G having joined us Monday evening, the six of us departed Gypsy Point Lodge at 8.00am and drove back to the highway and headed north before taking the Wallagaraugh Rd down to out put in point at Johnson's Bridge.
The faint path way, beside the bridge leading down to the water that M&L had recce'd a couple of months previously was now overgrown and it was a bush bash to get the boats to our put in point. The patch after carrying the six boats down and numerous trips with gear.
Some of the boats under the bridge
By 9.15am it was just M&L left to launch
5 minutes later we were all aboard and ready to paddle
heading upstream and
once we had rounded the first bend, into the breeze
some cattle, also enjoying a good campsite.
After an hour of paddling we stopped at this convenient beach for a stretch and a snack
20 minutes later we were back on the water and, continuing on, we came to a wide pool in the river known as the Bullpen which we drifted through, blown by the wind as we waited for G&R to catch up after they had resolved G's grating pedal problem.
Beyond the Bullpen we left the last of the isolated habitations behind us and entered into dense eucalypt forest interspersed with remnant rain forest patches.
Having crossed the Black Allan Line L got hung up in the submerged rock garden. For those poor ignorant fools out there, L would have you know that the Black Allan Line is that part of the Victorian/NSW border going from the source of the Indi/Murray River to Cape Howe; represented by the straight line on maps and surveyed by Alexander's Black and Allan in 18 something or rather.
After L got himself off the submerged rock and retired, defeated to the lists, S pressed on, weaving a path through the garden she made it into the pool above.
Above the rock garden the Wallagaraugh opens out into a sublime and sheltered pool
at the end of which we really could go no further.
The, to quote L, 'four cranky old women' made it through the submerged rocks and soaked up the sight and tranquility of the pool.
A perfect lunch spot on the left, if only the blokes could have made it this far
A water dragon, disturbed, as we wended our way back through the rocks.
Rejoining the fellas we found L out of his boat, in his chair, declaring this would be the lunch spot.
A site only slightly more salubrious than his choice yesterday! Some quick thinking was called for.
L bestirred himself when offered Bluey to paddle through the rocks so he could see the beautiful pool for himself.
Whilst he was engaged on this task the crew mutineed and upon his return he found M packing up his chair and boat as he was informed we weren't stopping for lunch at another shitty site.
While the troops drifted off downstream - making their intentions clear - M finished packing up L's boat and regained paddling rights to Bluey - L having remembered now, what a good little boat it is.
We set off back downstream keeping a lookout for the good luncheon site M had spotted on the left. 10 minutes later, we found it - on the right (M's other left)!
R&G's preferred mode of water transport, G's sporting a new seat
45 minutes later, we returned to the water
Soon after the above pic above we hit less sheltered water and had a tail wind back to the bridge. No more pics from M who, with the wind and being rudderless :( was too busy putting in corrective strokes to keep Bluey on track to take any more photos. At 2.20pm we pulled in at our am stop site for 20mins to stretch and recharge the batteries for the last leg.
Johnson's Bridge, nearing the end of our paddle.
We had to disembark, one boat at a time and slog our way back up to the road, which funnily enough proved easier than getting the boats down. By 3.30pm we had all the boats off the water, if not up to the trailer.
A most enjoyable paddle, unanimously deemed right up there in our top paddles.
Trip Notes:
Put In/Take Out: Johnson's Bridge, Wallagaraugh Road
15.22kms
6 hours (including 1hr 25min breaks)
