Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 21 Swan Hill to Nyah Nov 5

Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 21 Swan Hill to Nyah Nov 5

Swan Hill to Nyah 54km

At high river this was a pretty section to paddle. The current ran fast over the many clay reefs. The swirls and strong back eddies they created on the corners kept me on my toes, lest they spin me around, or drive me into dead water. And the views over the bank were a treat that river users don't normally have from smaller boats.

Swan Hill - life jacket showing position of cameras. Nikon AW1 tucked in behind jacket, Nikon Coolpix 130 and iPhone 6s in pocket. EPIRB and pocket knife in second outside pocket. An iPhone 5s with a floating grip was kept on the deck for panorama shots.

A rare action shot. Thanks to Ruth who saw me off. The next time we would meet again was 1,400 km later at the Murray Mouth. Plenty of flood country to go between now and then.

Leaving Swan Hill

Woodcutters camp near Swan Hill.

It was windy all day, however the skies were clear and the sun strong, so it was not so cold. I kept paddling for 4 hours, taking my first break on top of a levee after the Speewa Ferry. Surprisingly there were very few mossies there, which I put down to fast flowing water and dry land, with not too much grass.

I took the less used northern route around Beveridge Island because I had not been that way before and as this was the original course of the river, I would be able to compare what i found with photographs from earlier days. Sections like this provide an insight into how billabongs silt up. As the current slows, it begins to drop the silt it is carrying, making the river shallower and shallower. Plant growth on the edges thrives in such nutrient rich environments and further slow down the current, speeding up the process. Eventually the river totally abandons its old course and it becomes a billabong. This is happening at a number of locations along the river. Paddling around this one was a chance to see it first hand.

The pump in this flooded pump house was still running, which surprised me.

Old car bodies used to decorate a levee bank on a farm around Beveridge Island.

Flood waters have isolated a fisherman's cabin on the New South Wales side of the river channel... Capture of floating algae can be seen amongst flooded grasses in shallows where levee banks parallel to the river are close to re-emerging as the flood peak recedes... and water drains from the flood plain back into the river.

I did not expect to it to be so lush and the abundance of wildlife I found there. Where the river had spilled over the levees, scores of pelicans had landed. They were accompanied by groups of spoonbills, herons, egrets and ibis. In the forested sections kangaroos foraged. on seeing me they hoped away to hiding spots. It is most amusing when you drift silently around to the other side of the log, or tree they are hiding behind and they realise they have been found. There is a moment of loss of face, before they swallow their pride and bound away.

On the lower part of the Beveridge Island Anabranch (old river channel) flood waters began to return to the channel, carrying with them organic matter from the floodplain. In small amounts, this feeds and promotes the health of aquatic ecosystems. In large amounts it contributes to the development of blackwater. This image shows the trace of service organic matter be slowly thinning into a more narrow snaking path along the river channel ... It is possible that there have been additional inputs from Beveridge Island however I cannot be certain from this image alone... , definite downstream transport 2-2-2 ... Banks on the Victorian side are completely submerged including Channel Levy banks, however on the New South Wales side they are up to 1 m above river level... There is very little current... This is recorded in my observations from the day and can also be seen in the way that the organic matter moves about on the water surface, as well as the lack of ripples when the current in the river channel is disturbed.

Water ribbon growing on the Beverage Island floodplain amongst a young river red gum woodland. The plants show the direction the flood waters are flowing.

With the strong winds it was as though the clouds were being torn apart and spread across the sky in huge streaks. The water glistened, shuddered and changed height with approaching gusts. You can see them coming quite a while before they hit, which gives you time to hold onto your paddle tighter and make sure there is nothing loose on the deck. Mostly the gusts were harmless. Nothing at all compared to the continual rolling waves caused by winds in the long straights of South Australia. That was all still to come.

Speewa Ferry is a government service. Like the locks, people have the right to cross. They are free of charge and increasingly common as you near South Australia. The only one I know on the Murray in Victoria is on the Hume Dam. There used to be one in Barmah before the bridge was built. I remember being taken across in the car when I was a kid. It now stands high and dry, a memorial to the past, not far from the pub.

This story from the Riverine Herald from Jan 1906 tells of the tragic loss of two horses and a big bag of gold on a punt crossing. In the past, river crossings were rarely as safe as they are today.

Floodplain near Speewa being recolonised by river red gums. Note that the only old tree is on the river's edge, indicating clearing has taken place. Also that the highest ground is near the river: natural levee formation.

Flood channel regulator just after 1368 km with dropboards raised. This channel connects Lake Wollare, Lake Goonimur, Lake Poomar, Lake Poon Boon and Lake Genoe with the Murray River system. It also connects with the Koraleigh Irrigation district and provides a pathway for floodwaters to flow between the Wakool and Murray Rivers in flood times like these.

Modern day dreaming. Weekend getaway near Nyah.

Nyah Bridge

Both Swan Hill and Nyah are built on large sand hills. No danger of flooding in those towns. Nyah appeared through the forest like a medieval fortress, high above the plains. The sand hills and the changing understory in the red gum forest signal the passage of the river into the arid zone. Now, I have paddled off the edge of the ancient delta, where the Goulburn entered Australia's inland sea. The sand hills are wind blown remnants of the retreating sea. The red soil, long rolling dunes and saline subsoils of the mallee region have the same origin.

In Nyah itself, there is no sign of this prehistory. The historical park has a memorial to early settlers. there is a proud footpath on the main street which takes you to the post office, general store and pizza shop (which doubles as a place to get a cold beverage). However, there are three things that really surprised me about Nyah: it has crazy ornate gardens (really worth a walk around town to seek out these), it has a brilliant oval and finally, the place is full of young foreign backpackers, here to pick fruit. I came across a young german couple hoping to buy some food in the pizza joint and a group a japanese lads, with one very shiny fishing rod between them. I could hear them discussing what would be the polite thing to say to be in English. They agreed, and speaking for all of the others, the most confident one said "good evening". When asked whether they had had any luck the answer was easier, they all responded "na".

Nyah may be as aussie as they come and a quiet little place, but it is an international destination.

Tomorrow I make for Tooleybuc and am looking forward to a counter meal at its hotel: they have a reputation for being the best in the state.

Campsite in the Nyah Recreation Reserve. Free for travellers and nice to see some other people.

Plaque commemorating Major Thomas Mitchell, the Overlanders and the first settlers in the Nyah region, the Beveridge brothers.

Nyah residents seem to take great pride in their garden decoration. There are many individual and quirky properties.

Nyah may be a small town, but it has a great oval.