Friday 31 July 2020 Brogo Dam

Before we start, a quick aside. On Tuesday 28 July, after 175mm (nearly 6 inches) of rain over the preceding two days, and after 3 years and 7 months of being closed, Cuttagee Lake broke open in the early hours of the morning.

This pic was taken on the 28 July at 10.30am. Water pouring out of the lake

Looking up the lake

Ten minutes later we arrived down at the Murrah to find it running a banker

and overflowing into the lower lying areas below the bridge.

At some stage it had gone over the top of the concrete piers.

What has happened down at the mouth of the Murrah remains a mystery.

Now to today's paddle.  Nearly the whole of the CKC met at the Brogo Dam Boat ramp at 10.00am and by 10.30 we were all on the water, sorted and adjusted and ready to paddle.

As we gave the spillway a wide berth we could hear the roar of the water pouring down it and we could feel the pull on our boats.

 The water was turbid , but the views were fantastic and horrifying -

nearly every ridgeline was burned to a crisp.

Toward the end of the dam we pulled in for a break at 11.20am. Here comes morning tea - Kardemumbullahs and Pan au Raisons - yum.

Don't know if you can see it, but there is a dark line running across the contour on the right side of the pic. That is the high water mark.  While we were unloading the boats at the ramp the dam caretaker/manager? came down to check us out. He told us that 3 times the dam's volume had poured over the spillway during and after the East Coast low that caused all the rain. The dam peaked at 105.24 metres at 3.00am on the 28th July and today when we paddled it was 103.03 metres.

Setting off again at Noon,

we headed up the Brogo River

Almost immediately the water became markedly less turbid

At least the high water had deposited some ash laden silt back onto the banks.

The reflection of the rock outcrops made interesting patterns on the water.

 S drawn by the sound of burbling water goes in for a closer look and discovers a small waterfall

A spots a small Water Dragon basking in the sun

 We paddled on

against an ever increasing current. After slogging it out we eventually turned a bend and saw the end point of our paddle ahead. Paddling hard I made it into the lower edge of the frothy white water, but by the time I grabbed the camera and turned it on the current had taken me 30+ metres back downstream and the looming rapid suddenly became a small blip in the distance.

However it was an easy ride back down the river, only the odd bit of steering required.

After rejoining the group

we poddled on and pulled in at 12.55pm on a rocky beach for lunch

No leisurely lunch for us today - by 1.37 we were back on the water

and continued on down the river.

And of course as soon as we turned the first bend we hit a slight head breeze, only problem it was a chilly one.

One thing that was really noticeable was the near total silence. Hardly a bird to be heard. I think we heard only 3 on the whole paddle.

Back out onto the dam proper

we retraced our steps.

Making landfall back at the boat ramp at 2.50pm.

Trip Notes:
Put In/Take Out:  Brogo Dam Boat Ramp
Water Level: 103.03metres
13kms
4hrs 25mins

Thursday 23 July 2020 The Murrah

The Murrah mouth has closed again and due to the recent rain (90mm) and big seas the inlet is very full again - an opportunity too good to miss.

Look at all that water upstream :)

The last to embark at 10.20am

I wonder if these plants will survive the closure?

Here come the sluggards - too busy chattering to notice the start.

 Plenty of route choices today

The sun made fitful appearances

A She-Oak (?) of venerable age

It was a delightful paddle upstream

Until we hit this fence which we decided would be the end of the line for us today.

Turning around, we cruised back down stream, aided by a slight flow.

The first time we came up here, after the rain that doused the bushfires, only  the channel to the right around this island was navigable, today we had a choice.

Heading back down toward the bridge.

After rounding the second bend below the bridge we encountered quite a cold breeze from the SE so we turned up the first arm and found a sheltered sunny spot for a leg stretch and and a spot of morning tea.

Embarking again at noon

for the first time ever, we headed up the arm amidst lots of chatter and

it was well worth the venture.

End of the line, only about 20metres short of the river.

Back down the arm. To the right a large numbers of swans, ibis and egrets were taking advantage of some temporarily flooded pasture. Unfortunately our bird photographer was in revolt!

Rejoining the river and the cold breeze,

we paddled downstream to the first lead on the left. Never having enough water before we paddled cautiously into the lead, which translated means we let the boys head in and waited for the call!

In the middle of the lead it was sheltered and sunny and it was decided to stop for lunch. The first suggestion was vetoed.  Then L headed in through some shrubbery and called to the gang. Much to A's befuddlement, there was an immediate chorus of rejection from out in the lead and we paddled on just a little further and found a perfect spot

and by 12.40pm we were munching our lunch.

At 1.40pm we embarked one more

 The grass is still hanging on, even though its been under water for well over a week now.

Emerging from the lead

we head back into the lagoon

and paddled down to the beach and

 to the mouth which had disappeared entirely and has been replaced by a vast plug of sand. This time it will take more than one man and a shovel to reopen it again!

Looking from the top of the sand plug closing the mouth south to Bunga Head.

Strewn about where patches of cinders from the bushfires 6 months ago, still being washed in by the sea

and washed downstream by the river.

Having spent 15 minutes one the beach we began our return journey, for once not having to keep a lookout for boat ripping oyster bommes,

we could take whichever route we chose

 L once again tried out his sail (thanks to A for the pic below),

 and disappointingly the breeze once again proved to be too light, too fitful and generally from the wrong direction to enable L to skim across the water.

Most of the erosion mitigation works were underwater, as were some of the plantings.

You know its being a good paddle when, near the end everyone is still smiling.

At 2.45pm another lovely and lazy paddle was over.

Trip Notes:
Murrah mouth closed
Put In/Take Out: Murrah Bridge
10.6kms
4hours 35mins