Goulburn River Paddle Day 6: Maneroo Rd to Emily Rd.

Goulburn River Paddle
Day 6: Maneroo Rd. to Emily Rd.
298 - 387 (89 km)

After a good nights sleep, I woke with the morning light, the soft gentle light before the sun rays actually reach you. The birds were in full song. I enjoyed listening to them. Their chorus was similar to some tropical rainforest CDs that we have, the kind that is meant to be calming and fill you with awe at the beauty in the world. There were birds calls amongst the chorus that I did not know, which made it feel exotic and even more enjoyable. As I packed, I listened to the morning news on my portable radio (more reliable than mobile internet in the bush). I learnt more about the latest violence in the world and people's efforts to contain it, but really, I was after the weather report. If there was to be more rain than sunshine, I would have to put on all my layers again and if it wasn't and I did, then I would cook. It turned out that I needed to guard against the sun, rather than hypothermia, as I had had to yesterday. It had not rained during the night, which provided me with an opportunity to hang up my sodden clothes on the rescue rope I had brought with me for the upper Goulburn. That seemed a world away now. I had not needed it, but it made an excellent clothes line. With a shudder I pulled on my still damp gear, knowing that once I was on the water they would get wet anyway and packed away my things.

I awoke to the sound of bird song so rich and varied that it was if I was in a tropical rainforest. Witnessing such diversity is pure joy. Despite knowing my birds pretty well, I couldn't name them all: suffice to say that there was big and small and everything in between. I felt that this was what Noah's Ark must have sounded like and became aware of a common bond (greater than race, politics, or country) with anyone else who has ever camped in the bush and loved it.

People who live on farms along the river face their challenges, but are immersed in the reality and beauty of nature that we ,who live in towns and cities may consider, but dismiss just as quickly as the decision to use the remote for the air conditioner, or TV. Children who grow up in such environments identify so strongly with them that it defines their character: a source of strength, or incredible burden.

Packed and ready to go on what was to be my second last day. Two little white dogs came down from a nearby farm to make sure I was leaving.

After rain the river is still. What sound there is, carries further because the moisture smooths the rough surface and acts like a drum skin on every leaf. You will never hear bird calls with such clarity, as after rain.

Breakfast was boat-side. The bow is the strongest part of the boat and made a useful seat as I dipped into my food hold. Keen to get into my tent and out of the rain as fast as possible, I had only had a soup last night and now had a healthy appetite. Muesli, then tomatoes, salami, a piece of cheese, some diced peaches and a muesli bar. Eating big turned out to be a good idea, the energy keep me going for 30 km, when I had my next snack. As I was pushing off from shore two little Scottish terriers came down to make sure I would go. The growl the older one gave could have come from a much bigger dog: respect. I looked for the owner, but with no-one in sight I pushed off, noting the time. It was 7:30 am: pretty good. The current caught the bow swinging the boat downstream and I was off.

On one stretch I startled and set off the biggest ruckus from a mixed flock of 100's of corellas and cockatoos. The trees in the area were tall and healthy, mature redgums. It seemed like the stretch of river was their nesting area.

Mornings are lovely times to paddle. The light was soft, the day still cool and the birds calling. Reason enough not to rush. Another reason though, was that my hands were still tender from the day before. This takes a little while to go away, but go away it did. Just as I was settling into my paddle, I came across my first cutting for the day. Cuttings are where the river has found a new course. They are shallow and usually full of snags, but they can also save kilometres. This section of the lower Goulburn has many hairpin bends, some right next to each other, like folded cloth. In some cases the river cuts right through these layers and in others, you have a to go all the way around. I took many cuttings today. Each of them gives you an adrenaline burst. You can only see how clear they are when it is almost too late to turn back. Goulburn Murray Water have put large bluestone rocks in the cuttings. I think the idea is to keep water flowing through the main channel, except at high river and to stop the river eroding more when it does.

Cuttings are young river beds. They are places where the river has found and established a short cut. They are rarely as straight as this one, but can save kilometres from the days' paddle. They are also interesting to follow. You never know quite what you will find. Occasionally, they are narrow and fast flowing, which makes a nice change from the broad, slow main channel. However they can also be shallow, snaggy, or blocked by tree trunks that stretch from side to side. Together with old river beds, they help drain flood waters resulting from summer and winter storms. And deliver fresh water to isolated billabongs and wetlands, maintaining a healthy diversity throughout the flood plain.

In this section of the river the Goulburn  often doubles back on itself. During big floods, when the river breaks its banks and flows straight over the land, it creates shortcuts called cuttings. With a slightly higher river than normal water was flowing down these again. It was an opportunity to explore which I could not resist.

The Lower Goulburn National Park Notes provide insight into life in this section of the river and a quite good map. The Lower Goulburn River corridor has strong ecological integrity and is a recognised biolink through the landscape. In recognition of its unique natural, recreational, scenic and cultural values, the Goulburn Heritage River was declared in 1992. Kanyapella Basin and the Lower Goulburn River Floodplain are both listed under the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia. The Lower Goulburn River National Park makes significant contributions to improving the representation of a number of Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) in the Murray Fans bioregion, including Riverine Grassy Woodland, Sedgy Riverine Forest and Floodplain Riparian Woodland, as well as protecting areas of endangered Plains Woodland and Riverine Chenopod Woodland along the River Murray. The Lower Goulburn forests are particularly important habitat for a number of significant fauna species, including the Squirrel Glider, Brush-tailed Phascogale and Barking Owl. Kanyapella Basin provides habitat for a number of threatened bird species, including the critically endangered Australian Painted Snipe, the endangered Bush Stone-curlew and the vulnerable Royal Spoonbill, Diamond Firetail and Musk Duck. Flora species of note include the endangered Grey Billy-buttons, Small Scurf-pea and Jericho Wiregrass.  The Lower Goulburn River National Park contains a number of known sites of Aboriginal cultural heritage including scarred trees and artefacts along the riverine forests, and cooking mounds at Loch Garry and Kanyapella Basin. The national park should be managed to protect these values. Source: Victorian Environmental Assessment Council: River Red Gum Forest Investigation: Final Report 2008.

Following the rain, the rubbish that had been washed down the storm water drains and into the rivers was a real issue. The drains had also washed organic pollutants into the river. You can tell when this happens, because foam builds up on the snags. I was keen to paddle ahead of this, estimating that with a 2 km/hr current and the beginning of rain being 24 hours ago, that I would have to paddle 48 km to do so. This turned out to be about right. It did not bring me past the last of Shepparton's floating televisions though. Why would people throw their TV's into the river and why was this habit peculiar to Shepparton? For a visual presentation of environmental issues facing the Goulburn River near Shepparton, see this presentation by riverconnect.

Most of the mature redgums had at least 10 hollows and some had over 30. These old trees are the elders of the forest, its sentinel guardians, trees of life.

In an interview by Ecos Magazine, Matthew Colloff, a principle research scientist at CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences said... Do you feel hopeful about the future of river red gum forests? I know that I would have felt very differently about the future of river red gum forests if I hadn’t gone to visit central Australia. What I see there is that the trees have contracted their range from millions of years of a drying climate and are now confined to a narrow strip along the rivers. They don’t form extensive forests like they do along the Murray, so people don’t have a timber commodity association with them that they did in south-eastern Australia. People view them differently. They are sacred. They provide a refuge for animals within an otherwise harsh and arid landscape. That tough enduring relationship provides a model for how we can learn to view them under climate change. Our landscapes will alter. Source: Tree of Life: the story of our river red gums. Ecos Magazine

On one stretch I startled and set off the biggest ruckus from a mixed flock of 100's of corellas and cockatoos. The trees in the area were tall and healthy, mature redgums. It seemed like the stretch of river was their nesting area. I once saw a poster which shows a river redgum as habitat for the animals in the forest. 'Tree of life', they called it. Frogs, geckos and spiders lived under the thick bark, where it loosens from the trunk. Insects and koalas fed on the leaves. Possums, cockatoos, galahs and corellas fed on the flowers, buds and gum nuts. Goannas and snakes hid in hollows to sleep. Wombats dug their nests beneath the roots... And so on. I counted around 10 hollows on most mature trees, with some having easily more than 30. Young trees don't have the hollows, showing why it important to have some older trees in order to maintain a healthy forest ecosystem. Using Swedish technology foresters can selectively harvest only the trees they are interested in and create strong forests which support wildlife and in contrast to clear felling of areas, trees are available every year, not just every 50. It is catching on in Australia, a redgum logging company in Barham works this way.

A rope swing hanging over the river identifies a favourite swimming hole. On the rivers of the Murray Darling Basin, they have become symbolic of the conflict between the quest for freedom and experience by the younger generation and the risk adverse public health and safety policies of government departments. Following increasing awareness of tragic accidents involving these swings in recent decades, rangers and water police have been instructed to shoot down, or otherwise remove them from rivers, however, they are so part of the psyche and fun of growing up on the river, that they keep on appearing.  

The river teaches us patience. Not only has it been carving its way through this landscape for millions of years, both producing and a product of it, but it makes sure we take our time too. Despite its years, it runs back and forth like a young dog, doubling back all over the place.  It is as though it is telling us that what matters is the journey rather than the destination, seeing and understanding, rather than achieving.

Today I saw my first carp. Carp are a huge problem in Australia's inland rivers. Introduced as game fish unsuccessfully for the first five attempts, till a super carp variety was bred near Swan Hill. In the floods of 1974, these escaped into the Murray and spread rapidly. As a child I can still remember the smell of rotting fish and the size of their bodies that covered the banks after the floods receded. You couldn't go near the river for a month. Since then they changed the Murray, they ate the water plants and made the water more turbid by working their way into the river banks looking for food. Attempts to restock Murray Cod and to re-snag the river to improve conditions in favour of native fish seem to be paying of in the Murray, however I had no idea how successful they had been in the Goulburn. In contrast to the Upper Murray, water plants are plentiful in the Upper Goulburn. Fishermen tell me that now the most common fish they catch is Murray Cod (but they have to give back everything under 60 cm and there are strict bag limits). They still catch carp and big ones too. The Chinese community seem to value these. Talking to one fishermen from that community, he said that the little ones have too many bones, but the big ones are good eating.

Source: Talking Fish: Making connections with the rivers of the Murray Darling Basin.

Source: Talking Fish: Making connections with the rivers of the Murray Darling Basin.

Will Trueman on what fish used to live in the Goulburn and in particular, trout cod.

Massive pile ups of snags are reminders of how high the river can rise when in flood.

In our western world we treat death as surreal. When kangaroos are killed on our roads and left to die something in me feels offended: why doesn't anyone 'clean them up'? This ram was caught in flood waters. His remains stare creepily from the pile of tangled branches and roots, a vivd reminder of what comes to us all - even the most proud.

Approaching McCoy's Bridge where the Murray Valley Highway crosses the Goulburn people seem to be on the habit of dumping cars in the river. Not all were old, like these ones. I wondered how many had been stolen and why they were not removed from the river.

The only people I have come across on the river have been fishermen, but even so, I would probably only have come across 30 or so in the 387 km I have paddled on the Goulburn so far. It is quiet river, a beautiful river and always ready with a surprise. I hit snags whilst photographing a couple of times today. As you can imagine, this is destabilising. They are difficult to see in the slow moving water and in the quiet and lonely atmosphere, quite a shock. It is the equivalent of someone scaring you when you are just about to fall asleep.

McCoy Bridge, where the Murray Valley Highway crosses the Goulburn River just south of Nathalia.

Map showing river access point 1 km downstream from McCoy Bridge, where the Murray Valley Highway crosses the Goulburn River.

Not far downstream from McCoy Bridge the bank is littered with saw logs. How long have they been there? The last logging steamer operated out of Echuca up until 1957 (P.S. Adelaide) of Murray River Saw Mills. For an insight into life in saw mills in the Murray Darling Basin see Arbuthnot Sawmills Pty Ltd and the PS Adelaide's story visit Port of Echuca. In their heyday, over 1000 people were employed by the saw mills in Echuca (Echuca Historical Society).

PS Adelaide unloading logs at Murray River Sawmills in Echuca just upstream from the bridge. Source: Museum Victoria.

PS Alexander with a full head of steam, passes PS Hero which has an outrigger log barge in tow. Frank Tucker

Murray River Sawmills Echuca. PS Adelaide. Australian War Memorial. Bean Collection.

The outriggers were only ever towed upstream empty. For the downstream forest they used an insider barge. The boats belong to the Murray River Sawmill. The outrigger barges in the foreground were used to bring logs from Barmah forest. Two paddle steamers can be seen on the far river bank and a barge for carrying logs is visible near the bank in the foreground. The closest steamer is the Adelaide, she worked for the mill from 1872 until retirement in 1958.

"Growing up in Echuca, a trip to the Barmah Forest" A personal story of logging on the Murray River in the days of the paddle steamers:  by Terry Kennedy 2010. There were two sawmills, ‘Evans Brothers’ and the ‘Murray River Sawmill’; they exploited the red gum forest resources along the river. Many of the roads and bridges in those times were six ton limit and did not allow road transport to the same extent as today; the logs were often transported to the mills by river from landings along the river adjacent to the forest leases the mills were working. Before each season when the river levels were low, the paddle steamers cruised the river routes, they used their steam winches to removed snags, other obstructions and navigation hazards from the river, at various points along the river woodcutters set up stockpiles of wood to refuel the boats. When spring came and the river levels rose the logging season got underway. On Sunday nights the paddle steamer Adelaide under the command of Captain Freeman set off up the river with the barges in tow, making her way to the loading sites. Because the steamers were voracious wood burners they needed to stop to take on fuel at depots on the way... I went to work with Bill many times before I started school, I loved the various adventures, such as helping with the ice deliveries before people had refrigerators, grooming the draught horses and driving the road grader, but this story is about the best adventure I ever had with Bill. On Sunday afternoon after our family Sunday roast lunch. Bill and I made our way down to the barge; the barges were moored to trees on the riverbank near the bridge that connected Echuca on the Victorian side with Moama on the NSW side of the river ‘The Iron Bridge’. The crew of each barge consisted of two members; on our barge the other crew member was Jacky Boyd. Jacky and Bill loaded the supplies onto the barge and checked the chains and other gear needed to secure the logs for the trip back to Echuca. The crew accommodation on these barges was very primitive, at the stern of the barge below deck a part of the hold was partitioned off, it contained two beds, cooking was done in the open hold on a brazier made from an old oil drum that was on a base of bricks to prevent fire damaging the bottom of the barge. Each barge had a dinghy that was used to row ashore or to row ahead to warn punt-men or bridge operators that the barge was coming through; it required a lot of skill to row the dinghy. Bill was a very skilful river man, and an excellent oarsman; he could make the little dinghy glide over the water at a great rate. After the preparations were complete the steamer took up the towline and barges were allowed to drift into mid-stream, we were on our way. Darkness was falling the brazier was burning Uncle Bill was preparing our evening meal of barbecued chops and sausages, the crews of the other barges had joined us and we sat down to a great feast. The paddle steamer thumped her way upstream the river darkness penetrated by a large light on top of the wheelhouse, the relentless beat of the paddles soon lulled me off to sleep, snug in my camp bed in the barge cabin I saw no more of our trip up stream. By dawn we had arrived at the loading site; the barges were positioned to receive their cargo of logs, soon the loading began. Red gum logs do not float; they need to be supported before they can be loaded onto the barges. Because the return journey to Echuca was downstream the logs were not loaded into the holds of the barges but were attached by chains to great outriggers consisting of large logs lashed across the barge. Loading was achieved by positioning and mooring the paddle steamer in such a way the steam winch coupled to blocks and tackle could haul the logs from their stockpile then lift them into position where the crew secured the logs with large chains. Because of the weight of the great logs the barges were turned several times so that the logs could be loaded evenly. After each barge was loaded they were shifted and moored, then the next barge was loaded, the loading operations took all day. When the barges were ready to leave each vessel was positioned in the middle of the river, this manoeuvre was achieved by fixing a rope to the stern of the barge then rowing the rope to the opposite bank and anchoring it to a tree, the barge was then allowed to drift out from the bank, until the limit of the rope was reached, the barge moved by the river current and held by the rope would drift toward the opposite bank, when the barge was mid-stream the rope was cast off from the bank and a large chain dropped off the stern to drag along the river bottom behind the barge, this chain kept the barge from turning and in mid-stream as she drifted along with the current. The only way of manoeuvring the barges once adrift was by the use of the ropes and windlasses on-board, they had no rudder or tiller to control them and they were at the mercy of the river current. We drifted along with the current through the red gum forest, the river birds were amazing I have never seen such diversity of water birds; there were cranes, herons, egrets, ibis, spoonbills, water-hens, kingfishers, and a vast array of other forest birds. After a few hours we entered the Barmah and Moira lakes, the river course ran through the middle of these lakes, the lakes formed one large body of water due to the high river level, the river course was defined by the rows of river red gums standing on what would have normally been the riverbanks. When we were passing through, the Moira Lake was wind blown and choppy, the Barmah Lake was glassy smooth like a millpond, it was quite a contrast, The Moira Lake being on the windward side of the Barmah forest probably caused this phenomenon. The Barmah Lake is a shallow lake and is a great breeding ground for native river fish; as a consequence it was well stocked with Murray cod and golden perch. The local aborigines had fish traps in the lake that dated back to ancient times and represented a long tradition of fishing in these waters. In those days the local aboriginal people lived at Cummerajunga mission station, the mission was situated on the banks of the river near Barmah. Large ants known as bulldog ants were rife in the red gum forests and roamed freely around the logs on the barges the bites these ants inflicted were painful in the extreme and were avoided at all costs by the timber workers, I did not know of their fearsome reputation and would happily stand on them and kill them with my bare feet when the men found out about me doing this they were totally amazed, they had found them hard to kill with the back of an axe, or so they said. We had spent so much time running around barefoot our feet must have been as hard as iron.

PS Adelaide with logging barge headed upstream. Museum of Victoria: Alban Pearce, 1987

Logging no longer takes place on the lower Goulburn, however it may take place once again in the future, with loggers proposing selective harvesting. Selective harvesting is used in the deciduous forests of Germany to maintain diversity. Conservation and commercial management of forests is possible, where there is cooperation and respect, when the goals are clear and conditions are right. Hopefully we can work towards this goal.

Selective logging in redgum national parks up for debate again. ABC Rural.

 My campsite on a high bank amongst an open woodland of grey box.

After the hot day I did not fancy cooking, so prepared and ate down at the boat. 

I covered 87 river kilometres today, meaning that with one more big day, I should be able to make it home. That will be a total of seven days, rather than the ten I had planned for and the twelve that I had allowed for. That's the way it is with river journeys. You never really know what conditions that you will face, whether there will be rain, wind and, or scorching temperatures. You also only know what the current looks like and feels like once you are there. It has been a great journey, a challenging one and tomorrow will be the last day. I hope to arrive in Echuca about 5 pm and am looking forward to the creature comforts that a home and family provide.

Watching sunset from my campsite.

All is peaceful.

Map showing the location of my campsite relative to McCoy Bridge.

Some thoughts on education and conservation by Will Trueman.

Human actions driving change in the Goulburn River ecosystem. Source: Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority Biodiversity Strategy

Goulburn River Paddle Day 5: Old Toolamba - Maneroo Rd bush camp.

Goulburn River Paddle
Day 5: Old Toolamba - Maneroo Rd bush camp
238 - 298  (60 km)

Click on the red pins for information on a feature from today's leg of the journey.

It had rained all night, but despite heavy falls in other areas, the rain where I camped had only been gentle, steady and soaking. My tent was well and truly wet, but it had done its job and kept me and everything else inside of it dry. Whilst price is usually a good indicator of quality, this little Aldi tent has been fantastic. It has kept me dry on all my journeys and although it is starting to look a little worse for wear, I have a difficult time parting with it. It has become like an old friend, a place of comfort and security to retire to after long days on the river. Like my boat, my tent has become an extension of self, it is a cocoon to recover in, a safe place to unpack and spread out all the gear that I have worked so hard to keep dry, and in the evening, a protective bubble to keep out the ever present mosquitoes.

My trusty green tent: cheap, but well designed and constructed.

Waking around sunrise after a pretty broken night, I wished I could have another two hours sleep. The thought of a whole day paddling in the rain may not have helped either. I decided to look on the bright side; canoeing in the rain is very peaceful, (there is no one else on the river - why, I wonder), and when the rain eases there can be a gentle mist rising. I also told myself that it wouldn't be as hot as the last few days. I put on my only fleece jumper and my gortex jacket. It was going to be cold and I was tired, however, there was nothing to it; I had agreed to meet my fellow canoeist, Barry Bell of the Shepparton Canoe Club at a bend just after the Toolamba bridge at 8:30 am. This was 15 km away and I still had to get there yet.

I hit the water at 7:17 am, snacking on fruit, muesli bars and nuts as I went. My arms still wouldn't work. They were stiff and tired. I remembered a similar feeling the night I had accepted cheap red wine from supportive campers near Wentworth on the Murray. A penny for your thoughts, so to speak. On that occasion, I paddled bravely out of sight and then limped for the first 5 kilometres till everything had shaken off the short night and accepted the task ahead. It was no different this time. I arrived at the Toolamba bridge site at 8:45 am, a picture of fitness. It was just a pity that Barry was already on the water and ready to go, as I had used too much energy keen to make a good impression with that fast arrival!

Once underway, the night's stiffness slowly disappeared and I allowed myself to be absorbed by the beauty of paddling on a river patterned by raindrops. These are quiet times. Birds go silent in the rain, only to sing all the more loudly immediately following it, the sounds of their calls echoing off the wet foliage, as if in a rainforest.

 Beware of the crocodiles: one fisherman's way of keeping his favorite spot. 

Near Toolamba on the Mooroopna-Murchison Rd.

There are plenty of potential beach campsites in this stretch of the river.

Toolamba Rail Bridge 1.5km South of Toolamba. In the foreground is one of the original brick pylons, with the concrete supports of the 1963 Goulburn Valley Railway in the background. The Goulburn Valley Railway connects Shepparton with the Sydney to Melbourne Railway at Seymour. At Toolamba, a branch line heads via Kyabram towards Echuca. It was reopened in 2011 (article) providing an alternative route for rail freight from Denilquin (especially the annual rive crop) to reach the Port of Melbourne. Up until that point rail freight from these areas could only travel at night as it disrupted passenger services between Bendigo and Melbourne.

Toolamba Bridge. Source: visitvictoria.com One story I read about this bridge was told by a farmer who had property either side of the bridge in the 1970's. They used to drive their herd of milking cows across it. They said that it was an old bridge, even back then. Toolamba has a population of around 900 people. It has a general store, a kindergarten and primary school, the Junction Hotel and a Bed and Breakfast (wikipedia).

Toolamba's Junction Hotel

Barry Bell from the Shepparton Canoe Club kept me company for the 24km into his home town. Barry was the only person to paddle with me, and almost the only canoeist I met on the entire 470 km journey.

The junction of the Broken and Goulburn Rivers. The Broken River originates on the slopes of Mt. Buffalo passing through Benalla, it meets the Goulburn at Shepparton. It is called the Broken River because, before regulation, it was more often a series of waterholes than a river (ref). The Broken creek which diverges off the Broken River shortly after Benalla is the original path of the river. It flows through Numurkah and Nathalia before reaching the Murray upstream of Barmah.

Broken River: Source Wikipedia. When the Broken River is in flood it is said to be the fastest river on the plains of the Murray Darling Basin.

Flood Map for Shepparton when both the Goulburn and Broken Rivers are in flood. The blue area indicates areas inundated by water at 12.3 m on the Shepparton Gauge. The Broken River and Seven Creeks join the Goulburn River south of Mooroopna and Shepparton and make the area very prone to floods. Flooding in the area has affected people, property, businesses and livestock since 1870. The Goulburn River catchment collects rainfall from the Seymour area, the Great Dividing Range and water releases from Lake Eildon. The Broken River and Seven Creeks catchments collect rainfall from the Benalla, Euroa and Strathbogie areas. Floods in these areas often result in floods in Mooroopna and Shepparton. Mooroopna and Shepparton are also at risk of flash flooding after heavy rain because the land is so flat. Source: Local Flood Guide for Shepparton and Mooroopna.  

Source: Local Flood Guide for Shepparton and Mooroopna

ABC News report from the 2010 floods in Shepparton.

Wet, but toasty warm from the work out it took to keep up with Barry. No danger of a flood today. Although the rain was steady, it was not heavy. All the same it pays to have a working radio tuned into local news to be sure that you know what is happening upstream on the tributaries which contribute to the river you are paddling on. This is especially important when making camp.

"Your looking good, let's go" said Barry. Barry was on an OC1, a racing boat. Having seen the speed I arrived at he continued at a similar pace, which he described as leisurely. Keeping up with Barry was a challenge, which is all the more impressive if you consider that he is also between 15 and 20 years my senior. Luckily Barry allowed me to slow down a bit and have the odd break. All the same, the 25 km we paddled together was close to the fastest I had paddled on the trip.

After the Mooroopna Railway Bridge, the first obvious sign of Mooroopna is the industrial landscape of the SPC Ardmona fruit company. SPC stands for Shepparton Preserving Company. It's fortunes have long been a bellwether for those of the region. Locals identify so strongly with the company that threatened funding cut backs in Feb 2014, became a national political issue with the sitting liberal member Sharman Stone, standing up to her own party and eventually winning (smh article).

On the right hand bend, just before the Kialla Road Bridge is the site of the original Punt Crossing on the Goulburn River (1875 – 1877). When the river is low enough, you can also see the remains of the Mooroopna Wharf and the barge C1877. Kialla Bridge which was built in 1877, originally had a drawbridge in the centre to allow steamers to reach the wharf. Barry showed me the 'shoot' on the left side of the river as you go under the bridge. It is the fastest patch of current in the local area. He described how local paddlers like to see how fast they can go there. Keen to give it a go with Barry, I saw his boat disappear into the distance.

On leaving Mooroopna, the Goulburn snakes for 5 km through a native flora and flora reserve known to locals as 'The Flats''. As with most of the nature reserves along the rivers of the Murray Darling Basin, the Flats are floodplains. It does not pay to build anything permanent there. The open space and rich environment did attract members of the Yorta Yorts aboriginal community who walked off Cummeragunga Station in 1939 in protest over conditions. They stayed on the Goulburn, which they called Kaiela, until the 1970's.  A September 1946 police report listed 130 people aged from 8 days to 80 years living on the ‘flats’ with a third of them less than 15 years of age. Lodgings consisted of 29 dwellings, 22 being assortments of tin or hessian bag huts and the rest tents. The river provided abundant food including crayfish, red fin, yellow belly, cod as well as possum, turtle, turtle eggs, swan, duck, crane and other birds and their eggs. The women predominantly fished whilst the men would hunt for rabbits.  Every year the river would flood, causing the residents to move to higher ground on Daish’s paddock, now home to KidsTown Adventure Playground (mmg article).

During the Queen’s visit of 1954, when hessian bags were placed along the causeway to prevent Her Majesty from seeing the humpies and tents. ‘‘Everyone was waiting for the Queen to come through so she could see,’’ Mr Turner said. ‘‘People thought they might get some help out of it — but it wasn’t so. ‘‘The hessian sacks stayed there for weeks.’’ (mmg article).

Source: Goulburn: Talking Fish: Making connections with the rivers of the Murray Darling Basin

It was nice to have company and with Barry as guide, I saw a side of Shepparton that I had not seen before, like the 6km walk from the pool and gym at the lake, which takes you over the Goulburn River on a suspension bridge and to the Giants kids playground in Mooroopna; the 6 km of riverside walk and the rock wall rapids downstream of the Goulburn Valley Highway road bridge.

The Goulburn River upstream of Shepparton flows through state park. It's banks are covered in beautiful native tussock grasses. In the rain, the gold colour of the mature seed head carrying stalks and the green of the young shoots becomes more vibrant and I cannot help but admire them. This is what Australia Felix must have looked to Mitchell when he first ventured into the interior in 1836 and told tales of rich and promising pastures. There is a movement back to using native grasses for pasture. Apparently they are richer in nutrients than non native grasses and are preferred by sheep and cattle. Being deep rooted, they are more drought resistant and can also recover from bush fire. They do not cope with being trampled, or over grazed. Those farmers who have successfully experimented with natural pastures say that in order to manage them effectively, less stock can be put on the land than with introduced grasses. I hope that more take up the use of these impressive grasses. The land, cattle and wildlife would benefit from such a move. (Native pastures info DPI, ABC, Landcare ).

River Red Gum; Image source: Jess Gibbs

Greater Shepparton Council (biodiveristy statement)

Shepparton is a town which reflects much of what Australia dreams of being. It has always been home to migrants and it seeks prosperity through agriculture. In Shepparton's case this was not on the sheep's back but through dairy and fruit. Both have struggled with structural reform of farming in Australia and recurrent persistent drought. It is constantly seeking to reinvent itself - expressed though this creative Stegosaurus cow at the town's information centre. Source: 

The birds that seem to enjoy the rain most were the kingfishers. I have never seen so many on one stretch of river. Sacred kingfishers with their white bellies sit higher above the water than their Azure cousins, but both enjoy fishing. Sacred kingfishers fly to redgum forests in the south of Australia all the way from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to breed in the tree hollows. The azure kingfishers are smaller and look as if they have no tail. With their reddish bellies and white streak behind the ears, they definitely look like they are wagging school. When seen, the usually fly low over the water, ducking under logs and flying through snags, till they land on another good place to fish undisturbed (please). Sorry little kingfishers.

Sacred Kingfisher  (Todiramphus sanctus) Source: Arkive

The diet of the sacred kingfisher is quite varied, and includes a wide range of insects and other invertebrates, such as spiders, centipedes, worms and crustaceans. It also preys on small vertebrates, including fish, tadpoles and frogs, lizards, snakes, birds and mice. Sacred kingfishers can be quite territorial, often calling and aggressively chasing away intruders, including other bird species... it is thought that breeding pairs return to the same breeding and non-breeding territories year after year. The breeding is between September and January or March, with the exact timing depending on the location. Sacred kingfishers usually nest in a tree hollow or in a tunnel excavated in a bank, cliff or even a termite mound. Source: Arkive

Azure Kingfisher: Ceyx azureus. With its combination of royal-blue plumage on its upperparts contrasting with orange on its underparts, the Azure Kingfisher is one of the smallest and most dazzling kingfishers in Australia. This diminutive species inhabits the vegetation beside waterways and other wetlands, where it often perches on low, overhanging branches, searching for its prey of fish, crustaceans and aquatic insects, captured by shallow plunging into the water. Anglers on lonely rivers are sometimes surprised to find an Azure Kingfisher perched quietly on their fishing rods instead of a branch. Source (picture and text: Birdlife Australia).

Downstream of Shepparton, litter pollution is an issue, both in the water and on the land at the frequented camping spots. It is better to seek a lesser used spot as there will usually be less rubbish. A canoe or kayak traveller, needs little more than a flat spot of ground to set up tent and there are plenty of these. The rubbish catches on snags in the river, like the special booms that are in city rivers. I would rather see the bottles, balls, tv's and inflatable toys in these than in the snags on the river. Perhaps it would be a good idea to install these. Lobby your local council. Protect the bush.

In this article by Environment Victoria, local paddler, Dianne Brown describes the joys and frustrations of paddling in the Goulburn around Shepparton. Whereas she saw balls and firehoses, I saw pool toys and television sets. Do they really all come from storm water? Do some people use and leave their flotation aids? Do people really throw their old televisions into the river and why? Shepparton's floating TV's accompanied me all the way to Echuca. Being a resident of that town, I had always wondered where they came from. It is not something that I have seen anywhere else in all my journeys in the Murray Darling Basin.

About 4 km downstream from Shepparton road bridge is a rock wall which is passable at high river but otherwise a portage is necessary. Another 2 km further is an even larger wall. Portaging here is made easier by a boat ramp just upstream and downstream of the wall. I managed to get through both, but make sure you check out the levels and know what you are doing before you try that. Err on the side of caution.

Shepparton Weir. The water was high enough to paddle through without touching the bottom. Another portage saved.

Video footage of passing through the Shepparton Weir.

Shepparton Town Weir at low water level, showing the step like construction which allows fish to move through it. Source: 

Beginning in Shepparton, the Lower Goulburn National Park protects most of the land either side of the river until it's confluence with the Murray River 160 km away. Many people say this is the most beautiful part of the river, due to its isolation and ecological integrity. I am looking forward to paddling through this area, a place I grew up in, but know so little about.

Lower Goulburn National Park Notes  The Goulburn River is lined with River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and is an important wildlife corridor linking the mountains of the Great Dividing Range to the Murray River. The river is highly scenic with its narrow strips of riparian vegetation along its meandering banks. The adjoining River Red Gum forests and woodlands provide a striking contrast to the adjacent farmland. The Victorian Government created the Lower Goulburn National Park, along with other new and expanded parks, in June 2010 to protect and enhance the River Red Gum forests in Victoria. River Red Gum forests have high natural, cultural and economic values. These forests are coming under increasing pressure from climate change, drought and reduced water flows in the northern rivers. Protecting this precious environment relies on balancing economic and recreational activities with preserving its natural beauty and values. River Red Gums line the Goulburn River for most of its length. These iconic trees have been known to reach 45 metres and live for more than 500 years. The trees need periods of flooding and can survive inundation for months. Their seeds are washed onto higher ground during a flood and germinate and grow before the next flood reaches them. Hollows and broken branches provide nesting for galahs, cockatoos, cockatiels and various parrots, while fallen branches provide habitat for other animals. The River Red Gum forests and Yellow and Grey Box woodlands between Shepparton and the Murray River are notable in terms of size, lack of disturbance, diversity and botanical ‘intactness’. The River Red Gum forest with areas of grassy and shrubby understory, plus the large number of wetlands, billabongs provides habitat for a number of significant fauna species including Brush-tailed Phascogales, Barking Owls, Royal Spoonbills and Musk Ducks. Areas containing tree hollows and mature Silver Wattle contain habitat of national significance for the rare Squirrel Glider. Flora species of note include the endangered Grey Billy-buttons, Small Scurf-peas and Jericho Wiregrass. Reedy Swamp, north of Shepparton, when filled, is a haven for waterbirds including the Glossy Ibis and the Royal Spoonbill. Unlike many Victorian rivers, the Goulburn River below Shepparton remains largely undisturbed. Instream debris and large snags provide valuable habitat for Murray Cod and other fish species.

Whilst it faces the challenges that all inland rivers in Australia face, there are some success stories really worth celebrating in the Goulburn River. I barely saw a carp before Shepparton and very few before the junction with the Murray near Echuca. Credit goes to the catchment management authorities, but also to farmers, fishermen and naturalists. One of the most interesting accounts of change, how the river used to be, and what we can aim for again is from 'True tales of trout cod'. This remarkable research uses the stories and photographs of old fishermen. It forms a valuable resource and provides an insight into the both the past and the processes that happen on the river. When we better understand the impact of our actions on the river, we can, in most cases modify our behaviour so that the health of the river improves.

Fishermen's tales

I pulled in early today. 8 hours of rain soaked paddling and a short night have sapped my energy. It has also meant that I was able to start my blog early, download the photos from my GoPro and hopefully upload them before evening. There are also devices to be charged. There was not enough sun today to charge my lithium battery, so I am using a sealed lead acid battery to do that job. With phone and cameras charged, blog written, wet clothes hanging between the layers of the tent to dry. It's time for a cold beer to celebrate the day!