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.
On this day I paddled from the Balranald Caravan Park to close to Canally Station. About 10km into the paddle I came across Yanga Station National Park and pulled out for a look around, before continuing onto the Balranald weir, where a portage was required.
After a windy afternoon and evening where the tent filled with dust, I got up at 5:30 begrudgingly into an unseasonably cold 3 degrees celsius. On these trips you develop routines so that you do not forget anything. Everything has its place and a time to be packed. Clothes are one of those things. I was quite happy that I had had a chance to wash my paddling clothes in the caravan park, but when it came to my shorts, they were missing. I thought about paddling without them, but considered what that might look like at the portage at Balranald Weir and decided to look near the washing lines again. In the strong winds all of my underpants were scattered and I think I would have looked like a kid at the annual Easter Egg Hunt, running round to pick them up - but i had missed my shorts. Putting on my wildlife hero cap, I looked in trees, gardens, around buildings and finally found them on the edge of a storm water drainage channel. I now had all my pants. A good omen for the day if ever there was one.
All packed, I said goodbye to one of the other campers who had gotten up for some early morning photography and set off at 7:15 drifting, just to get a feel for the boat. A group of ducklings entered the river from the caravan park and swam to the other side of the river. I watched them pass and then, gingerly took my first paddle strokes. Everything ached. My gortex jacket, though working fantastically with cut up stubby holders to stop water running down my sleeves at the top of the paddle stroke, restricted my movement. It took some time to get things right. The paddle to Balranald Weir was uneventful. I gradually warmed up, but felt the tiredness of the previous six days of 8 hours of paddling every day.
Ten kilometres downstream of Balranald is Yanga Station. http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/yanga-national-park/yanga-homestead/historic-site There is a good clay landing area just downstream of the station, which you can run up on (which I did), or just ease up to in a civilised manner. Tree roots make getting out and in easier. The station is well worth a visit. A working station until relatively recently, it is now part of the Yanga National Park as part of the cultural heritage of the area. All of the original buildings are there, most in original (now run down) condition. There are several houses, shearers quarters, washrooms (etc) and a very large shearing shed. The place is designed for self guided tours and walking around, it is impossible not to imagine what it would have been like back then. Camping sites with toilets are a few hundred metres away and there are many information boards around.
Yanga Station: former working farm, now national park.
There is a huge woolshed...
...with interactive displays, pens, presses and runs, worn by time...
One story was of when the first bale of wool was taken from Poon Boon Station on the Wakool by the paddle steamer Lady Augusta and the barge Eureka. All in all they took 441 bales of wool in that first experimental voyage. The ladies of the station helped roll the first wool bale down the plank and onto the Lady Augusta. The bale was then hoisted up the masthead of the barge Eureka, a sailor sitting upon it, and on his giving the signal, a gun was fired, which was succeeded by "three cheers for the first shipment of wool on the Murray".
Large information boards tell the history of settlement and the environment...
Reading through these, it becomes clear that the floodplains are unique...
...they are the true Riverina, seasonal wetlands and rich pastures over summer...
...able to sustain stock through the long hot summers because the spring floods soaked the soil...
"swarms with snakes"... many people still believe it does... with marshes and frogs in abundance, there is both habitat and food...
Early farmers showed remarkable foresight and understanding of the land they managed...
...they recognised that rather than being a threat, flood were essential to the survival of their new way of life...
Flood runners angle down from the perched riverbanks into the forest, like short creeks that run from the river onto the plains...
The story of how the first bale of wool was collected by paddle steamers on the Murray darling Basin.. Boom times were to follow...
There was also great information on the ecology of the floodplain and the history of water management schemes (and their planning) including what the first settlers thought, plans for eight locks and weirs to Hay and schemes to allow both irrigation and maintenance of the floodplains (by John Monash) as early as 1915 (before he was a general). Early pastoralists realised that plants can access water on land that has been flooded during drought. They argued that flooding was essential for their livelihood. They also maintained that forested areas should be kept, not just for red gum harvesting, bit as a refuge in drought, when all other feed was gone. Eventually, 4, not 8 weirs were built. Many areas now receive flooding, however some of the creeks which bring water into the forest where blocked in places like Narrandera. With not groundwater recharge possible in those areas, the forest systems that were there are dying. In the areas which do, the ecosystems are thriving, and towns like Balranald are poised to make the most of it.
The Murrumbidgee floodplain between Hay, Balranald and oxley forms a mid system ecological storage that promotes biodiversity and has a history of complementary land use and environmental management.
Including agroforestry and protected land on farms...
The broad shelled turtle has a shell the size of a dinner plate...
...whereas the short necked turtle is much smaller... both are threatened by foxes digging up their nests...
The Southern Bell Frog is the symbol of Balranald and has been adopted by the town, with frog sculptures throughout the town...
The soils in this environment have developed with regular flooding...
cracking deeply, filling with water and mulch during flooding, and then slowly releasing their stored water in drier times...
those areas which are not provided with environmental water for flooding are suffering, they are degraded landscapes...
In the Millennium Paddle Blog they described the Balranald weir as a "P.O.P." Mike Bremers also found it the easiest of weirs out of the four below Hay, so I hoped to have a similar experience. I had looked up the weir on google maps and it looked as if there was an alternative to climbing the banks in front of the weir. The old river course was still there and had only been blocked in the middle (diverting the river through the weir). I paddled into this dead end and walked the route, but found it blocked by a dense copse of saplings (only visible as a green smudge on this iphone screen shot). I got back in my boat and paddled to the weir, getting out as close to the weir as possible and selecting the least steep bank. There was no landing, or flat area so there was a real danger of losing gear whilst unpacking the boat. Dragging a fully loaded boat up a bank is not fun. In these situations, paddling as a group would make such takes much easier, however I do think that for a river that is being promoted as a canoeist's river, they could modify the bank a little. A 300 metre 'walk' later there is a steep bank to slide the boat down to get to the river. I don't know if I recommend holding onto the boat and risk being pulled into the drink, or letting it go and possibly having to swim after it. The whole portage took me about an hour. I was glad it was my last one.
An aerial shot of Balranald weir. You can see the now blocked, original channel of the river. There is no easy option at his weir if you are alone. A large new cyclone fence mean a long walk around the weir infrastructure is necessary before relaunching. A potential short cut on the southern bank just before the weir is not an option as the whole bank downstream has been layered with sharp bluestone which would damage the boat. The long walk is unavoidable.
Block and tackles were traditionally used to lift heavy weights and are still in use on yachts and sailing boats. The more times the rope passes through the 'block' of pulleys, the greater the mechanical advantage (though some of the advantage is offset by friction). A lightweight block and tackle might be useful thing to help get up steep banks, or over snags on the Murrumbidgee. Strong light-weight gear is available in sailing shops. Graphic: Wikipedia. More information on how pulleys work.
After the weir the river became more snaggy again, but it was to get worse. About twenty kilometres downstream of the Balranald Weir, snags stretching all the way across the river are the norm. I rode over many logs, ducked under others and pushed through the small branches of some. If you don't have to worry about your boat getting scratched, its a lot of fun, but it will keep you on you toes. That 'bad' section is narrower than the rest of the river. I suspect that it is younger, that the river has moved its path there only in the lat few hundred years: it is yet to develop the wide high banks so typical of the rest of the river. For a canoeist, it is a bit like paddling down the narrows, but in a river that is half the width and with ten times as many snags.
Again, sea, wedge tailed and little eagles were frequent, however corellas and cockatoos have appeared as well. The environment becomes more Murray river like, the closer you get to it, it seems. What did surpass me was seeing a red kangaroo. i did not know that their range extended this far South. It was a small one, as they often are on the limits of their range.
I found camp after having paddled about 52 km, which I was extremely happy with, given the hassle I had with the portage and the time I spent at Yanga Homestead. It has a small beach to land on and an area safe from trees. Behind it are piles of timber, up to two metres high, washed through in high river (not the place to be then). There are sawn tree stumps, and on these I made by evening meal. From camp I can see the sunset over the plains. I am not far from Canally Station and although I cannot see it, I can hear some children's' voices in the distance. Around my camp are screeching cockatoos and once darkness falls, the sounds of kangaroos moving through the woody understory.
My camp for the night was a comfortable one. I even found a natural jetty to climb out on...
At the top of the bank were several large stumps, which served as tables...
View from camp was to the West, making use of the evening light...
...as the sun descends, quiet settles upon the Murrumbidgee River.
With clear skies, sunset was golden, the slight movement of the river appears mystic...
My bush kitchen...
There are not many photos today, as my micro SD card fell into a deep crack in one of those stumps. Try as I may, I could not retrieve it. I have decided that it can become a fossil and amuse some future generation… or not. At least i am saved the hassle of uploading. Mind you I thought that there were some pretty good pictures on that card from today. "Them's the breaks" as my old mate Sharky would say.
Tomorrow is the last day (43 km approximately). I hope to break out into the Murray in the early afternoon. Its been a great trip, well worth doing, just pack lightly, plan generously and come well prepared for weirs.
I woke up fairly early and walk into town for a last look around. Maude is a tiny place. Its three places of note are the weir, the shop and the pub. I took a few more photographs, used its very clean toilets and began to pack up camp and portage my gear. Maude,with its two streets, has been a first place getter in category A of the 'tidy towns' competition. They know their stuff. The toilets in Maude are a sight for sore eyes. Not only do they mean that you don't have to dig a hole and squat, but they are the cleanest public toilets I have ever seen. The nicely painted walls were unblemished by marks or graffiti. There was a full and working soap dispenser and the porcelain was clean. I felt some satisfaction at having discovered a new national treasure, worthy of inclusion in the best guide books. A sign on the wall pointed to the pride the locals had in their facility. "The shire of Hay maintains these facilities. Last cleaned on 12/9/09. That is just over four years ago. I think the locals must do it. I hope so.
8:03am Portage going well. All food back in the boat. About to pack up the tent and carry it over.
8:45 Last portage of gear coming up and then on my way.
According to the drunk old man who was wet from falling in the river and helped pull my boat, the section from here to Balranald is the prettiest. He has been all along the Murray, Edwards, Murrumbidgee and Darling Rivers. It didn't stop him from hitting snags though, you should of heard his late night torkle home. I think he may have gotten stuck on some. You could hear the swearing, clunking and revving of his motor for kilometres. He had to be rescued by his friends, and even they hit a few snags. Best not to have too fine a boat on the Murrumbidgee.
Maude weir was built in 1940 by the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Authority to compensate landholders from the lack of natural floods after Burrinjuck Dam (built in 1928) by sending water down the Nimmie-Caira Creek system. Proposals to use the water in the Murrumbidgee more effectively began with the frustrations that paddle steamer operators experienced in getting suppliers to and trade from landholders. Stations on the Murrumbidgee could only be accessed in high river following the snow melt, a period usually no more than three months. Luckily, this time also coincided with the wool clip, however, it meant that stations and towns along the Murrumbidgee did not have an effective transport system for 9 months of the year. A system of locks and weirs were proposed early in the twentieth century to allow access all year round and provide flooding of the low country, whilst also making it possible to develop more land using irrigation. Landholders were suspicious as they depended on the floods to replenish soil moisture levels and initially fought against regulation. Maude weir was one of the last to be built on the Murrumbidgee. Of the 9 initially proposed, only 4 were built, of which the primary purpose of the two at Hay and Balranald weirs was to provide water to those towns. As a result, much of the floodplain lost its natural pattern of watering. A series of droughts ending in 2011, as well as growing pressures to use the water in the Murray Darling Basin more effectively and for fairer distribution of this resource led to the Murray Darling Basin Plan. This plan described how water would be shared between the states, between towns and farmers, and between people and the environment. Because water is such a valuable resource in Australia, its use is often contentious. In the upper parts of the Murray Darling Basin catchments, people find it hard to understand why they should not use all of the water that is flowing past their door. At the bottom end, this is a lot more obvious.
"The Lowbidgee floodplain is the largest area of floodplain wetland remaining in the Murrumbidgee Valley. Located between Maude and Balranald, the floodplain covers an area of over 2,000 square kilometres. It includes the second largest red gum forest in Australia (along the river downstream of Redbank Weir) and significant black box, lignum and reed-bed communities. The wetlands support large numbers of waterbirds, many of which breed in the extensive lignum swamps, and provide habitat for many threatened species.
The aquatic and terrestrial environments of the Murrumbidgee catchment provide habitat for a large number of significant species and ecological communities that are listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
Southern bell frog, Lowbidgee. Photo: Sasha Healy, OEH. (Source)
Eighty threatened animal species are found within the Murrumbidgee catchment, 20 of which are considered endangered. This includes eight species of frogs, seven bats, 43 birds, eight reptiles and eight marsupials. Many of these species are reliant on the riverine forests, woodlands and wetland habitats associated with the Murrumbidgee River. There are 54 threatened plant species, of which 29 are considered endangered. There are five endangered ecological communities. Most extensive in the Murrumbidgee is the inland grey box woodlands that occur on the riverine plains, and the box-gum woodlands (comprising a mix of white box, yellow box and Blakely's red gum) that occur on the lower slopes and plains. Due to their location on fertile soils, both of these woodland communities have been extensively cleared. Remnants tend to be fragmented or isolated, and a full range of flora and fauna species is rare.
Several fish species that previously occurred in the Murrumbidgee River are listed as threatened under the NSW Fisheries Management Act 1994 (Table 3). Some of these have not been found in recent surveys and are thought to be locally extinct within the Murrumbidgee River (Murray hardyhead, river snail, olive perchlet, and southern pygmy perch). Breeding and restocking programs are in place for trout cod, purple-spotted gudgeon, silver perch and Murray cod within the Murrumbidgee River and its storages.
The lower Murray River aquatic ecological community includes all natural creeks, rivers, and associated lagoons, billabongs and lakes of the regulated portions of the Murray River below Hume Weir, the Murrumbidgee River below Burrinjuck Dam, and the Tumut River below Blowering Dam. These lowland environments typically have meandering channels and wide floodplains, and provide a range of aquatic habitats including pools, riffles, billabongs, snags and aquatic plants. The ecological community includes all native fish and aquatic invertebrates within these river reaches, and includes 23 native fish species and over 400 recorded native invertebrate species." NSW Office of Water. Water Resources Overview and Management. Murrumbidgee Catchment. 2011
The last part of the portage involved sliding the boat down a steep, root covered bank. At the bottom of this bank are some star spikes, so you have to be careful. All up it took me over two hours to get around the weir and have my boat ready to paddle again. A land crew with a car and trailer would make this easier, as would phoning ahead and organising to have the gates unlocked, so that you don't have to slide your boat over a 2 m high fence and all of your gear under it as I did. Whilst it was helpful to have a plastic boat that bounced, having a key to open the gate would have been easier. Try contacting the NSW Office of water at Dubbo on 1300 662 077, or Helpdesk@statewater.com.au. Alternatively, try the Maude Post Office Hotel (02) 6993 6112.
I finally got on my way at 9:45. About 5 km after Maude is the 17 000 acre sheep, cattle and organic cropping property, Moatfield station. An old original station building and two new looking smaller buildings are visible from the river, however, as usual, there is much more beyond the bank, including shearing sheds. The owners, the Nelson family, have been on the farm for generations. They offer on station accommodation using the "Farmstay' network and invite people to use their farm as a base to explore the area whilst getting to see and take part in some of the day to day activities of living in the country.
A majestic sea eagle, not concerned about me at all as it circled in its thermal low over the river.
People who have paddled this stretch before me say that it becomes a series of pools separated by clay reefs, which the river then runs over. I can imagine there would have been times when there was not enough water to pump. A stark contrast to the high rivers following the snow melt before the river was regulated. Yesterday, I saw a clue to how powerful the Murrumbidgee can be. Snags were washed up on a tree on the outside of a bend way higher than any other I had seen. I think that the force of the water going around the bend pushed them up. The Upper Murray banks around bends. It can be a metre higher on the outside of a bend than on the inside. Imagine that scaled up to a river the size of the Murrumbidgee. I would not want to be anywhere near it then.
12.3 km downstream from Maude I photographed a derelict pump next to a gnarled old tree. Both symbolise to me what a tough land this can be to live in and the tenacity of our pioneers.
Lowbidgee beach: they are smaller and more selten than on the Murray.
In the sunshine, the fleece on sheep really does shine as white as snow.
12;17 : 20km, lunch break. Current today is varying between 1 and 2.5 km an hour. There are slow sections and the occasional shoot, where you experience a temporary burst of speed. So far the GPS is behaving itself. I bought a set of alkaline batteries at Maude, which although expensive, I considered fair trade for the fresh water from the rainwater tanks, which-had "just been filled up yesterday."
Today has been perfect paddling weather. The sun has been shining all day and for the most part, it has been wind still. The Murrumbidgee has been much prettier downstream of the weir (as the locals predicted). The areas of bank erosion from stock are limited and the dead zone between low water level and normal weir level does not exist. It seems a healthy river. In that respect, I am glad for every snag. Like the aeration arms at waste treatment plants, the ripples the current causes as it flows through them add oxygen to the water, creating ideal conditions for the natural food-chains to breakdown nutrients and stop things like algal blooms from happening.
The sheep seem to have it pretty good; access to water, shady gums and a peaceful life.
Sheep enjoying the afternoon shade.
The campers are also fewer than above the weir, though one group of dads and their sons is worth telling about. As I approached, two young boys came sliding down the bank, waving and giving the thumbs up sign. They wanted to know where I had come from and where I was headed. Hay, I replied. Where's that. Oh about a hundred km that way, I said, pointing upstream. And where are you headed? To the Murray. Gees, that's like for ever away!
In the background of this picture, a cable stretches across the river.
Just after my last break, 20km from Maude, I passed Nap Nap Station. It is one of the most elaborate stations I have seen on the river. The older homestead is classic in style, but there was also a newer brick building that looked as if it was a renovated storehouse. It had twin peaked roofs, each with a circular window. Near the older building stood a windmill and next to that, a large water tank made of redgum sleepers, raised up off the ground on sturdy legs. The whole structure looked old, solid and in remarkably good condition. Behind the original house was a tall sequoia dendron, the Californian redwood. These among with palm trees were signals to the paddle-steamer captains that they were approaching a station. It must also have symbolised worldliness and western culture amongst the isolation of the bush. Crews would have enjoyed the hospitality of the station staff - for as long as they were allowed, until they had to be off again, and the people on the station would have enjoyed news of the outside world and perhaps even a recent newspaper from Melbourne or Adelaide. Quite to Sydney's consternation, settlers along the Murrumbidgee considered themselves more Victorian than NSW. Though, this is hardly surprising, given that that is where their markets were and where their goods had to be ordered from. The loss of trade (300,000 bales of wool I one year alone) is why NSW built railways to every river community between 1880 and 1895. These railways signalled the end of the boom period of the riverboats, though some continued on even up until 1950 as logging steamers and into the 1970s as passenger boats. The revival of interest in the boats keeps our history alive. It is just s pity that the weirs stop them from coming up the Murrumbidgee.
After the group of dad's and their sons, I haven't seen any people. I followed a group of eight pelicans for what must have been ten kilometres, always taking off and landing - but no people. It was only later, when I received an SMS from my wife, Ruth, that I realised where everyone was and what they were doing. It was the day of the AFL (Australian Rules Football) Grand Final. Almost everyone watches it. Whilst we lived in Germany we did so religiously too. It is a big part of mainstream Australian culture, uniting religious and ethnic divides. For some, the footy team you belong to is a big part of their identity, and champions are like gods. I hurried to make camp, to tune in the the last of the game.
Nap Nap Station has a large water tank made of redgum sleepers, raised up off the ground on sturdy legs. The whole structure looked old, solid and in remarkably good condition.
Nap Nap Station
As I approached 43.7 km on Mike Bremer's map (about 46km on my GPS) I kept an eye out for the place where Sturt launched the whale boat which he rowed down the Murrumbidgee, into the Murray, to the ocean and back. He was on a quest to find out where the westward flowing rivers went. Sturt became frustrated walking across the Hay plains and decided that it might be a good idea to build a boat.
One of his team, a carpenter, constructed the boat from pieces they had carried with them from Sydney. The whale boat was 9 metres long. A second boat for supplies, was also built. Sturt launched his boat between 10 and 20 miles upstream of the Lachlan junction. Earlier paddlers have identified a tree which is meant to be the place he launched his boat. Assuming that river geography has not changed that much, it would have been at a place where there was a gentle gradient in, like a beach. I photographed all of the beaches in the area, promising to share these with Mike Bremers, who, hopefully, will be able the tree he stood under as his new boat entered the river.
Possible site where Sturt launched his whale boat to begin his journey down the Murrumbidgee, into the Murray River and then into the sea. He had carried the whale boat in pieces from Sydney and had been following the Murrumbidgee using bullock drays and horses since Gundagai.
I think he would have picked a gently sloping bank with a beach, so I photographed each of the beaches between 10 and 16 km upstream of the Lachlan Junction. Sturt himself was not specific about the distance, so it could have been any of these, or others, further upstream.
I found a camp on a high bank above a clay ledge, just after where Mike Bremer's map says 44.7. My GPS reads 48km. The top of the bank is clear of dangerous trees and it is only a short walk up to where I have placed my tent. With my clothes hanging in a tree to dry and dinner on the boil, I am soon ready to enter my tent and rest. On journey's like these I find my tent like a cocoon, warm and dry, mossy proof and dust free enough to allow me to tend to my gadgets.
Evening chorus is strong and varied tonight. There is a bird which has a high pitched reverberating call which does not stop. It must be able to call breathing in as well as out. Murray rosellas, galahs, honey eaters, friar birds and wattle birds join in. There is a wood pigeon booming his call through the trees, and now gradually kookaburras are starting up, a whole bunch as usual, drowning out the poor wood pigeon. Beforehand there was a bird across the river whose call was continuos high pitched- maybe a triller. The wood pigeon has stamina. He's not giving up.
I paddled 48km today. Not bad given the late start (9:45am). The portage around Maude weir took a lot of time. If you are planning to do this trip it would be well worth your while to talk to a local first about some easier options than the ones I took. I spent just over 6.5 hours on the water, averaging around 8.5km an hour, but in some sections was as slow as 7km/hr and other as fast as 10.5km/hour. The current flowed between 1 and 2 km/hr. With an early start, I hope to make Redbank with enough time to portage tomorrow.
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