Beach café, campers, cockies and forest kingfishers.

Our camp last night, protected from the evening sun and not far to pull the boats. It was easier to pull up the boats than unload them. We sit on the boats when we eat, so they are our communal area as well.

Last nights camp in the Cottadidda State Forest was beautiful and secluded. We set up our tent in the shade of some young saplings and across a kangaroo track. In the middle of the night its owner came bouncing along it and must have got a rude shock. We heard the kangaroo pull up and stamp his feet. The kind of stamping that rabbits also do to warn others that something is amiss.

Morning light in the grasses at our campsite in Cottadidda Forest. I took these photos to try and catch the gentleness of the mornings. Everything seems slower, kangaroos who haven't drunk their fill in the evening come down to sait their thirst. They will not visit the river again until the mid to late afternoon, or later if people are around.

Between Yarrawonga and Tocumwal a good bush track runs along the river connecting the magnificent beaches every few kilometres along this stretch. This makes them great places to camp. There are also opportunities on the NSW side where there is state forest, less people know about these places and those that do are keen to keep them a secret. We met Andrew, who had been coming to the same spot in the same week for 18 years. His kids have grown up and now bring their friends. They fish or watch the river roll past for most of the day, and in the afternoon, once it has cooled off a bit, do a few ski runs.

Early morning reflections.

This is the domain of the sandy beaches. Almost every one is postcard pretty. I think it might be because most of the banks are made of sand. They erode easily and are deposited on the following corners.

Despite the snags there are lots of speed boats. We snuck past most during the long sleep the morning after, the fishing time and during the midday shelter from the heat. They graced us with their waves for about 3 hours in the afternoon though, which was enough to almost turn Ruth into a nervous wreck. I did my best to guide her along safe passages.

We aim to get off early again tomorrow and sneak past the flotillas whilst they are still in their beds. We covered round 66 km today. Tomorrow should bring us into the Barmah Millewa forest, with its low banks and comparative isolation. 

River landscape approaching Cobram.

We wonder if the big flocks of cockatoos which we saw today  will continue into that forest. I remember huge flocks of cockatoos as kids on the Murray at Echuca. They used to fly ahead screeching and repeat the process bend for bend, before eventually wheeling back to their original location. In recent years, the cockatoos have been replaced by long billed corellas around Echuca (and I found by short billed corellas  for most of the Murray downstream). I don't know why this happened, but I was pleased to see them at home in their hundreds on this stretch of the river. Some of the cockies were proud and brave, staying on their snag until we were quite close. When they eventually did fly off to their mates, they would raise their crests as if to say, "did you see that! I wasn't scared. I have just come over here to check that you are all ok." They are such characters. Do you think Leunig's 'Mr. Curly' might be modelled on a cocky?

This magnificent tree was on an old corner of the river - now a quiet billabong full of birdlife. 

Sheep grazing on the edge of the river. The frequent snags show two things: that the river is shallow and that it changes its beds regularly. On the outside of banks sometimes whole rows of trees were in the water. This was often the deepest and fastest water, but at good water levels (summer irrigation period) best avoided. I couldn't resist weaving through the snags for this mob of sheep however.

Beach sand covered with kangaroo and wallaby tracks. The way they hop leaves different footprints: wallabies tend to hop on the tips of their feet, whereas the prints of grey kangaroos are much longer. Here, two greys are moving on all fours, or in the case of one, on all fives - it is using its tail to push off the ground as it moves its rear legs forward. 

The beach where we pulled in for a morning break.

The Julie Fay: built by Bill Dunn's son Danny.

It was very comfortably set up inside and had herb gardens, air conditioning and, of course a BBQ.

At this beach camp, we came across a father towing his son along the beach with a mini-bike. The son was doing his best to ride a boogie board. A moment later the kid yelled "look at me dad, look at me!" He had managed to stand up.

A small commercial paddle steamer near Cobram. The hull and rails are stainless steel. 

Coming into Cobram and the long anticipated coffee at Thompson's Beach Cafe.

Coffee at Thompson Beach in Cobram is one of those luxuries rare at this end of the river - and not to be missed if you get the opportunity.

Tocumwal's foreshore has just been redeveloped. This wharf area was a popular place for locals to swim. Just downstream there is a new boat ramp and bank protection. This could be a good place to pull in if you need supplies, as it is on the same side and not far from Tocumwal's shopping precinct.

Tocumwal bridge with a light breeze tickling the surface of the water.

Another bit of excitement today was seeing forest kingfishers for the very first time... And then seeing more and more, this is part of the southern most top of their range. They do not occur much west of this location. They are a beautiful emerald green, with a buff chest. According to the field guide I have, they mostly eat lizards and insects, however the ones Ruth and I saw were all near the river. I wouldn't put it past them if they did a spot of fishing... At least for the sake of their name.

Other avian treats were provided by rainbow bee eaters, soaring open winged as they searched for insects in the riding air near the banks. Families  of sacred kingfishers hunting together - something I have never seen the orange breasted azure kingfishers do. They seem to prefer to work alone. A snow white egret resting on a snag near a lush bed of reeds in a flooded billabong. A stretch of river with hundreds of brown kites - the trees were full of them. We wondered if the fishermen could ever catch enough carp to feed them and if not, where did they get their food from? 

We have also just begun to come across our first cormorants, since the Hume Dam their niche seems to have been filled by egrets. Perhaps the water is deep enough now.

On the downstream edge of Private Beach 1.

The wind is quite blowy tonight, however we are well away from trees. Our campsite even has drop toilets. It is some kind of time share arrangement, however there has been no sign of anyone. It could just be empty because the Christmas holidays are nearing their end, or because the weekend has passed, however it looks like an idea which may well have had its time too. 

On the map they are marked as private beach 1 and 2, but from the river no sign was visible. We used expeditionary privilege. Almost as time honoured a tradition as camping near automated sprinkler systems ;).

Links for more info and other blogs:

• Australian Youth Against Cancer (AYAC) Blog 2011.
• Cobram wikipedia.
• 
  

Yarrawonga to Cottadidda Forest Camp. Beaches, snags and memories.

On our way again. Glad to be back on the water.

After today's paddle from Yarrawonga, I have heightened respect for all those kids on school relay teams who have paddled the stretch. The legs on the Marathon are long and full of snags; some stretches are windy and open and despite the many campers, you get the feeling if isolation. Junior school TK2 relay teams, including kids as young as 13 have completed this stretch. Start to Alpha is just under 30km: it was a gutsy effort for those kids to negotiate all of those snags, to not be disheartened on the long straights and yet another bend when they thought they were almost there.

St. Joseph's Murray Marathon Team 2006

In contrast to most other sports, they were on their own on the river. There was no-one to help them. It is difficult enough as an adult, where life experience builds resilience. So, respect to any kid who has completed long legs like these on the Marathon. You have earner your stripes.

Lunch break in the shade of a beautiful gum tree.

Quiet beaches.

The river always changes. Downstream from Yarrawonga, the banks are becoming taller. Most of the way we have been surrounded by forest, at times with the original tussock grass (Poa) understory, which must have been similar to what Sturt saw when he first travelled down the Murray in 1830. These tussock grasses will withstand grazing by cattle, but not intensive grazing as is common on most properties today. This was the type of countryside that Mitchell saw on his 1836 expedition through NSW (crossing the Murray near Swan Hill). He called it Australia Felix - the fortunate country. There has been a recent trend back to these drought tolerant, highly nutritious grasses, however their height in summer worries many farmers, as they fear that they heighten the bushfire risk of areas.

Families enjoying the river. Most kids wore life jackets - a change from when I was a kid growing up on the river.

Sunbaking after a cool dip - but with a little more sun protection than we did when we were kids.
I remember lying on the hot concrete and baking till we were covered in sweat, then jumping in the pool and doing it again.

Several European trees survive on the beaches.
This one spent welcome shade to a family enjoying their summer holidays.

A more obvious feature is the beautiful beaches. On almost every corner, beaches reach into the middle of the river. They are made if coarse white sand. A smattering of larger rocks and pebbles can also be found - evidence of times of faster stream flow. Roads follow the Victorian bank, allowing campers access. We saw family after family. Some had pool areas made from safety fences wrapped around star spikes, others placed gazebos in the water and tied giant floating thongs so that they would sway back and forth in the shade. Almost all kids had life jackets on, which was good to see - river beaches are dangerous places. Some if the older campers looked more or less permanent, as though they had elected a transient lifestyle instead of a nursing home, hybrid fishermen gypsies. Some felt patriotic about their camping, with Australian flags marking their claim to that patch of beach.

We paddled by, waving, gesturing hello's to find what the next bend would bring, until finally we found our own little piece of paradise on the downstream side of a beach in the Cottadidda State Forest and called in for the night.

Cottadidda State Forest Beach Access Roads

Cottadidda Forest Bird List

Links to more information about this area:

• Jellyfish in the Murray: microscopic life that we don't see, but feed our fish and keep our waterways clean. Identification and ecology of Australian Freshwater Invertebrates. Bug Guide.
• Murray River Access Maps: Spatial Vision. Yarrawonga - Mulwala - Cobram - Barooga - Tocumwal - Ulupna Island (The Blue One).
• Red Cross Murray Marathon Day 1: Yarrawonga - Tocumwal: Map (pdf).
• Ecologically sustainable forest management: Riverina region NSW. Forest NSW
• Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management: Using global thinking to act locally. (The Montreal Process). 
• Camping areas in NSW forests. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
• How to spot a superb parrot in the river red gum and box eucalypt forests along the Murray river. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
• Visitor's Guide: Sun country on the murray - Yarrawonga - Mulwala - Cobram - Barooga - Numurkah - Nathalia - Barmah.
• Murray Marathon: YMCA
• Latest River Heights for the Goulburn, Broken, Murray - Riverina: Bureau of Meteorology.
• Call in the cod squad: Researchers from the DEPI Arthur Rylah Institute (ARI), commonly known as the Cod Squad, are using video to assess the effectiveness of putting habitat for native fish back into rivers across Victoria. mmg.com.au 

Beginning again.

Tomorrow we continue our paddle from the Hume to Echuca once more, after stopping to return home on news of the death of our beautiful little dog, Chloe. Because time is short, we will leave out the section from Corowa to Yarrawonga and do this another time. 

This section is particularly beautiful, with winding river channels and flooded billabongs. It is also where the Ovens River enters the Murray. The weir at Yarrawonga causes the river to bank up artificially high and providing both natural and human communities with a steady river level as far upstream as Corowa.

How oxbows form.

It surprised us how much expensive development there was on the NSW bank near Corowa. It reminded me of Gol Gol, near Mildura, where there are many elaborate waterfronts. The whole thing is reminiscent of the French Riviera. Corowa is not as developed, or opulent, but the steady water level provided by the weirs at both locations gives people the confidence to develop. For the natural environment it means that there are permanent wetlands.

Billabong wetland in a stand of remnant River Red Gum forest, lower Ovens River.

 another Youtube showing how meandering streams move and change.

The lower reaches of the Ovens River offer some of the best still water canoeing in the state among a maze of channels and wetlands. With care, power boats can explore the river for several kilometres upstream from Camerons Bend. Parks Victoria: Cameron's Bend

Lower Ovens River Environmental 
Flows Project 

Fishermen call it the Everglades of the Murray. Old river courses and flood plains of both the Murray and the Ovens rivers are full of life. I always wondered when driving along the Murray Valley Highway through Bundalong (a small town with a transient, or semi-permanent population of retired fishermen in caravans and holiday units) why people came: all the more so after a tornado almost destroyed the community last summer. Seeing the mosaic of habit in satellite photos I can understand. The attractions are rather on water than in the land - and I can't wait to spend a bit if time exploring there myself.

Bundalong was hit by a tornado in Mar 2013, which almost destroyed the town.

• Witnesses say tornado was like a bomb going off. ABC News.
• Tornado aftermath at Bundalong. Gallery. ABC News
• Clean up after 'devastating' tornado. The Age.

Lake Mulwala and the Yarrawonga Weir.

• When full, Lake Mulwala holds 1/4 as much water as Sydney Harbour.
• The primary role of Lake Mulwala is to store water for irrigation, its secondary role is flood mitigation. YarrawongaMulwala.com.
• The Mulwala Canal is 2,880 kilometres long and is the largest irrigation canal in the southern hemisphere. YarrawongaMulwala.com.

http://www.oasisholidays.com.au/

• A feature of Lake Mulwala is its dead gums. In 1937 the first suggestions were made concerning the clearing of the red gum forest, to create an open area in the lake. As the River Murray Commission refused to clear the trees, a group of local men took up axes and cross-cut saws, and in 1938 began the enormous task of felling the trees, at the cost of 10 shillings per acre. The River Murray Commission gave no financial assistance to the project, and were concerned that if the felled timber was not burnt or removed, it would prove a hazard to the weir. YarrawongaMulwala.com
• Hydroelectric generation, fishing, swimming and boating has been hampered by the growth of an aquatic weed (Egeria densa) in the past. The most effective way to control the weed has been to lower the level of the lake to dry out the weed. Lake Mulwala.
• Water storage levels and management documents. Murray Goulburn Water.

We will put in at the weir in Yarrawonga; the start of the Murray River Marathon. Over the years we have shared time, stories, memories and struggles in that race. For 40 years it was organised by Red Cross as a fundraiser for their world wide humanitarian deeds. Since 2009 the YMCA has used the event to fundraiser for local communities. Time has seen it develop from an adventure between mates to an international level competitive endurance event with strictly defined classes. Now it may be going back to its roots, with classes of ocean going boats challenging what racing boats should look like, schools and community groups entering relays and less formal rules for competition, encouraging completion rather than fastest times. In 2014 the event will be held for the first time in November, rather than between Christmas and New Year - a consequence of a tightening of state regulations and insurance conditions around times of high fire danger following the tragedies of a Black Saturday bush fires in the summer of 2009.  In what some consider a knee jerk reaction, insurance companies refused to cover events that were held in isolated bush areas on Code Red Days, or days of Extreme Fire Danger. YMCA, covering insurance organisations and responsible government bodies became even more wary following the disastrous Kimberly Ultramarathon in 2011 where competitors were overrun by bushfire. An inquiry damned the organisers and competitors sued for $10 million. It has not been easy for the YMCA to find another time slot: river closures are not popular with local tourism industries. We wish them every success. One thing is for sure, we will not be able to avoid thinking about the marathon, it's many characters and the fantastic memories it has left us, as we paddle the home stretch into Echuca.

Preparation for our paddle from the Hume Dam to Echuca.

Cleaning out the boats. They should at least start free of Murray Mud. :)

This will be the first time for me on the Upper Murray and the first time paddling with my beautiful wife and soul-mate, Ruth.  

We are looking forward to exploring this beautiful stretch of water and sharing each other's adventure so much! I swore after my trip from Echuca to the sea, that my next trip would be with my wife. Journeys like these are as affirming and life changing as they are beautiful. For me, it is important to share them and with the most significant person in my life, doubly so. The trip was a chance for Ruth to witness how the river is important to me and for me to further understand why. In addition I had the pleasure of the company of my best friend and, as it turns out, after 23 years of marriage, being thrilled by her strength, bravery, good nature and humour. I was also humbled by her tolerance of me. I have quite a few rough edges.

But I am jumping to the end before I have even begun. Now that we had decided to go, how does one go about getting a show like this on the road?

The first step in preparing for this trip was working out what we were up for. This means tapping into the experience of others, both in the form of river guides and other paddler's experiences.

There is a very good river guide called 'River of Islands: Charts of the River Murray - Yarrawonga Weir to Hume Dam' by Kath and Leon Bentley (1985) which is worth acquiring. It is mentioned in Barry and Maureen Wright's 'Murray River Charts' and available on the CD version of their charts by agreement with the authors.

http://www.rivermurraycharts.com.au/

Murray River Access Guides provide an alternative to the above publications and at around $8 a booklet in 2014, they are a good deal. They include roads and river kilometres, but do not show snags, or include insights and history about stretches of the river as the other publications do. Whilst it is possible to see where you are using google maps, for the convenience and safety of knowing where you are at all times, it is worth having one of these maps. Phone reception is poor along many stretches and technology requires batteries and charging strategies which can fail. It is better to have a hard copy.

https://svmaps.com.au/ 

We were lucky to have advice from others based on their experiences in the Upper Murray. This helped us feel much more confident on approaching this stretch of river. Even though conditions change dramatically with river level and time of the year, reading the accounts of others helps to understand the nature of the river and its potential dangers.

River levels change rapidly depending on the time of year and the needs of users and the environment downstream. In preparation for the irrigation season, 50 times more water is released than during the winter. Check water levels before you go. If the river has dropped recently, banks can be steep, high and muddy. Some paddlers have even experienced quicksand. Beware, a wet beach may not be firm - test with your paddle first. If your paddle slips in, don't step out. Mud can make camping in caravan parks an attractive alternative to bush camping in these conditions. Boat ramps, especially larger ones, are reliable exit points. High water is easier to deal with. At times of high water it is easy to find camping spots. There are beautiful islands, grassy banks and plenty of safe room away from tall red gums. At high water Albury is difficult to pull up at. There is a boat ramp just downstream of the park in town, or, if you can manage it, roots to clamber up. Floods are rare as this section of river is usually able to be managed within its capacity and the effect of irrigation water rejections due to unexpected rainfall events is more of a problem from the Barmah Forest onwards.

If the river is low, there are many gravel races and pebble islands as far as Howlong. These will be shown in the river charts, but not the access guides. Alternatively you can see them using google maps before your trip.

Shallow water near Albury: Google Earth

Generally follow the current, (this will be where the deepest water is), however, beware of being washed into willows and snags. The fast current means that you need to turn away from hazards well before you get to them, otherwise the current can take you sideways into them. The fast current also makes large and at times, powerful swells, which can appear suddenly and unexpectedly move your boat around. It is not the best place to learn how to paddle: this is better done downstream of Echuca where the river is slower. If you do fall out of your boat, keep your legs up and in front of you, so that they do not become trapped in snags (and you can use them to bounce off them should you be swept into them). Look after yourself. Your boat can be replaced. Do not allow yourself to be between your boat and a snag, you may become trapped. If you are a new paddler, only take on this section if you have good balance and are confident. It is a good idea to have an experienced paddler with you. People have descended the upper river alone with little paddling experience, but it is not a wise thing to do.

In sea kayaks turning can be difficult. To turn around, use the eddies on inside corners and snags. Nose into these and allow the current to do the work for you. It will bring the back of the boat around. Approaching the bank facing into the current is a much slower and gentler process where you will have more control. When pulling out from the bank, leave your stern against the bank, allow the current to catch the bow. Only start paddling once you are facing the direction that you want go. Given how narrow the river is at times, how fast the current is, and the number of snags it can be the only way to turn around at times. It is best practiced before you go to the Upper Murray. The same skills are very helpful in the narrows upstream of Picnic Point.

Turning into the shore using the current to bring around the stern.

Using the current to take bring around the bow when leaving a beach.

Navigation near and in Lake Mulwala can be difficult. To add to the complexity, the Ovens river joins the Murray river here. Without good charts it is easy to go off into side channels, or even end up in the Ovens. It may pay to have a topographic map, or use your smart phone for a GPS fix through here. Keep a sharp eye out for channel markers. Take time to explore the billabongs and side waters if you can. Locals and fishermen call the area 'the Everglades of the Murray'.

Since the weather is expected to be hot we have prepared meals which can be eaten hot, or cold, without creating too much rubbish. This includes a lot of fruit and vegetables. We chose hot weather things as these seem to last longer. Each day we inspected their quality and ate thise which needed eating first. We had very little wastage.

Fruit and veg for ten days for two people, with some top up possibilities along the way. This all went in the front compartments of one of our boats.

This initial pack list for my paddle from Echuca to the sea, which we used as a guide for what to take. Every trip is different, but it is good to develop a check list and work from there.

The next step is to actually get everything out, get a visual and check the condition and amount of gear..

Then check everything on your boats. Take tools and know how to fix them.

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