Murray River Paddle 2016 Day 44 Katarapko Creek (Pyap) - Moorook South

Day 44: 452 km Moorook South 28th Nov 2016

Katarapko - Seven Mile straight - River Islands - Orchards - Vineyards - River stories

Pyap to Moorook South.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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?

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.

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.