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.
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.
These maps show the area I paddled through on this day. The river was broad and although there were many snags, few blocked passage down the river. Like much of the Lowbidgee, this is the realm of the fishing boat, with shacks hinting at an enduring relationship. Steep banks of gray mud and river red gums front sparsely settled agricultural land.
Waiting for the day to warm up a little and tweak the places that I put things, so that it made more sense, I left my beach campsite opposite the seemingly abandoned Eulalie station and begun my paddle at about 8:45am. There was a light breeze, but despite the cool temperatures of early morning, enough sunshine to keep warm.
Overhanging branches frame the river.
Old and new ways of powering water pumps.
For those paddlers who might follow me, I noticed a potentially good campsite on the high bank after Pevensey Wood Reserve, including a clay bank to land on and low trees for shade.
Many banks are heavily eroded by stock accessing the water. In places there is not a blade of grass, shrub or twig for hundreds of meters due to their ever changing tracks and the fine crumbly nature of the soil. Heavy cattle sink up to a metre into the mud as they struggle down the river bank, causing it to lose its structure. Sheep do not penetrate the soil as far, but in their struggle up the banks loosen and cause soil to tumble into the river. It the first case the banks become a quagmire, in the second dry. In both vegetation and topsoil is removed continually.
Environment Victoria's campaign focus in 2014 is to restrict stock access to river banks, suggesting that watering points be provided above the banks. The aim is to reduce erosion and the sedimentation that results from it, the amount of fecal pollution and dead livestock in our waterways. Dead animals were a feature of this part of the Murrumbidgee. It was not pretty. For this reason, I took as much fresh water from towns with me as possible, and when I had to fill up from the river, either made sure that it was boiled for at least 5 minutes, or had been properly sterilised using purification tablets. The EPA suggest that in some areas of Australia, that there is a culture of dumping. That did not seem to be the case here. The animals were equally a mix of cattle, sheep, kangaroos, pigs, deer and even an echidna. I think that the animals either became stuck on snags, in the mud, or died after gunshot wounds from hunting. In the case of the deer, their antlers had become entangled whilst jousting. I have never witnessed erosion from stock on the scale I have seen it in the lowbidgee. It has given me new respect for the many landholders who protect their environment and have done so for hundreds of years, and those people who are pushing that such actions become the norm, indeed, expectations.
Murrumbidgee Beach
Between Pevensey Wood Reserve and Abercrombie there is SOS reception only. I saw a healthy young Wedge Tail Eagle take off from its meal amongst the trees and fly ahead.
As the river heads SE once more after Abercrombie, the breeze picks up again. There is a landing strip and fisherman's shack which actually looks liveable, it has a solar panel and antennas - perhaps it's something to do with the landing strip. Two big pumps are a welcome navigational confirmation just before you get to this point. Still no reception other than SOS. Interestingly enough, the GPS on my phone works.
Slab fences are common along the Murrumbidgee.
A tangle of roots and snags.
When they say pump they mean it, the pump downstream of Abercrombie is huge.
Only occasional reception from now until Maude. Reached Mike Bremers campsite just before Toongabie station, 64.8 km on the map. Reception very patchy.
Saw another white bellied sea eagle this morning. An immature one with a wing-span of about 1.5 metres (adults can have up to 2.2 metres) and the speckled mottled plumage that makes me think it is still in its awkward teenage phase. Couldn't hear it as it flew. That makes four so far today. By the end of the day, this number increased to six. That's more than I have seen in my 50 years on this planet. I found out that the White Bellied Sea Eagles range extends all the way from India, through South East Asia and into Australia. They are rare in Victoria and threatened in NSW and South Australia. White bellied sea eagles inhabit coastal areas, but have been known to fly thousands of kilometres up rivers. Here, on the Murrumbidgee, I was over 1,000 kilometres inland. It is amazing how far these birds have flown to breed. They usually have two young, but are known to abandon their nests if there is too much disturbance from humans. This would explain why there are so few along the main channel of the Murray, but plenty in the quieter regions within the basin. It was a great to see so many with young.
Toogimbie Station. Although it is very quiet on the river, my map tells me that I am often passing stations. Toogimbie Station was first taken up by squatters in the mid 1800's and became one of the major holdings around Hay. It was then known as Lang's Crossing. The station includes aboriginal burial grounds with remains dated as at least 15,000 years old, middens, campsites and scar trees. It was purchased by the Nari Nari Aboriginal Tribal council in 2000 who are now going about restoring the natural balance of the area, by controlling weeds and feral animals and undertaking revegetation projects.
Effects of changes in water availability on Indigenous people of the Murray-Darling Basin: a scoping study. Sue Jackson, Brad Moggridge and Cathy Robinson. Report to Murray Darling Basin Authority, 2010.Walking with the Nari Nari. Aboriginal Heritage. Toogimbie Burial Ground. NSW Department of Heritage and Environment. Indigenous protected areas. Toogimbie Station. There are.... freshwater, seasonal wetlands support many local plants and animals—a 2002 fauna survey found 86 different species including 55 bird, 18 mammal, 11 reptile and two frog species. Tree and shrub species include river red gum, black box and smaller species such as boree or weeping myall, cooba, dillon bush and nitre goosefoot.
At 71 km now. Big flock of pacific black ducks keep settling then flying ahead of me. Seen several pairs of Pelicans, as well as white faced herons and some self important galahs. First wood duck chicks are out and about, parents flying ahead and then doubling back once I am far enough away, young ones diving if I get too close. A white bellied sea eagle would have to be a silent flyer to pluck one from the water, they are pretty fast! No sulfur crested cockatoos so far.. perhaps the crops planted around here are not so attractive to cockatoos. I suspect those big pumps that I've been seeing throughout the day might be feeding rice fields. Cockatoos might not like having wet feet. Most are not operating at the moment, but if they were all at once, there would not be much current left over for anything else I suspect.
I have come across the odd, and sometimes elaborate fishing shacks, some even with air-conditioning and windows. Passing under an overhead power line, there is a sign which warns yachts that clearance varied with river level. Somewhat optimistic to sail a yacht here I would have thought. At 83.4 km a fishing and camping reserve is marked on the map. Hardly seems different from the forest on farmers land, but this patch is designated for public use. Can only see a fishing sign on the map - no name.
Red gum roots crawl across the surface of the bank, whilst the remains of a pier can be seen in the background.
There has been a lot more farmland today. Some of those farmers have removed almost all of the trees. In those places, strong gusts of wind buffett he river and all that is on it. I keep an eye on the branches moving in the tall red gums that tower over me. I really notice the absence of forests the southern bank in this part of the river. Often it is too high for red gums,, however when left to itself, a box woodland seems to grow. Sometimes I see box an lignim, meaning that the drainage is poor and hinting at the presence of s swamps - at least seasonally.
First BBQ / Fishing barge I have seen on the Lowbidgee.
Old pump station with brick foundations.
Eroded bank (stock access) contrasts natural bank (no stock access).
Pile of snags heaped up on the outside of the bend show the strength of the current when the river is up.
It was a difficult day, with not much current compared to the Murray, no training on my part and a very heavy boat (with the battery solar panel and all that extra food - I think I could travel four weeks with the amount of veggies and fruit that I have). Next trip, I will make sure I don't over cater. I paddled for 8 hours straight in order to get to Maude with enough time to pull the boat out (for the weir and set up camp). 61 km today, making a total of 106 km in two days. I hope to average 50 km a day in order to make it to Boundary Bend in the time I have.
Wedge Tailed Eagle nest.
So far the weirs have really not been canoe friendly. Added to that both Maude and Hay were two metres lower than usual. I think they may be flushing the river and draining the wetlands to help fight carp. For me it means really steep banks, with a heavy boat it is difficult. Whether the river is faster than usual or not is a matter of some dispute amongst the locals. When I was about to launch my ear was all but chewed off by an elderly gentleman walking his dog. He said that he had never seen it so fast at Hay. I strained my eyes, hoping to see what he meant...nope, no ripples... nope, no slingshot effect as I left. The current must be even slower most of the time in Hay. Down at Maude, I thought the current was pretty good - particularly in comparison to Hay, but here the locals say that it usually about double what it was today. I guess I am just glad that there is a current. The lowered weir pools mean that the banks are muddy and steep. The local councils seem to plan only for high water, and despite advertising the Murrumbidgee as a canoeists paradise (Murrumbidgee Canoe Trail), don't seem to be doing much to make it one in terms of infrastructure.
Approaching Maude in the afternoon sun.
I asked people (I met people)... fishermen camping for the weekend... occupying their fishermen's shacks or in family group tent towns... No one could tell me... Finally (as I had beached myself on a mud bank on the southern side of the river, a young couple in a tinny suggested I use the mooring they we're going to use to get to the pub... I followed their lead with the added bonus that they helped me up the bank - no mean feat - you'll see what I mean when I am able to show you a photo.
Maude shop.
Once camp was set up, I walked into town for a look. Maude is almost a one horse town. I went to the general store mostly out of interest. It is the post office, 'supermarket', cafe, fishing supplies and petrol station. When you walk in you can see the TV in the family lounge as only a half drawn curtain separates the two areas. Other than the muddle of merchandise, the first thing that struck me was a four year old who was following his toddling sibling. Don't look, he said, he is only wearing a nappy. For some reason the older sibling thought that in the cause of decency, he should hitch his younger brothers nappy higher. Unfortunately, this caused the nappy to fall completely off! In this confusion out came dad. He tried to serve his customer and send his children back behind the curtain. Unfortunately the attempt at multitasking failed. The younger child, rejoicing in his notoriety, was doing laps in front of the fridges and the older one fully appreciated the spectacle, shrieking in time with his younger brother. I ordered a pack of AA batteries and a coke. The owner spied the empty water bottles I was carrying and gave me a tap handle to operate his rainwater tank. If you pass by this way, call in at the shop, you won't be disappointed. Further down the road (Maude has two) is a well built tin shed with a large sign proclaiming it to be the Maude War Memorial Hall. On the edge of town is the pub. Very popular with fishermen it seems - though the climb over the fence on the way back to the boats in the dark is not recommended.
It has been nice to see people today. The number of people camping on the banks increased as I got closer to town. Other than these people, I have only seen one boat since leaving Hay two days ago. Earlier today I paddled past an esky with two fishing rods next to it. Despite the owner being nowhere in sight, I almost jumped out of the boat with excitement.
My favourites were the young fishermen and his well oiled and wet older friend (he had fallen in the river), as they helped me enormously with moving my boat, and the tired shop owner.
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