Thursday 10 February 2022 Murray River: Burrowye Reserve to Kennedy's Reserve

 Arriving at our accommodation in Walwa after a very scenic drive across the bushfire ravaged Snowy Mountains we unpacked and waited for S&V to join us so we could drive down river and check out a few put in/take out points for the next couple of days paddling adventures.

Firstly we drove the 26mins or so down to the first of the reserves we had marked to check, Kennedys, near the top of Hume Weir. With the weir so high there would be quite a few kilometres of lake affected water to paddle, however it is an excellent put in/take out point. Next on the list was Dunpubin, 8-9kms upstream - no 'beach', a vertical drop into the water. It was here we met a bloke, 70 yo, from the Gold Coast, at the end of his 2nd day of an 8 week paddle from Brigenbrong Bridge to the mouth of the Murray in South Australia. In the first two days he paddled 120kms or thereabouts. His previous paddling experience: paddling around a small lake for 2 hours a day.  Talk about making our forthcoming adventures pale into insignificance! He is raising money for his local Rotary and has a facebook page Colwel Adventures if you want to follow a true adventurer. Next to his campsite was a muddy shelf where he had managed to clamber out, so L marked Dunpubin Reserve down as a possible take out point.

Next to check out was Burrowye, another perfect put in/take out point. Then it was onto Bullocks which proved hard to find and not used since the fires. Although it has a doable though steep drop down to the water, immediately down stream was a tree and debris hazard and L ruled it out. Proceeding up river we checked out the Mount Alfred Gap Lookout before dropping down to Pumphouse Reserve, again a bit tricky to find and not used since the fires.  Here we found a steep drop into an eddy and L pronounced this would be the put in point for our second paddle on the mighty Murray (which made me trepidatious as a seal launch would be required - S&V remained serene having no idea what a seal launch entails). 

On the way back to Walwa we checked out Gadds Reserve - perfect for both put in and take outs - and the Jingellic camping reserve which has a boat ramp however it was full with people camped cheek by jowl and nowhere to leave a car (on Saturday we discovered a much better put in/take out point across the the river at Pebbly Beach which can be accessed down Nursery Lane beside the golf course.

Back at Walwa arrangements were made for meeting the next morning and V&S left us to return to their riverside cabin at the caravan park.

Thursday morning V&S arrived at our cottage a little before 8.30am we headed down river to Burrowye Reserve to unload the boats. While S&L did the car shuffle, V&I readied the boats then found a convenient log in the shade on which to park our bums while we awaited the return of the shufflers; although overcast the day was already turning hot and humid, the air heavy and still.

We didn't have long to wait and after L explained the likely hazards we would encounter, seen and unseen, how to recognise the unseen ones, how to avoid them and how roiling water and eddy lines would turn our boats and probably much more which has escaped my mind we took to the water about 9.45am.

Having launched and paddled out of the eddy the current picked us up and carried our boats downstream. The roils did exactly as L said and turned out boats every which way - hence very few pics of the first part of our journey, both hands of the paddle required at all times!

L had us practice eddy outs at every opportunity, here we sit an contemplate our success at negotiating this riffle and not being pushed into the willows.  Each time we eddied out L drip fed us more information and wisely reinforced guidance already given.

After a short break (really a nervous wee stop) at 10.10am

we continued down stream all the time getting better at anticipating and dealing with the roiling water. The one right in front of my boat turned me at right angles.

Around 10.25am we entered the backed up water from the weir and the roils disappeared and the current slowed and floated us gently along. Time now to relax and take in the scenery

 

and the magnificent gums dotted along the banks.

Dead ahead is Dunpubin Reserve.

Goats on the island off the top end of Dunpubin Reserve. Opposite the end of island is where we encountered Col (as we dubbed him) the bloke I mentioned at the beginning of the blog. Our steep learning curve today gave us a new appreciation of Col's undertaking. We had the benefit of being led by L and following his guidance - Col started from Brigenbrong Bridge with zero moving water experience and no guidance other than what he had gleaned online. In comparison when we stopped at Brigenbrong on the way to Walwa L took one look at the current and the way the water was moving (river level was 1.77m) and said I'm not taking three old ladies on that! 

Contemplating Col's undertaking, we paddled on

through stunning surrounds.

With the current

steadily growing less,

we had to start working.

However there were frequent breaks to take in the riverside vegetation.

For instance the ginormous burl on this tree;

not to mention the twisting bark on the branches.  Admiration for this tree alone held us up for five minutes.

Nearly out onto the lake proper. At the end of this stretch we floated in the shade for ten minutes or so to have a drink and cool down a little before heading out across the lake to the take out point at Kennedy's Reserve.

Looking back up the lake and

to where we had to go.

With the weir level so high (currently at 98%) we had to weave our way through trees for the last 100 metres or so; the shade they threw was very welcoming.

Making landfall at 2.00pm, the first of our paddles was over. Without our time keeper I don't know how long our three breaks were for, or for that matter where they were. Except for the last four or five kilometres there are plenty of pebbly beaches on which to take a break.

We drove back to Walwa, along the way collecting S&V's car from Burrowye, feeling chuffed and a little relieved that 'the old ladies' had survived the day and our 'training' run unscathed. 

Trip Notes:

River Levels:    Brigenbrong Bridge: 1.596m  Jingellic: 2.09m  Hume Weir: 98%

Put In: Burrowye Reserve

Take Out: Kennedy's Reserve

14kms

4 1/4 hours