Thursday 15 November 2018 Glenelg River Day 3: Forest Camp South to Lasletts Canoe Camp

After another night of  being sung to sleep by the discordant tones of the Glenelg bush chorus, we woke once more with wet tents and a busy morning ahead of us. Tonight we would all be kayak camping. So tents had to be packed up, food and gear sorted and stuff not needed stowed in the cars. KT and L then did the long car shuffle into Simpson's Landing on the outskirts of Nelson.

Whilst we waited for their return J&J and I carted all the gear down to the landing and packed what we could into the boats

When KT & L returned we promptly set off around 10.00am. J had kindly offered to load all our water supplies onto the QE3. An offer which we all gratefully accepted. Even so L was fully loaded, carrying the tent and sleeping gear only, with water sloshing over the hatch in front of his seat. Poor Bluey had to cope with the rest of our stuff and me!

Most of the cliffs were undercut

Our first and only Koala for the day

 The scenery was proving diverse and spectacular

Love these sculptural pics of KT's

Around 11.30am we pulled in at Wilson Hall for morning tea

Oooh, I do love a boat ramp

J having a nap in the sun and broiling in his rain jacket.

At 12.20pm we set off again, the day growing quite warm.

Catching up to L

who, at 1.00pm,  was leaning on Bowds Landing studying the map

Still feeling quite fresh and the weather being favourable - we were getting a great assist from the breeze at our backs - it was decided to push on, this being our longest day on the water and not knowing what the wind would do later in the day.

We encountered a varying mix of forest and cliffs on our journey

The scenery changing around each corner

Doing it easy in the QE3 - look at that armchair ride :) . Methinks I can detect a little boat envy!

One or two swallows flew out of every 'cave' we approached. How come we have hundreds in the shed? Maybe because they get drowned on a regular basis on the Glenelg?

KT having a break from pedalling and working on her paddling technique. She paddled for about half the day.

Still feeling good, we skipped McLennans Punt

and pushed on passed some fabulous scenery

and pulled into Pattersons Canoe Camp about 1.40pm.

Looking down river as we crossed to Pattersons

The only canoe camp with little huts

Amazing tree, with the three trunks growing from the horizontal one.

L warned me as I came in that it was muddy and suggested I try disembarking closer to the landing.

I promptly sunk up to my knees in mud, just as he had down at the other end of the little beach. It took some effort to haul myself out of the water.  It was with trepidation that I thought about the first jetty re-entry we would have to do :( :(

The long picnic table.  The canoe camps take up to twenty people with one long table and a couple of fire places. Oh, and one, in this case, very smelly long drop.

Lunch lasted just over and hour

Except for the loo (which we found out later had just been pumped out, perhaps explaining the pong) -oh,  and the mud - it was a very pleasant camp and the closest to the water we had found.

So, lunch over it was time to get back into the boats :(. L devised a plan for me. With Bluey pulled up along the jetty he knelt down and held onto the side handle of Bluey nearest the jetty and J&J in the QE3 came along the outside and held onto the outside handle of Bluey, with KT on the outside of them providing extra support. The plan was that I then lightly step down into my boat and gracefully sit down.  What actually happened was that I stepped one foot gingerly down into the boat and thence fell, in a most ungraceful and ungainly manner, the rest of the way - thus creating a minor tsunami which added even more mud to the shoreline. But gamely steadied by those aboard the QE3, KT and L on the jetty I stayed aboard and after some flopping and heaving managed to seat myself in an upright position, ready to paddle. Thanks to you all, especially J&J who must have viewed my body toppling toward them with some alarm!

Next it was L's turn. I pulled out and Lawrence pulled his boat round and into the space vacated by me and Bluey.  Without the benefit of someone hanging onto his boat from the jetty he managed to do what I had so spectacularly failed - get down into his boat, with the minimum of fuss, in a smooth, if not entirely graceful manner.

With L aboard, we said goodbye to Pattersons Canoe Camp around 2.45pm and continued our journey downstream

 Spectacular cliffs were now appearing at regular intervals

Detail of the bottom of the cliff

We paddled on, the breeze still pushing us along on what turned out to be a beautiful day

Sleeping polar bears?

Getting out at Sandy Waterholes for a quick leg stretch - can't resist a boat ramp.

Sandy Waterholes. Can't remember if we all had a leg stretch or not

 Anyway, continuing on

And this was the last photo my camera managed before running out of battery

Luckily, KT's was still going strong

About 4.20pm ish, pulling into Lasletts, our destination for the night.

A perfect day's paddling completed. Not to hot, not to cold, just right, a light breeze at our backs for most of the journey and ever changing scenery to gaze upon. And last but not least, the enjoyment of good company. Fantastic.

View from the top of the landing

Looking downstream in the evening light

Looking upstream

With a young couple already in residence, we set up camp at the other end of the clearing. J outside their tiny tent

We made liberal use of the table for 20

 It was cold, but we were too fagged to hunt for firewood and instead gave our firelighters to the young couple who had gathered lots of wood but were having trouble setting it alight. They kindly invited us to join them around their fire once they had cooked their dinner.

I must say, I was a little peeved. Lasletts is listed as a canoe camp and only a one night stay permitted. Not long after we set up two separate groups of people walked down the track and through our camp, one lot disappearing upstream and the other downstream. A little later 3 men appeared, carrying heaps of camping gear down the track, clearly intending to stay a couple of nights and muttering, when they saw us, "we booked this camp", "so did we", replied KT. They set up camp close to the young couple. After separate, but friendly visits from Jan and myself, they upstakes and moved their camp out of site further downstream.  I like to think it was because two old ladies desiring a quiet night had the power to frighten them off :)
Just after dark the two groups of fisherpeople drifted back through camp and disappeared back up the track.

Dinner: Everyone resorted to dehydrated delights this night. However we did enjoy smoked mussels and baby (as in tiny) pickled cucumbers, courtesy of Jan and some brie and biscuits courtesy of KT (and the imbibers had managed to fit quite a bit of red wine into their boats)  before tackling the dehydrated stuff. L had a two serve of Kung Pao Chicken to himself and declared it very edible.
KT and I shared a chicken and mushroom risotto and declared it passable and J&J had their special mince & vegie mixture. The trick John reckons, is to leave the mixture stand for twice as long as recommended.

After dark, KT produced some sparklers, nearly as old as the recipient, to celebrate the birthday after which we finished another nights fine dining experience by eating the unmelted block of Toblerone.

KT and L were early to bed and J&J and I joined the young couple beside their fire for a little while to learn they had never canoed before and had started at Moleside and were continuing to Nelson and to hear about their adventures thus far. Lesson - secure your boat firmly. The bloke had had a long swim across the river to retrieve their canoe.
By 10.00pm we were all tucked up in our tents.

Trip Notes
Put in: Forest Camp South
To: Lasletts Canoe Camp
14.6 kms (Parks notes)  (15.4 kms Google earth)
6hrs 20mins including approx 2hrs of breaks