Thursday 3 May 2018 Tantangara Dam, Murrumbidgee Arm

Everyone had a better nights sleep. Don't know if it was warmer or we had learnt a lesson from the previous chilly night and had donned more layers of clothing. Some of us were up early to catch dawn breaking over Three Mile.

While breakfasting we watched with relief, the bloody great caravan pack up and leave. Some discussion was held re where we should kayak as the wind forecast was not good and the breeze already had a sting in it.   We decided to stick to the original plan and go Tantangara Dam.  We had a beautiful drive down the Long Plain Rd and Port Phillip Trail, seeing lots of brumbies along the way.

11.10am and we were nearly ready for departure a couple of hundred metres up into the Murrumbidgee Arm of Tantangara, where there was more protection from the wind, with Hains Hut on the Murrumbidgee as our destination.

But it was still fairly breezy as we set off, paddling into the wind

Once around the first bend it was a little more sheltered

Proceeding up stream, our aim was to reach Hains Hut, take lunch and return with the breeze at our backs.

It was very different terrain from what we normally paddle in

To our delight a small herd of wild brumbies were down by the water grazing.  Such a wonderful sight for those of us who have not encountered close sightings of wild brumby over all the years that we've been visiting the Snowy Mountains.  An iconic animal that is classed as ferral yet invokes in us a recognition of something uniquely Australian and wild.

Unfortunately, a hundred metres or so around the bend in the far distance we reached shallow water and could see a rapid beyond.

 R and I tried hard to proceed but ended up hung up on rocks and it was only with much shoving with our paddles and lots of boat rocking we freed ourselves, so sadly it was turn around time for us. We retraced our steps and at 12.15pm stopped short of the next big bend where the shore was slightly shelving and we were somewhat sheltered from the cold breeze.

Getting ready to launch again at 1.00pm, perched on a hill side with beautiful views before us.

After taking the above photo I returned to my boat to launch. Stupid me wasn't paying enough attention and I plonked down into my boat and promptly did a backward somersault out the other side doing a head plant into the mud, swallowing a mouthful of muddy water as I went. It must have been a sight to behold! Coming up spluttering and spitting out water I couldn't get a footing on the slippery slope. My hero came quickly to my rescue the hauled me out and righted my boat.  Thankfully, the water, tho' cold was not the usual alpine heart stopping freezing. Within seconds I had been stripped off and toweled down by R and supplied with spare tops by G and L and a woollen beanie by V. Nearly warmer than before my dunking we headed off once more - this time I paid due attention to my launch :)

We reached our cars and were off the water by 1:35pm. As soon as we landed I was banished to the car to shed my soaking bottom half and get on dry clothes. Because of my dunking, or more likely, as an excuse - the promised fishing time for V, D'd and myself was reneged upon and as soon as we were packed up we headed back to camp.  During the hour or so drive back to Three Mile, I kept occupied pulling lumps of, by then drying mud, out of my hair - and bra!

So what we had thought was going to be quite a long paddle ended up being a very short, 4km,one. However the little we saw we liked very much and it was decided we should definitely make a return visit when the dam level was higher - maybe next spring.

Wild Brumbies grazing right by the track on our way out.

The tight turn onto the bridge crossing the Murrumbidgee River

Murrumbidgee River

By the time we got back to camp it had clouded over and it was very chilly. After lighting the fire and retiring to our abodes to put on as many layers of clothing as possible, L went for a drive around the other side of the dam and V&I settled down for some serious fishing. After we had been fishing for half an hour or so R wandered down and supplied us with some welcome sustenance from G's secret cache of KitKat :).  When V went to start preparing dinner I was joined by D'd whose spinning disappointingly produced no better results than my bait fishing.

D'd and M fishing on the banks of 3 Mile Dam (the 'KitKat fish' being the only thing caught here!)

Across the other side of camp there was 'fishing' of a different kind going on as a group of 3 wild brumbies approached and showed themselves off to us at very close range. One being a Silver Brumby.  THAT must bring good luck of some kind, shouldn't it?

Eventually as dark approached, it became too cold to continue and we retired to the fire to await the feast being prepared by S&V in the camper trailer kitchen. Whatever it was, it was very yummy and was followed by more b'day cake, this time served with L's secret cache of custard.

The last of us managed to stay up until about 10.00pm when the rain drove us to our beds.
Overnight it blew a gale and the rain lashed down. The run off from the track coursed under M&L's tent and the vestibule collapsed in the wind (L said I'm allowed to choose the next tent site!). D'd woke to find her swag in a puddle and had to move. The awning on G&R's camper partially collapsed due to the weight of water pooling on the roof.  Only V&S came off unscathed. Waking up in the morning, the wind had died down to gusty but it was still raining and 0 degrees and our intent of the night before of staying another night was abandoned and after a hurried breakfast we packed up and wrestled the camper trailer back down and went our various ways. Which for G&R and L&me meant getting back down to the coast and a sunny 22oC as quickly as possible.  Thankfully D'd lent L&I a dry towel. The Landrover has no heating and the towel was needed to defog the windscreen every couple of minutes all the way to Nimmitabel.
Ooh it was nice to get home and change into shorts and a tshirt and to sleep in a comfy dry bed. But be warned fellow paddlers, L, who had a lovely time is already planning the next camping trip to Wingan Inlet!