Wednesday 22 March 2023 Lake Yarrunga Day 1: Bendeela to Hideaway

 It was an early start to get packed up, sorted and ready for our big adventure. After much faffing we were at last ready and drove out of Kangaroo Valley a little before 8.30am, this time headed for our launch point at Bendeela Campground. Having had a small geographical mishap we arrived at the launch site about 1/4 to 9 and set up about unloading the boats and the mountain of gear to be stowed in them.  S&V, having had a bigger geographical mishap arrived somewhat later and had to unload and pack their boats as one of the school groups, in two huge canoes arrived and started unloading around them.

G then left us, taking the car and boat trailer back to our accommodation to clear up and then driving to Tallowa Dam to leave the car and trailer and pick up the car which we had left there the night before. Thank you G.

Having checked the weight of the camping gear was evenly distributed in each boat we set off at 9.45am

and headed down the lake on what turned out to be a grey but wonderfully windless day.

As you will see in the video, it wasn't long before we passed the Bendeela pumping and power station. Water is pumped 127 metres up to a pondage dam and then run back down through two 40-megawatt turbines to generate 80 megawatts of electricity.

A little further on we passed the second of the school groups we were to see that day returning to Bendeela. This group were in what looked, from a distance, like lightweight canoes from Paddle and Portage.

Despite the weight in our kayaks, the paddling in the main was easy tho' we occasionally hit patches of what we gals like to call heavy water. Around the 4.75km mark we spied at little bay with a sand bank at its head and pulled in for a break.

Continuing on we passed a few ritzy properties, lots of waterfowl skittering over the water and a young sea eagle. And always glimpses of the escarpment ahead enticing us on.

Given that L had us find and from the water check out every campsite marked on the map (for future reference and in case Hideaway was taken) we made good time and around 1.00pm and after a little searching we found Hideaway - unoccupied :)

By the time we had chosen tent sites, unloaded the boats, set up the tents etc it was quite late in the afternoon when we had lunch. As we ate the two big white canoes returned with their next bunch of school kids to set up camp at Acacia Point across the lake.

With the threat of rain looming L, R & I set about 'erecting' - 'suspending' (not sure what you call it) a large super lightweight tarp. Halfway through the process the rain started and by the time we'd finished we were soaked and the rain had largely stopped. Typical! However it served us well as, though it remained warm, there were several more patches of drizzle and rain throughout our stay.

By nine we were all in bed. If there is a downside to Hideaway it's bush rats - no possums, but lots and lots of bush rats. Except for L, who slept blissfully unaware, the rest of us lay mostly awake listening to the rats investigating our stuff. In between rat rustlings was the yipping of the resident bandicoots and a strange plopping noise on the outside of my tent which I could not identify - until I went for a midnight wee - and discovered a tree frog making free use of our tent as a hunting perch or maybe to escape the rampaging rats. And lastly the airplanes regularly rumbling loudly overhead didn't help. 

However, thanks to V's recommendation we lay comfortably on our sleeping mats, sleeping bags barely needed the night being so balmy, as we lay awake listening to the sounds of nature and planes and reflecting on the pleasure of the day's paddle.

Trip Notes:

12.2kms

approx 3.5 to 4 hours

For future reference:

L: 24kg

M: 35kg

R: 30kg

S: 13kg

V: 13kg