/AAAAAAACWOs/BDKi1VNmLyoeZx96z4nLfB6BIy4Py3LLQCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h356/Narrung-YungeraMap.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />As I leave Narrung, I have music from the film 'The way' playing on my phone. I point my rudder to direct the boat into the stream and initially just drift, consciously taking in the morning quiet, the swirling currents and the dappled, clouded sky. I count my blessings that I have the opportunity to travel down this great river, to see the changes it undergoes and to see the natural cycles in action around me. With a few strokes I direct my kayak midstream. The morning breeze moves around me and I move with it. The sun breaking through the clouds shines like a second light on the water. The music is fitting because a journey down the Murray, however you do it, is like a pilgrimage. There are many times that you are alone and yet you keep meeting people, you keep passing places of significance whether they be peoples homes, different types of bush, changes in the landscape, towns, or where one river flows into another. Like a pilgrimage, a trip down the Murray is a journey through time; you can't help but wonder what has gone before. You come to reflect on your own life and on the people dear to you. It is a cleansing experience and spiritual: a true pilgrimage.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jSYuBhv3OdI/Xu9D-sexwCI/AAAAAAACWPQ/v-aLFgbb06AfBgCLXTfwHao_QOV5vR8pACK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_5556.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jSYuBhv3OdI/Xu9D-sexwCI/AAAAAAACWPQ/v-aLFgbb06AfBgCLXTfwHao_QOV5vR8pACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/DSC_5556.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BPlPUoQsobQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="BPlPUoQsobQ"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/BPlPUoQsobQ">YouTube</a>: Just down from 1258 River Red Gum / Black Box (but with a very fissured bark so perhaps it is something else) Saltbush plains, Lignum, Acacia stenophylla, and then into lowland River Red Gum.. on the New South Wales side it's all River Red Gum. It has been a lovely stop in Narrung, way nicer than I expected. Great to meet Justin and Bianca, and experience their hospitality and go-get-em energy…</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYqdP6K3G2o/Xu_5S03NSqI/AAAAAAACWTU/Oq2kiqWcnTMViDd4LRIp7DJ6Tsjkj9qPgCK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_5566.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYqdP6K3G2o/Xu_5S03NSqI/AAAAAAACWTU/Oq2kiqWcnTMViDd4LRIp7DJ6Tsjkj9qPgCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_5566.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Flooded River Red Gum and Black Box woodland with an understory of saltbush and lignum.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c-zb0_nEOZc/Xu9F1_Pt4XI/AAAAAAACWPk/3-lFE8uoklACzxXv7P2vfU1zuBIGdePngCK4BGAsYHg/s2048/IMG_1541.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c-zb0_nEOZc/Xu9F1_Pt4XI/AAAAAAACWPk/3-lFE8uoklACzxXv7P2vfU1zuBIGdePngCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h469/IMG_1541.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Salt bush, Acacia stenophylla, river red gum on bank top, high ground NSW.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JvJu67Gng_M/Xu9GX9X1sPI/AAAAAAACWPs/q10gK9jvl4gPAc9M4VFtmc3w-93DX7aoACK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1543.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JvJu67Gng_M/Xu9GX9X1sPI/AAAAAAACWPs/q10gK9jvl4gPAc9M4VFtmc3w-93DX7aoACK4BGAsYHg/w625-h469/IMG_1543.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Flow across broad meander VIC side through saltbush, black box and river red gum woodland with healthy understory... Meander channel dynamics vary with river level, not only in flow, but also in the path they take. In this example, once the river is high enough a 100m wide flow across the meander happens here. At lower levels a smaller, more convoluted path is taken. Only the lower level flow is confined to a well defined channel. The high level flow path is vegetated and more direct. Both flow through a billabong at their lower end.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1oVkDmvFp8s" width="320" youtube-src-id="1oVkDmvFp8s"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/1oVkDmvFp8s">YouTube</a>: Overbank flow near the peak of the 2016 floods on the Murray River.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Video showing flow across meander through black box, river red gum woodland with saltbush understory during the 2016 Murray River Flood. Between Narrung and Boundary Bend.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZVLtFIyHdjg" width="320" youtube-src-id="ZVLtFIyHdjg"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ZVLtFIyHdjg">YouTube</a>: About 1248 on a Southerly straight towards Narrung with the big 400 ahead.. On my right there are quite a few billabongs when you look at the map.. And I’ve seen the river using these as shortcuts to get across this area here (shows map).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Approaching the junction with the Murrumbidgee River, it's interesting to see how different their paths are. The Murray in this section has bends which run for between 2 and 4 km. The Murrumbidgee on the other hand, has bends half or third that distance. Compared to the Murray it looks like a windy little stream. The difference reflects the flows down those rivers over many thousands of years. In this section, the Murray follows the bed of its ancient stream, laid down well before the last ice age, before the Cadel tilt blocked the course of the Murray at Mathoura, forcing it first North, then South through Echuca. Since that all began around 75,000 years ago, this must be at least that old. Interestingly, the dimensions are similar to the now dry bed of the river you can still find at Mathoura. Its called Green Gully. You can get an information leaflet at the tourist info centre and go for a drive along it. Back then we had a much wetter climate, our mountains were higher and flows were much greater. The Murrumbidgee, on the other hand must have always had much lower flows then the Murray - either that or it has cut itself a new path which reflects the flows in more recent times. The bigger than meander the greater the flow that river carried when it was formed. The smaller and tighter the meander, the smaller the flow when it was formed. In sections of the Murray like downstream of Echuca, the river is trapped within the ancient bed and meanders back and forth within the original bends. If you look at satellite imagery from Google earth you can see it with your own eyes.</div></span><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OA0Ji_ocw-g/Xu9JhPrPClI/AAAAAAACWP8/cRvo3GRg39Ev_1qBgIbiykzLu5x5AgTJQCK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_5797.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OA0Ji_ocw-g/Xu9JhPrPClI/AAAAAAACWP8/cRvo3GRg39Ev_1qBgIbiykzLu5x5AgTJQCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_5797.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Strong flow through the forest, aerating the river water in the process... large woody debris stranded against river red gum tree trunks...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beW1scXeeNk/Xu9J2T3vQTI/AAAAAAACWQE/seJleodcJ1gwMU4h6WCCBqsiSZzfGTXtgCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1549.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beW1scXeeNk/Xu9J2T3vQTI/AAAAAAACWQE/seJleodcJ1gwMU4h6WCCBqsiSZzfGTXtgCK4BGAsYHg/w375-h500/IMG_1549.JPG" width="375" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Boat set up - GPSmap 62s with topographic maps loaded on a micro DS card - was used to determine location, river path and as a trip meter to measure the 250 metre distance between each photo points. A series of photos was taken, from left bank to right bank every 250 metres. In addition, every 1.25 km a video log with commentary was used to keep a record of features and trends observed. Murrumbidgee Junction visible near the top of the map.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mzH2sSm2ejE/Xu9KaMdDNVI/AAAAAAACWQQ/qQmdiTI2kgkblD_XQ3SIVKDt0fHFtq52gCK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_5828.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mzH2sSm2ejE/Xu9KaMdDNVI/AAAAAAACWQQ/qQmdiTI2kgkblD_XQ3SIVKDt0fHFtq52gCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_5828.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Murrumbidgee Junction with the Murray River upstream of Boundary Bend. 1243 km</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aYhxpY0sTT8" width="320" youtube-src-id="aYhxpY0sTT8"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/aYhxpY0sTT8">YouTube</a>: Around 1238 downstream of the Murrumbidgee Junction… Bird call.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A7uqYbhZ9jQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="A7uqYbhZ9jQ"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/A7uqYbhZ9jQ">YouTube</a>: Large swirls and whirlpools upstream from Boundary Bend. Between 1334 and 1332 approaching Boundary Bend ...large sandhill with Callitris on top... but also a lot of Exotics…. wohooo! that's a whirlpool…. including Palms, pepper trees but even fan palms... vegetation on the bank site looks more mallee like than what I'm used to... red gums on the bank are in poor health with little regeneration ...most of the understory being wattles or introduced species ...up on top of the bank the Murray Valley Highway runs by and we will return to that in a couple of Km.. 4 km… lowland River Red Gum forest on the New South Wales side with much better health ratings - Between 2 and 5.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0P7rqNdgxMI/Xu9Nrbrt7iI/AAAAAAACWQg/43DsdhCKEUMLb9o4ezU3U-ZUMLB2ZE24QCK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_6050.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0P7rqNdgxMI/Xu9Nrbrt7iI/AAAAAAACWQg/43DsdhCKEUMLb9o4ezU3U-ZUMLB2ZE24QCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_6050.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Boundary Bend</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D9v7OwfDNCA/Xu9N_imL3wI/AAAAAAACWQo/Bc_1Gpxgi1c_YNp5wrMsEdiEQXj-8vAiQCK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_6058.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D9v7OwfDNCA/Xu9N_imL3wI/AAAAAAACWQo/Bc_1Gpxgi1c_YNp5wrMsEdiEQXj-8vAiQCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_6058.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Houseboat and dingy downstream from Boundary Bend.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CGwV7ongUsI/Xu9OYbXMfRI/AAAAAAACWQw/6nyYfvsHxactg6RauGm6s61i-67PdQKigCK4BGAsYHg/s3869/IMG_1552.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="3869" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CGwV7ongUsI/Xu9OYbXMfRI/AAAAAAACWQw/6nyYfvsHxactg6RauGm6s61i-67PdQKigCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h469/IMG_1552.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Stately old river red gum.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">After the ‘bidgee’ it is not far to Boundary Bend and since I had already been in the boat for over three hours, I decided that it was time for a stretch and perhaps a bit of a feed at the local servo. The boat ramp and picnic area was under water, so the only spot to pull up was right next to the Murray Valley Highway. I waited for a gap in the traffic to dress a bit more respectably, stowed my gear and headed in to try my luck. It turns out that the service station is a mecca for trucks and farm workers, as well as a tourist destination. The meals are generous, tasty and good value. While I was enjoying the luxury of a meal cooked by someone else - with chips - I overheard a family discussing river levels behind me. They knew all the flood dates. Turns out they were interested in my project. We had a good yarn. I stopped a lot longer than I expected. People they knew kept coming in door and joining in the conversation. Everyone knows something about the river, and they all know how people’s livelihoods and wellbeing are affected by the way it is managed. One of the people who joined the table was the owner of Yungara Station. What luck, the high ground on which it stood was where I wanted to stay for the night. On asking permission, John let me stay in his river weekender, which is where I am writing this post from. Sofa, electric light, running water and fly screens - what more could you ask for? After such a good feed and heartened by the company and their interest in my research project (comparing the state of the river banks to how they were in the 1800’s) the next 26km seems like a breeze.</div></span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8pK2jPJqd5E/Xu9Orxl4T4I/AAAAAAACWQ4/Hx-BZO5vjIwblckYvBTwLn_MunWPLJ_9QCK4BGAsYHg/s7196/DSC_6210-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1669" data-original-width="7196" height="145" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8pK2jPJqd5E/Xu9Orxl4T4I/AAAAAAACWQ4/Hx-BZO5vjIwblckYvBTwLn_MunWPLJ_9QCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h145/DSC_6210-PANO.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ikQ_ZaoFc-A/Xu_7ANp9fWI/AAAAAAACWTk/S-W94N8CgzkmsacTdWLaGYttA3G0daTvACK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_6285.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ikQ_ZaoFc-A/Xu_7ANp9fWI/AAAAAAACWTk/S-W94N8CgzkmsacTdWLaGYttA3G0daTvACK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_6285.JPG" width="625" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EPXpKxpYZEM" width="320" youtube-src-id="EPXpKxpYZEM"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/EPXpKxpYZEM">YouTube</a>: Just on this stretch there are some incredibly old gums which have lost (at time) nearly all of their limbs and regenerated… the number of hollows in them is just incredible…</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In addition, the afternoon the light was is beautiful. The breeze from earlier in the day had eased and the cloudy sky broke to allow occasional patches of sunlight and glimpses of blue. It was an afternoon with some special bird observations. I saw a young wedge tailed eagle sitting on the low branch of a black box tree, not far from the water. It had something it had caught in it's claws, but was being swooped again and again by a willy wagtail. I saw a flock of murray rosellas fly over the river. I have only ever seen these green and yellow relatives of crimson rosellas in small groups of three or four, here there were 20. In the still air, the reflections were awesome. I hope that they come out well in the photos.</div></span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I-uIcLYlcus/Xu9RKfgui2I/AAAAAAACWRM/zdA0yY6JE-83RFB0NSFgVV6-Ekfy8Vs7QCK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_6445.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I-uIcLYlcus/Xu9RKfgui2I/AAAAAAACWRM/zdA0yY6JE-83RFB0NSFgVV6-Ekfy8Vs7QCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_6445.JPG" width="625" /></a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZXfEMAhuas/Xu9RnAHZhRI/AAAAAAACWRU/JJ33xlWX8D0jEaY2npwRNQyAFdBBhnXRQCK4BGAsYHg/s4608/DSC_6528.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZXfEMAhuas/Xu9RnAHZhRI/AAAAAAACWRU/JJ33xlWX8D0jEaY2npwRNQyAFdBBhnXRQCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h416/DSC_6528.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Strong flow across meander here (see foam trails)... at boundary between black box and river red gum... Google Earth 8/10/16 shows broad shallow vegetated channel...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1uNfQOgV32o" width="320" youtube-src-id="1uNfQOgV32o"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/1uNfQOgV32o">YouTube</a>: Coming up to 1202 km and the point of Buchanan’s Bend and my last entry for the day as i will be camping there.. I wanted to say in the summary reports on the condition of Black Box and River Red Gum on the Murray… it says that i thought it said that Black Box communities were severely threatened and at risk of dying.. I have seen some (particularly older) Black Box trees look stressed. Most of these are recovering… some with limited bud growth, showing how stressed they were… just a few shoots, about one or two years old, but most trees are between 3 and 4 in health, which is quite good… admittedly I can only see about 100 m through the forest… anything beyond that I cannot really judge… but what I can say is what I have seen… and from what I have seen, I can say that the Black Box is not dying, it is quite a resilient species, suited to where it grows along the river up until at least this point, which is Yungera Station downstream from Boundary Bend and on the way to Robinvale.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yungara station goes back to the 1850’s. A lot of work needs to be done to restore it, but it already looks good. Recently the families of those that lived at the station got together for its 150 year anniversary, reliving the memories that they had and those that had been passed down to them. Keeping history alive enriches whole communities. Our lives become stories interwoven with others. Across the river a tree slowly cracks and falls in the forest, making a big splash in the water as it does so. Otherwise the river is quiet, it does its thing and moves on. On the shore butcher birds are the last to sing the evening in with their melodious call. The sky develops at first a light pink haze and then turns purple. Cicadas and crickets begin to buzz and swallows do their last round of scooping up mosses before retiring to their nest and leaving the rest of the job up to the bats. I know why people enjoy holidaying on the river.</div></span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q7CS0ENQo24" width="320" youtube-src-id="q7CS0ENQo24"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/q7CS0ENQo24">YouTube</a>: Productive zone on the river's edge. Yungera Station. Behind the submerged trees the water is teeming with young fish and dragonflies.. every time you see a ripple that is a young fish, or tadpole come to the surface… If you stand still for more than a few seconds, you can actually see them come up.</div></span><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZzJHxRNvQAk" width="320" youtube-src-id="ZzJHxRNvQAk"></iframe></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ZzJHxRNvQAk" style="font-family: arial;">YouTube</a><span style="font-family: arial;">: I can also see shrimp and tadpoles… tadpoles come straight to the top, they have the big fat bodies… they come straight to the top and then return to the bottom again and the shrimp hang around the floating debris… the fish are more mobile.. they tend not to go up and down so much… but I can see a lot of shrimp and a lot of tadpole in this particular spot… perhaps it’s this spot with its intersection of saltbush and meadow grass and the habitat that provides for these small forms of water life…</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nwRlRINSx0k/Xu9UYFDV96I/AAAAAAACWRg/1JjGFbCg9-QWtSV1gWnGOgbvP0X5FDiCwCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1558.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nwRlRINSx0k/Xu9UYFDV96I/AAAAAAACWRg/1JjGFbCg9-QWtSV1gWnGOgbvP0X5FDiCwCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h469/IMG_1558.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Yungera Station</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tomorrow I make for Tol Tol, then the day after that Robinvale, where the manager of the caravan park assures me I can canoe literally right up to the office!</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71wa65zlhwk/Xu9UvX1dDUI/AAAAAAACWRo/XS25yGHgy34luzWUYx5eqpSTAi_O70KkQCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1560.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71wa65zlhwk/Xu9UvX1dDUI/AAAAAAACWRo/XS25yGHgy34luzWUYx5eqpSTAi_O70KkQCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h469/IMG_1560.JPG" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv36i-wdrjA/Xu9U9je7MUI/AAAAAAACWRs/9soZHj9fEuYspNM5ZLWOt4pWBnRCQG6lACK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1561.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv36i-wdrjA/Xu9U9je7MUI/AAAAAAACWRs/9soZHj9fEuYspNM5ZLWOt4pWBnRCQG6lACK4BGAsYHg/w469-h625/IMG_1561.JPG" width="469" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Nn4xxnNjJo/Xu9VLbwLqnI/AAAAAAACWRw/L4v17IyXLdY06VHUPkKRKFjmnAqY919JwCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_1562.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Nn4xxnNjJo/Xu9VLbwLqnI/AAAAAAACWRw/L4v17IyXLdY06VHUPkKRKFjmnAqY919JwCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h469/IMG_1562.JPG" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A bed for the night and electricity to charge my devices...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-29859570381496258212020-05-24T16:32:00.022+10:002023-06-22T21:17:36.130+10:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 23 Tooleybuc to Narrung Station Nov 7<br />
<br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"><font size="4">
Tooleybuc to Narrung</font></h3><div><font size="4"><br /></font></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7CnH4LNyqk0/XsoFAk3f8jI/AAAAAAACS3c/bE0lRFKlcDgVWbEYHHWWW_L4tKd5KEsmQCK4BGAsYHg/Tooleybuc-Narrung_Map.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="1011" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7CnH4LNyqk0/XsoFAk3f8jI/AAAAAAACS3c/bE0lRFKlcDgVWbEYHHWWW_L4tKd5KEsmQCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h358/Tooleybuc-Narrung_Map.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Tooleybuc in the morning was busy with backpackers getting ready for work. I thought I was up early at six, but it turns out that 6 am is the standard time for the start of work in Tooleybuc. Country time doesn't run slow when it comes to getting a start to the day. When the sun rises, work starts and it doesn't stop till it sets.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKqzL9yu47E/XsopXX6BnHI/AAAAAAACS7o/bq4OgOKDFI8T5h7QlcASUK0bpRUcamWWACK4BGAsYHg/DSC_4710.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="427" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKqzL9yu47E/XsopXX6BnHI/AAAAAAACS7o/bq4OgOKDFI8T5h7QlcASUK0bpRUcamWWACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h427/DSC_4710.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As I packed up my tent, young Malaysian fellas donned their very Aussie looking fluro work shirt's and waited for a lift to their farm and as I carried my gear down to the river, minibus after minibus and old car after old car full of backpackers passed by</span>.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nMP6ZXuWGX0/XsoHkkOn5jI/AAAAAAACS34/FuxKlW-HGGUegWW86n2XaSlo7JfNQ1WFgCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h392/DSC_4715.JPG" width="640" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N-rIFtJA2qM/XsoIDy_2IMI/AAAAAAACS4E/TckXgDzwLBguKL_3aKVrzOXPNC9GSgZKwCK4BGAsYHg/DSC_4719-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="7524" height="125" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N-rIFtJA2qM/XsoIDy_2IMI/AAAAAAACS4E/TckXgDzwLBguKL_3aKVrzOXPNC9GSgZKwCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h125/DSC_4719-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw91mcWf67o10mx_U5Wn487Ge_DUb4fAmY_RRc_Tbk11Em7OL2ymxfqlKZvTzGwuIahCu8aRevXjZW9q-xvCw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D7W0K8w4Wi0/XsoJp9tA1LI/AAAAAAACS4Q/83OMgu_EamoEFD8fumChzwXoGZjWFnCKQCK4BGAsYHg/DSC_4755.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="427" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D7W0K8w4Wi0/XsoJp9tA1LI/AAAAAAACS4Q/83OMgu_EamoEFD8fumChzwXoGZjWFnCKQCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h427/DSC_4755.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">From Tooleybuc to the Wakool Junction, the river runs almost due North and without the characteristic meanders of most of its journey to the sea. There must be some sort of geological reason for this: a clue might be found in the large parallel sand dunes which run along to the river towards Goodnight. The sandunes are around 15m high and according to Justin, a Narrung local, you have it made if you have them on your land. It's where the orange, almond, olives and grapes are planted. Justin informed me that most of Cobram Oil produce comes from here. The factory is in Cobram, but the trees are grown on red mallee soil.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cv98N8H3Wb4/XsoKFUlUWSI/AAAAAAACS4Y/BkoC79KmLfMOPAbML21Uhpv2fPyGDgdUACK4BGAsYHg/DSC_4767.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cv98N8H3Wb4/XsoKFUlUWSI/AAAAAAACS4Y/BkoC79KmLfMOPAbML21Uhpv2fPyGDgdUACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/DSC_4767.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vk2iaeOVeIA/XsoKSAmfr-I/AAAAAAACS4c/QsssK8ypO-UTKwbvSIycD_f3qH_xYxLpgCK4BGAsYHg/DSC_4769.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vk2iaeOVeIA/XsoKSAmfr-I/AAAAAAACS4c/QsssK8ypO-UTKwbvSIycD_f3qH_xYxLpgCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/DSC_4769.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The first black box have begun to appear on the edge of the river red gum is since generally appear to be in good health. During the day, their number increased until they occupied stands in both sides of the river.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WQP5UBalEDU/XsoKppWRAvI/AAAAAAACS4k/0gPqBzxBbbA6UpPQj6Aur9Myqln_DOKbACK4BGAsYHg/DSC_4787.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WQP5UBalEDU/XsoKppWRAvI/AAAAAAACS4k/0gPqBzxBbbA6UpPQj6Aur9Myqln_DOKbACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/DSC_4787.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vSGH8cwPaUg/XsoK3BmN_DI/AAAAAAACS4o/lXtPPuOhMycFUlCEmnJUj4BQLqTeHyeqwCK4BGAsYHg/DSC_4796.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vSGH8cwPaUg/XsoK3BmN_DI/AAAAAAACS4o/lXtPPuOhMycFUlCEmnJUj4BQLqTeHyeqwCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/DSC_4796.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>From Tooleybuc onwards the Murray seems to be increasingly influenced by the high level of the Edward Wakool system. There is no noticeable current 10 km out of Tooleybuc and water has reached the top of the bank and is overflowing into the surrounding countryside.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kR0JlH_X60Y/XsoLJueUflI/AAAAAAACS4s/fK-x4Oh7npMN1qtFWfs7Ru2ElNnQ34F9QCK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1829.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2332" data-original-width="10800" height="138" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kR0JlH_X60Y/XsoLJueUflI/AAAAAAACS4s/fK-x4Oh7npMN1qtFWfs7Ru2ElNnQ34F9QCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h138/IMG_1829.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxMJEMlT9mRoFflnEqmSm0sroEakI_EG11dNGLSw8O9ikv495nSpvP_PZTdPqY9o_nETnQPWk3P2vXyMvBD_g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd63ir_laXE/XsoLzmcnNoI/AAAAAAACS48/bNBOD6MjU8A_fIvH_5m_lXGB51y5IvlcACK4BGAsYHg/DSC_4850.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd63ir_laXE/XsoLzmcnNoI/AAAAAAACS48/bNBOD6MjU8A_fIvH_5m_lXGB51y5IvlcACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/DSC_4850.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oAGCK1AnFiE/XsoMd7Jr6tI/AAAAAAACS5E/NhBlexApUu8kNpjOqlLmbqmS7FYogt30ACK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1499.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oAGCK1AnFiE/XsoMd7Jr6tI/AAAAAAACS5E/NhBlexApUu8kNpjOqlLmbqmS7FYogt30ACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h480/IMG_1499.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4pjbbWkuz0/XsoMz-g1psI/AAAAAAACS5M/MHW-Q9BenccbNEZ7bm2FEvKOl3aOOpq1gCK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1833.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2332" data-original-width="10800" height="138" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4pjbbWkuz0/XsoMz-g1psI/AAAAAAACS5M/MHW-Q9BenccbNEZ7bm2FEvKOl3aOOpq1gCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h138/IMG_1833.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">About 12 km from the junction with the Wakool river, the first dead fish began to appear: first the smaller ones, I didn't expect this, then the larger ones. Given the lack of current I thought the northerly winds had pushed them up here, but perhaps they swam here but died of exhaustion.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lnQoMjBu5TQ/XsoNHbnb6aI/AAAAAAACS5U/uPonwTanFl4XstVp3ZsdF4G4Fyg40pWAQCK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1503-EFFECTS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lnQoMjBu5TQ/XsoNHbnb6aI/AAAAAAACS5U/uPonwTanFl4XstVp3ZsdF4G4Fyg40pWAQCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h480/IMG_1503-EFFECTS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx1jio7Zp1ZbfCaX4djG2-hKNo646l2reFB-nZPojAznbTHI8RL2JaT4PcwTOs7HrNSYm71Tlc4nsxv8-vfHA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Inr8_GmZAd0/XsoNxmxQX8I/AAAAAAACS5c/xEL7Mc5ka4U8fe0oD6Ap_vU1RLGINq0CACK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1518.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Inr8_GmZAd0/XsoNxmxQX8I/AAAAAAACS5c/xEL7Mc5ka4U8fe0oD6Ap_vU1RLGINq0CACK4BGAsYHg/w480-h640/IMG_1518.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sbu9DlcoyBU/XsoN_XszWNI/AAAAAAACS5g/3HiYdMMGztkfrZfq_XrJtXnINoxubj74QCK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1837.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="10800" height="144" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sbu9DlcoyBU/XsoN_XszWNI/AAAAAAACS5g/3HiYdMMGztkfrZfq_XrJtXnINoxubj74QCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h144/IMG_1837.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdy3prlgqQY/XsoOHYdLMaI/AAAAAAACS5k/XW4ovv2T2-EB8ddU4WRooeqQXFLT63V8wCK4BGAsYHg/DSC_5051-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="5970" height="182" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdy3prlgqQY/XsoOHYdLMaI/AAAAAAACS5k/XW4ovv2T2-EB8ddU4WRooeqQXFLT63V8wCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h182/DSC_5051-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKm0y-nqsSw/XsoOUWLDxJI/AAAAAAACS5o/0fB3jQ_LOJQrRXevrVhbz6--TNDkBaOlgCK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1520.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKm0y-nqsSw/XsoOUWLDxJI/AAAAAAACS5o/0fB3jQ_LOJQrRXevrVhbz6--TNDkBaOlgCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h480/IMG_1520.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz9aAOidowKzTFH8mxVG7Rl541UkpMgOsq5rwxv8BRe-2tGzGV2PEqVixiBeQiYkCKvbABvnzR_pqmCvcdFCQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>I was prepared for swirling currents when I finally reached the Wakool Junction, but the river was calm. There were even signs of bank on the NSW side. What had I been worried about? I photographed the channel I had just left and compared it to the one I was about to enter. The curent picked up after the Wakool junctions. It was good to have that helping hand once more.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzg9pUvgWksf7pssws6OWIAUGykWYF-MS7TABHjgLKqiLbN4LnONP5SfPoJFkhOEZ82I5zhTHnCffe8EApmAA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K9902xNKTSg/XsoPWWKivlI/AAAAAAACS50/_D6N-dsOUvAjx0RUv26T6hR49DCsJEKrwCK4BGAsYHg/DSC_5167-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1634" data-original-width="6675" height="156" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K9902xNKTSg/XsoPWWKivlI/AAAAAAACS50/_D6N-dsOUvAjx0RUv26T6hR49DCsJEKrwCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h156/DSC_5167-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwO_M4Ok4fi2B41poKTaLIN6XmKUw3F61M1rUMxsxYEJ1OIYREMPdBgH2r-ItoJWmkyT4PV8FOjZG8R4oymsA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRmYi83obUA/XsoQymJPQYI/AAAAAAACS6I/rhWbKdOd41Qa35Ruspg4qZaPo2vc2dylgCK4BGAsYHg/DSC_5256.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRmYi83obUA/XsoQymJPQYI/AAAAAAACS6I/rhWbKdOd41Qa35Ruspg4qZaPo2vc2dylgCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/DSC_5256.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fast flow through redgums aerating the oxygen starved river water.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzIq1H1UZ0ji0Sp3zR77IEeyezAuI3PJ88zyRvnC0dlDyS4xvVpRdnBiSEb1VqjCJSRdFsAcD8RehYJmzO08w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u5OaWr1B6u8/XsoREUZh46I/AAAAAAACS6Q/aSO29FUBmXAzL4TVt3hAqtbTyHbvm9ZuwCK4BGAsYHg/DSC_5285-PANO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1847" data-original-width="6399" height="184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u5OaWr1B6u8/XsoREUZh46I/AAAAAAACS6Q/aSO29FUBmXAzL4TVt3hAqtbTyHbvm9ZuwCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h184/DSC_5285-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">At Narrung I found a quiet little spot under some black box and had just set about making dinner when farm ute pulled up and Justin (adjacent whose property I had camped( pulled up with an esky full of beer - to share! I did not return to my meal until much later - 3 cans, 4 fresh eggs, a farm tour, family introductions and an invitation to use their spare room should I ever come by again another time. Talk about country hospitality!</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIF2326Trov8BQe7yq2zOLNo0JVKN2uuzhltP7nMcpDYM46n8q6CCLbPrNMKwal8S6E1NZ7ItkDBbwW7POxPwlcHUX6kjFk9Zlx0RB6zOTmR-0mbM7YmmPcFcOpnN_LxC4AEzGq3DdU4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIF2326Trov8BQe7yq2zOLNo0JVKN2uuzhltP7nMcpDYM46n8q6CCLbPrNMKwal8S6E1NZ7ItkDBbwW7POxPwlcHUX6kjFk9Zlx0RB6zOTmR-0mbM7YmmPcFcOpnN_LxC4AEzGq3DdU4/w640-h480/IMG_1528.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bcit2glNAik/XsoTRyzbrqI/AAAAAAACS7E/GcC13bclTds-FGG7lcAqcUcvuWiPUGA1wCK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1531.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bcit2glNAik/XsoTRyzbrqI/AAAAAAACS7E/GcC13bclTds-FGG7lcAqcUcvuWiPUGA1wCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h480/IMG_1531.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDvi6BitQrU/XsoTcqqOSPI/AAAAAAACS7I/lPyYNvRX9DEy1XtyOu-uBdACJ9RF4ePzgCK4BGAsYHg/IMG_1530.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDvi6BitQrU/XsoTcqqOSPI/AAAAAAACS7I/lPyYNvRX9DEy1XtyOu-uBdACJ9RF4ePzgCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h480/IMG_1530.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The sun set as I ate my dinner, warmed by the experience and sleepy after the beers, I crawled into my tent and allowed evening to fall.</span>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232040098542598240.post-92068474412464743362019-11-02T23:11:00.002+11:002023-06-21T22:15:13.591+10:00Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 22 Nyah to Tooleybuc Nov 6<br />
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MRP 2016 Day 22 Nyah to Tooleybuc Nov 6</h2>
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Nyah to Tooleybuc</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Just downstream of Nyah. The camping area is mostly hidden behind the town levees, however these campers are enjoying the proximity of the waterfront with the raised river.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Days that begin with an invitation to a cuppa are good days. Helen and Doug from Harcourt offered a coffee and a hand with the boat afterwards. Helen had competed in the Murray Marathon in 1990 with a team from the girl guides. She was in a leaders boat. It had a crocodile on the front as a mascot. Once you’ve done the marathon its hard to get out of your blood. They are such powerful experiences and anyone who has completed one becomes an ally.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sunlight through the river redgums in the morning light.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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</div><span style="font-family: arial;">I decided to only paddle to Tooleybuc today because with the Wakool high, I wanted all my wits about me when approaching that river which is apparently peaking now. It seems that I have caught up with flood waters. I hope only that with the wider river channel downstream of that junction, that the floodwaters would not be as dramatic. Gauges said that the river was at 11m, which is 9m higher than usual. That’s pretty high and well over any low banks. I am using a 1956 flood map to determine safe areas to camp. Mostly they are where the stations are. Those early settlers knew how to read the landscape.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Old river red gum with branches trailing in the water. They provide both shade and nutrients for life along the river.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">The water that is coming down through the Wakool is the water that moved North through the Barmah-Millewa Forest. It comes from the big rain event that began all the flooding 5 weeks ago. The one I delayed my paddle for. Now I have caught up with it because it slowed down in the forest. There is said to be be black water amongst it, because this high river got to sections of the forest that have not been inundated for a long time. The water absorbs the tannin from leaves and bark, giving it the dark colour, and organic matter, which feeds the river food chain, but in excess leads to microbial population explosions which take oxygen from the water. It is this lack of oxygen which kills the biggest fish. We have been lucky that the temperature has not been too high. This will have slowed the growth of the microorganisms. The windy weather also helps, because it aerates the water. I’ll be able to report on it tomorrow.</span></div><div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Old and new, showing the increase in scale and investment that has happened all along the Murray continuing to this day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pump to vineyards and orchards at Koraleigh, just downstream of Wood Wood.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Large pumps running to the vineyards of Piangil<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Today’s stretch took me into sheep grazing country. I enjoy the sight of them relaxing on the banks. Saltbush became more common, as did some typical weeds of the dry country like box thorn and asparagus fern. Small pumps are being replaced by much larger professional looking ones, which extend right into the river on floating pontoons. The operations they support are large scale, but may actually use less water per tonne of produce than the traditional family farm.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkTKyE7KdzQ/Xb0bgrz0ooI/AAAAAAACNRo/DG8A3jzcgQwCV3Xv4ByHcizykCt30Rd4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DSC_4298.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkTKyE7KdzQ/Xb0bgrz0ooI/AAAAAAACNRo/DG8A3jzcgQwCV3Xv4ByHcizykCt30Rd4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_4298.JPG" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Elaborate fishing shack built in traditional style.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">River red gum branch trailing in water showing buds shortly before flowering.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sheep resting beneath an old gum.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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</div><span style="font-family: arial;">On the banks I saw examples of bush furniture and all manner of weekend accommodation, from corrugated iron huts to building that could pas as real homes. The Barbie boats are art works. Each an expression of the personality of the owner. Often put together with little money using scrap and old furniture, a bought one would just not be the same. The same could be said for a skate half pipe I saw, built from 44 gallon drums and bits of old pallets covered in a layer of cement. What at first looked like rubbish to me was actually a bastion of creativity and perseverance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Reed bed inundated on meander point.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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</div><span style="font-family: arial;">For the most part, the trees on today’s stretch were very healthy and there was little bank collapse. Perhaps this has to do with the lack of wake boats in the area, or perhaps the soil has a higher clay content. I noted when the river was low that the banks were often bare, however had a steady angle from bottom to top. They weren’t stepped like they have become at Echuca. In some places most of the trees had died. Often these were near to intensive farming operations and I wondered if this could have been caused by localised salinity, or whether fungicides had killed off the tree’s mycorrhiza (cooperative fungi which help plants extract water and nutrient from the soil) - like the alga which give corals their colours, but also feed them. I saw many trees that had much wider trunks than the branches that extended from them. Given their habit of dropping limbs when stressed, the trunks are a better gauge of the age of a tree than the limbs and overall size. Some of the quite small trees had trunks over a metre and a half in diameter and flood marks at the height of a 1870 scale flood, several metres above the current level.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Timber offcuts, left behind by sleeper cutters.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">This coppiced tree looked a bit like a hand reaching up from below the ground.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I stopped for lunch at a place which had been previously logged and cleared. There were large piles of offcuts lying around, including the kind of slabs that were used further up the river by people to build walls on their bush shacks. The stumps had been dug out of the ground and pushed into piles - presumably with the idea of burning them sometime. There was a rudimentary irrigation channel. A clue to the owner’s intentions. For some reason it had been allowed to regenerate and now amongst all the piles of fallen branches and off cuts, forest was regenerating. Land being allowed to regenerate by farmers along river banks is more common than you might think and represents hope for the future. Just as i was returning to my boat a mob of around 100 kangaroos of all ages passed through, clearing the timber with ease, the line stretched out over 300 metres. The last and youngest keen not to be left behind, particularly with a stranger around.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lush vegetation on the meander around Murphy's island, which is gradually being abandoned by the Murray.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mepbra5ZjM0/Xb0QgDIltTI/AAAAAAACNQ0/eCFq1rFlPTkrWrngeXJHvvaGfAyfz_N5ACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Frame-06-11-2016-09-05-29.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mepbra5ZjM0/Xb0QgDIltTI/AAAAAAACNQ0/eCFq1rFlPTkrWrngeXJHvvaGfAyfz_N5ACKgBGAsYHg/s400/Frame-06-11-2016-09-05-29.tiff" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">I love it when swallows fly around my boat, but they are so fast its hard to capture them on film. To get this shot I used a still from a video.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Paddling around Murphy’s island the bush was particularly pretty. The current all but stopped, because most of the water was rushing through a short cut the river was building to the West of the main channel. Like Beveridge Island, the passage was lush and full of wildlife - well worth the four extra kilometres and less dangerous than the snaggy cutting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9coqjjBPW8/Xb0eKSe0T4I/AAAAAAACNSU/WlwQ_3TbTok09zjxN3ubkfHqoQ43x6f4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1484.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9coqjjBPW8/Xb0eKSe0T4I/AAAAAAACNSU/WlwQ_3TbTok09zjxN3ubkfHqoQ43x6f4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1484.JPG" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">With names like ‘Gallows Bend’ and ‘Devils Elbow” and annotations like ‘wreck of the Allewein’ and ‘Pevensy burnt here’ I was expecting some pretty hairy currents, but for the most part the river moved at a steady 4 to 5km/hr - a good speed when you are travelling downstream. Perhaps the most surprising thing was being able to look over the banks. It was like paddling down the narrows. Being at eye level with the cows, sheep and kangaroos, and being able to look into the towns, not just hear them was a real change. I saw why people were so often on the banks in these areas, they lived just beyond them. In Tooleybuc I was able to run the boat up onto the bank in the park across the road from the caravan park and carry my gear without any issues into the grounds, where, able to begin my evening post early, I am about to have a refreshing shower and head into town for a counter meal at the pub (thanks Mike Bremers <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/ta5/1.5/16/1f642.png" />:).</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wG1VWIZ5Uxw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wG1VWIZ5Uxw?feature=player_embedded" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="320"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Coming into Tooleybuc I met a man touring on his motor bike. Living the dream, he yelled out. He had always wanted to paddle the length of the river. I advised him to go in summer when the water level was lower, because it is easier to find camping spots, but then I said, all you need to do is find a boat, pick your pace and do it your way.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tooleybuc Bridge<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Am_62l3r7to/Xb0Q8Lux0JI/AAAAAAACNQ8/NPbPZ2TLG-cl4Qn2_t8hqB-e9asS5K_YACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/DSC_4710.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Am_62l3r7to/Xb0Q8Lux0JI/AAAAAAACNQ8/NPbPZ2TLG-cl4Qn2_t8hqB-e9asS5K_YACKgBGAsYHg/s400/DSC_4710.JPG" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tooleybuc Bridge-keepers Cottage. The windows in the chimney were so that he could keep an eye on the river, even when he was keeping warm by the fire. The building is keep as a legacy of their service to the town.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">In Nyah this morning a local told of some young lads, who thinking there must be an easier way purchased a piece of plywood. Fixed it between their canoes and attached an electric motor. They decided to change their system when they reached Nyah, because the battery ran out too quickly and went back to Swan Hill and got a bike, hooked this up to the electric motor and continued on. I wonder if I will hear what happened next as I travel down the river, following the Murray on its never-ending journey to the sea. Tomorrow I make for high ground near one of the stations about half way to Boundary Bend. I have to be on my guard with all that high water. Right now though, its time for that counter meal.<br /> <br /> The pub closes early and “there are no meals on a Sunday”… I second the words from the last loyal customer out the door “our hearts are broken”… however he pointed me to the Sporting club where I had a tasty roast of the day. Not quite the same though. Overland Corner can’t come soon enough… but perhaps, if I try very hard, I might find another good counter meal before that…</span></div>Peter Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10574009732727571337noreply@blogger.com0