Murray River Adventure 2024

Day 1 started with a taxi ride to the Ballarat train station. We boarded the train along with many heading to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup. Upon arriving at Southern Cross Station we made our way to platform 2A for our connecting train through to Albury. After a 1 hour wait we boarded the train and took in the sights along the line without the hassle associated with driving on the highway. The train travel was smooth and enjoyable with only a couple of slower sections where the cars on the highway were faster than us. As a result of these slower sections we arrived in Albury half an hour later than scheduled. Loading our kayaks and gear into a taxi we were transported to our motel where we changed into cooler clothes as it was much warmer than when we’d left this morning. After checking out the possible put in points nearby on the Murray River we spent the evening catching up with family members.

Day 2 and our first day on the river. A visit to the supermarket was first job on the list today and after buying enough supplies to last us 4 days we set off for Noreuil Park Foreshore. There were plenty of people already at the Park enjoying the sunshine and water. The 7 Border News crew were interviewing members of the public and were very interested in our plans, we even made a short spot on their evening segment 😊. At 11.30am we launched our yaks and commenced our journey. The river is flowing quite quickly, we generally paddle on lakes back home at around 4km/hr, today we averaged 7km/hr and covered 31.5km in 4.5 hours. We decided not to push too hard being our first day and instead took our time and enjoyed the scenery and serenity. There were hundreds of ducks as well as egrets, ibis, grey herron, cockatoos, corellas, cormorants, kookaburras and kingfishers. A late lunch at 1.30pm consisted of pasta, chicken and pesto, some Cheds and a mandarin. After lunch we continued coasting downstream where we encountered more larger felled trees than we had during the earlier session. A thunderstorm was brewing off in the distance so decided to take advantage of a tiny flat island approximately 30km from Howlong. We set up camp and brought the yaks out of the water, turning them upside down to keep water out. Just after we’d enjoyed a quick shower the storm came raging. We were hit by strong gusty wind with lots of thunder and lightning. It was quite intense for about 10 minutes then it was over. It’s very enjoyable here now with blue sky fading to dusk, the birds are calling, cows are mooing and the huge fish are jumping. Well another thunderstorm came through later tonight. The lightning was so bright you could see the aluminium poles of our tent through your eyelids!

Day 3. The birds started their morning chorus around 5am with the kookaburras starting, quickly followed by the cockatoos. The river is up by about 250mm this morning compared to when we arrived on our island yesterday. The river looks to be flowing faster today. Had to wait for a few things to dry out after last nights storm before packing up. Got underway around 10am and soon discovered there were many more fallen trees to keep away from. Gliding along we passed a number of people camping on the river bank - many didn’t even notice us. The serenity was broken by the sound of chainsaws cutting wood. After about half an hour of paddling we stopped at a sandy beach to fill our solar showers, the water here was very clean looking with little debris in it. Continued paddling through to lunchtime (fried rice and tortellini with roast pumpkin & garlic and mandarins) when we pulled into what must have once been someone’s permanent living spot. There were sheds, broken fences, about 5 BBQs, a handmade pizza oven and numerous other items. It appears the area was affected by flooding given the debris in the trees beside the river. As we neared Howlong we noticed more people had set up residence on the river banks. Checked out the Memorial Park before continuing further along the river before stopping for the day. We did ?34km today with maybe another 40km to Corowa. We’re stopped on a bend in the river that’s clear of large gum trees allowing us to set up without having to worry about falling limbs. Tea tonight consisted of Cheds with cheese, ravioli, minestrone soup, muesli bar and stewed peaches. Tonight we’re sharing the area with ducks, cockatoos, plovers and a pair of whistling kites. A little light rain sent us to bed early.

Day 4. Another bird call morning from 5am - it’s not a bad way to start the day really. Breakfast of vanilla Up & Go and a muesli bar was finished by 8.30am then the pack up started. We rearranged some of our items this morning to shift the weight rearward, also put about 6 litres of water from the river into our solar showers and Rohan filled our water bottles from river water put through the Sawyer filter. With all this done we were ready by to paddle by 9.30. Rohan wanted Sandra to work on her paddling technique to be more effective and efficient so after a few pointers and some practice on the short straights we were off. Our first stop came after 1.5 hours of paddling, it was an interesting pull in spot with water merging from a smaller river causing the water to swirl in multiple directions. After landing we had a drink and a muesli bar each. The spot we pulled into was lovely with willow trees close by the river, there were other green leafed trees as well as the gum trees. The area had solar panels out the back, a shelter with spotlights and lots of low green grass. A half hour break down we headed out again into increasing wind - gusts up to 20 knots were experienced along with thermals creating interesting paddling conditions. Our lunch break was spent near Keoghan Island which had a tin shelter with concrete floor. Again getting into the area was a little tricky with swirling currents. Despite the wind strength we decided to continue through towards Corowa, not expecting to get there though as we’re hoping to set up camp early to shower and do some laundry. We found a fantastic camp spot which turns out to be approximately 5km from town. It has a tin shelter area, many steel tables and seats, lots of recently mowed grass and there’s even a toilet out back - quite the find. Showers and laundry done we had tea which tonight consisted of cream of chicken soup, canned steak & veg, stewed fruit and a mandarin. Tonight was the first night we’ve been attacked by mosquitoes so it was into the tent early to avoid being eaten alive. Today we achieved 37km in 5 hours, 13 minutes.

Day 5. Beautiful morning with no wind and bright sunny sky. Set up the solar chargers this morning to get some oomph into our devices which delayed our start by about half an hour. Found that we were only two corners from the caravan park on the river. Can’t really complain though as our camp was peaceful and really nice. Continued along the river and almost went too far and bypassed the town. Ended up mooring on the riverbank tied up to fallen trees and about 300m from each other. When Sandra was stepping onto the bank her leg went straight through the top surface and ended up thigh deep in a soggy hole. After washing off her pants in the river we headed into Corowa to get our supplies for the next 4 days. The walk into town was short and we soon found the Woolworths supermarket. Our groceries consisted of carrots, peas, apples, mandarins, muesli bars, Cheds, cheese, sardines, cuppa soups and packaged pasta. On our way back to the river we decided to stop at @Corowa Takeaway for a steak sandwich which made a nice change from the meals we’ve eaten since leaving home. A short walk later and we were in a lovely park with children’s playground. A disabled elderly gentleman was having trouble getting himself back into his scooter after getting out of it to eat his lunch at one of the tables in the park, so we helped him back in and chatted with him for a while to make sure he was ok. They have great art work in the park which we took the time to check out. Walked around the oval where a cricket match was in progress and down to the river where Rohan had docked. The majority of heavier groceries were placed in Rohan’s kayak and the remainder put in Sandra’s. Back on the river again we passed more houseboats and the many large houses which line the river. Every campsite along the river was full, with the exception of one but we’re guessing that was due to the cattle that had easy access to the area. There were also a number of speedboats on the river today, some created a lot of wake while others were more considerate and slowed when they saw us and only sped up afterwards. Tonight we’re camped up on a rise that has a flat spot barely big enough for our tent and chairs. Plenty of cicadas that latch onto anything including the aerogard can. Today we paddled 31km which was a pretty good effort considering we lost at least an hour & a half in Corowa.

Day 6. Underway by 9am as we didn’t have to wait for the tent to dry. We’re getting into the trickier part of the journey as we come closer to Lake Mulwala.  A close look at the map before we leave camp and also along the way was essential. Deciding on taking a couple of the shorter arms of the river proved to be challenging and rewarding. Our first short cut came shortly after leaving camp, we meandered through the slower flowing water navigating around numerous snags along the way. Taking advantage of a nice pull-in spot we stopped for a muesli bar and drink of water. Sandra also took the opportunity to put extra water into the solar shower which we position under our legs, this helps keep us cool but also has the benefit of pre-warming the water to body temperature throughout the days paddle. Get back into the kayaks only to discover the river has had a number of culverts and large granite rocks placed across it then covered with dirt to form an access road across the river. This meant disembarking from the kayaks and porting them to the other side - Rohan had made straps for this purpose (we also use them each night to bring the kayaks out of the river) so quickly fitted them and moved the yaks. Back on track again we continue through the maze of fallen limbs u til reaching the main river again. Being a beautiful sunny Sunday there are people out in their speedboats with wakeboards, skiers and tubing. These meetings prove exciting especially as they don’t slow down when they meet us so as times we’re surfing the waves or having the waves crash half way along our kayaks. Our second shortcut was the most interesting of the day as we initially headed in the wrong direction before backtracking.  We parked our yaks on the opposite side of the river to try and determine if there was actually access through the willow trees as indicated in the maps, even from there we weren’t sure so we hopped back in and headed across. Sandra stayed in the dead water while Rohan went to investigate. Shortly after he returned saying he couldn’t get through, our next option was to paddle against the current back up a short arm of the river this was too much for Sandra so we backtracked to the willow trees. Deciding to search through the reeds to find the path we were looking for we eventually found our way through, skimming over fallen trees, reeds and other water vegetation. Rohan tried to whack a few metre long carp on the head on the way through but I think we need something more substantial to do the job properly. There were certainly plenty of carp in that area.  We eventually made our way back to the main river and continued through to the start of Lake Mulwala where we continued to paddle along the shore, again taking another shortcut. We stopped for the day around 5pm and will continue through to Yarrawonga tomorrow with hopefully a lot less motorcraft on the lake.

Day 7. What a great start to the day - no cockatoos around this morning, only blue wrens, finches, swans, pelicans and a couple of ducks. We were underway early this morning which turned out to be a good thing as we were able to progress through some of the dead trees area within Lake Mulwala. It is quite tricky navigating and avoiding all the nasty tree limbs just under water level, some are easily seen while others you only feel as you glide over the top of them. After about an hour of reasonably comfortable paddling we began a crosswind section which became more challenging as the water started lapping over and sometimes into the cockpit. Sandra wasn’t keen to continue so headed towards shore, unfortunately there was nowhere to put in as the banks were all built up or had jetties that were quite a bit higher than our kayaks, also they’re all privately owned and most had signs advising not to enter. Fortunately a nice boat ramp was available for us to put in at so we carried the kayaks up onto the grass and had a drink and muesli bar. There were bins available so we took the opportunity to dispose of the rubbish we had collected over the past few days. About 15 minutes after we pulled in the conditions started to mellow so once again we headed out, pretty soon the lake was so calm it was like glass on top. Finally rounding the last corner we could make out where the weir is and also the boat ramp where we would put in. A couple of jet skis were out on the water and after they did a few passes headed away from us and we headed for shore. Docked at 12.15pm and ported the kayaks up onto the grass under the shade of the trees. We had just finished packing up our kayaks when the sprinklers came on to water the grass so we had to pick up and move our gear as quick as possible. Sandra arranged a taxi to come collect us from the boat ramp and drop us at the Yarrawonga Holiday Park. Our site is reasonably close to the boat ramp so will make things easier in the morning when we carry everything down to the river ready to set off again. Laundry was first item on the agenda and once that was done we gathered up a number of items to be posted back home, these items consisted mainly of clothes that we hadn’t used in the past week along with a couple of other items that were superfluous to our needs. Walked into town and posted our things then headed to the IGA for supplies to see us through for about 6 days. On the way back we called in at the Yarrawonga Hotel to see if they were doing meals tonight and yes they were so we booked a table and headed back to camp to drop off our shopping. With this done we walked back to the hotel where we had steak with salad and mash potatoes and steak with chips and veggies - beautiful meal. Back to camp for sorting and showering before bed. Should be easy to get to sleep tonight with the white noise of the water pouring through the weir in the background.

Day 8. This morning our focus was getting prepped and back on the water and as the sun already had a bite to it through our tent walls we were up and getting organised at 7.30. After a quick breakfast of muesli bars and Up & Go we started transferring all our kit down to the boat ramp. Took a little while to remember where everything went, especially with a couple of bags missing since we posted them home yesterday. Our camp neighbours came down to watch the set up process and to wish us well as we set off. It was an easy launch with no backwash as they have some type of system set up in front of the flood gates to prevent that type of thing from happening, makes it safe for all types of boats entering at that boat ramp. It’s surprising the number of campsites we encountered along our stretch of river today. Some had 15 caravans camped out while there were a few that were unoccupied - some of the caravaners didn’t even notice us as we paddled past while others asked  our destination and wished us luck. It’s a warm day paddling today, first time we’ve actually worked up a sweat. The river is more serene and less extreme today, it didn’t feel like there was a lot of flow although our paddling coverage is pretty much the same as before Lake Mulwala. There are a lot more pelicans this side of Yarrawonga and less ducks. The cockatoos and corellas are feasting on the acacias along the bank, some acacia looked like they’d shed all their leaves as they were a blanket under the tree. Today we paddled four sessions of one and a half hours each which allowed us to complete 43.78km over 6 hours of paddling, we pulled in at 5pm. This puts us about 25km from Cobram. Tonight we’re camped on a sandy beach called Tom’s Beach Camp Ground where someone has placed pieces of branches on the sandbank that reads “will you marry me?”  Not sure what answer was given as we had the campground to ourselves. It looks like there’s a possibility of a storm coming through, already had strong wind gusts and a few drops of rain, will see what the rest of the night brings. Rohan has been working on our average speed, from improving direction control with stroke technique so there’s less back peddling to keep direction straight.  Also, second kayak surfing the front kayak’s bow wave - similar concept to cycling. Speed is also improved by choosing the fastest current areas of the river through the many twists and turns - the racing line. With slight head winds it is most easy to discern as the most ripples occur when water speed vs wind speed is greatest. With a tailwind the opposite is true.

Day 9.  We were a little slower to get underway this morning, not leaving until 10 and then stopping about 15 minutes later to realign the stern zip on Sandra’s kayak to allow the water to flow over it better. It wasn’t as warm this morning so paddling was much nicer, especially as the wind was still quite mild. Pulled over at 11.20 for a quick morning snack before continuing towards Cobram. The clouds are really starting to develop now and it looks like there may be rain later. Since making the adjustment to Sandra’s kayak she has been able to keep up a good pace today. Stopped for a short lunch before Cobram hoping to make up a little time due to our later start. During the break we checked the forecast to see when the stronger winds were due, it looks like they’ll be increasing through to 7pm when they should start to fade. Unfortunately it also indicated rain and storms in the area between 1 & 4pm. Rohan looked up at the sky and asked what we’d do if we were paddling in a storm, we didn’t really come up with an answer. We soon found out though as we’d only put back into the river when it started to lightly rain. Not thinking it was too bad we continued only to paddle into a downpour. Needless to say our upper bodies were drenched and water was running down our fronts and pooling in our seats. Coming into bend in the river we saw a lot of houseboats moored at their jetties so headed for them to use as shelter from the storm. Just as we sidled up to one of the houseboats there was a bright flash of lightning followed almost immediately by the crack of thunder. We hung under the houseboat until the rain eased and the sun started breaking through the clouds.  At that point we backed out of our hiding spot and continued on our way. There was a group of either high school or university students at the boat ramp, looked like they were getting ready to go canoeing. Of course now the wind was becoming stronger with gusts up to 24 knots, that certainly tests out the arms and the hat strings (we paddle with legionnaire type hats each day). There were whitecaps on the river, the tops of some were breaking on top of our kayaks. Thankfully we had a few tai.wind sections as well although the headwind legs always seemed to be much longer. Tonight we’re camped on a grassy bank about 5km paddle from Tocumwal. The kayaks are tied to stakes on the riverbank rather than carrying them up onto the bank.

Day 10. Camp packed up and we’re underway by 9am, it’s a short stint through to Tocumwal where another grocery run is in order to get us through to Echuca. At the town beach Rohan paddled over to have a chat with another kayaker who has done the Murray from the source to mouth, they averaged about 30km a day so we’re not doing too bad. He wondered if we were heading to the hippy festival a bit further down the river. Rohan told him we didn’t know anything about it. Sandra did the groceries while Rohan kept an eye on our kayaks. Just after we’d loaded all our groceries in a guy in a canoe came into the beach area.  He’s getting ready for the marathon that starts next Monday. He’d paddled from Cobram to Tocumwal in 2.5 hours this morning. His craft looked about 7 meter long and about 400mm wide. He sat on a chair way above the water line and had a drink system wired around his neck. We geared up and started to head out just as the canoe crew we’d seen in Cobram yesterday came paddling into Tocumwal. The wind is already starting to increase in strength so it’s going to be a challenging day. A guy on a jet ski was cruising up and down the river, at least he didn’t create too much wake. There are still plenty of caravans at the campsites along the river, although you rarely see anyone around. We finally came upon the festival area, it takes up a lot of river edge and there were some unusual creations being assembled in there from a very large depiction of what we think is a moon, a car up on poles, some strange scrap metal feature and more vibrantly coloured tents than you could count. They even have lifesavers on duty with both paddle board and two jet ski to rescue wayward revellers. Looks like it will be a huge event. Today we passed by a few older style houseboats up on land, not sure if they’re out for good or for renovations. One of the sections of river today was a little more challenging, in the map it showed it as the main river but was more like an offshoot. There were lots of snags to bypass and fast flow before we linked back into the wider section of the river. There were regular breaks throughout the day and we’ve decided that from now on we’ll paddle for slightly shorter times and add another session to get the kms done each day. We finally saw a fisherman catch a fish today, it looked to be a decent size but not sure what type it was. After battling what felt like a constant headwind despite the direction we were travelling we pulled up a bit earlier than we would normally just to give the shoulders a bit of a break.   We’ve noticed a decrease in the number of sandy beach pull in areas on today’s paddle. Set up camp and after having the solar showers and panels on the sandbank to warm and charge a little more. We enjoyed a nice warm shower but the strong wind was chilling, then we sat down to prepare our soup and alfredo meal. There’s a harvester on the other side of the river, taking off a wheat crop, its dust is blowing over our camp. While lying in bed we can hear grunting from the other side of the river, we’ve heard this same noise for about 3 nights now, thinking it’s probably koalas despite not being able to see any.

Day 11. A couple of small kangaroos passed through the back of our camp this morning while we were having breakfast. We are on the water by 8.30 this morning. The aim is to do five shorter sessions rather than the four longer ones. Our first stop was on time after 75 minutes on the water. The second stop was delayed as the possible pull in stops were few and far between. There’s been a dramatic change in the river today with the amount of trees that have fallen into the river, especially at almost every corner, and the water level appears to be at maximum height with less than half a meter of cliff both sides. The amount of bulrushes has also increased, in some places they’re so thick you have no way of getting through them. Part way through our morning paddle we finally see our first house, although there was no one around and putting in at the property wasn’t possible. There were some willows on the other bank and when we got close a large flock of some type of brown egret flew out. We’ve only seen these birds a couple of times during our trip. A little further down the river we were hoping to put in for lunch at another property which appears to be abandoned, again it proved difficult to exit the kayaks so we continued on our way. We finally saw what looked like a boat ramp off in the distance. Slowing to get a better look we decided to head in for a much needed lunch break at 2pm.  Where we stopped was the Gulf Picnic Area and Campground, other than the annoying mosquitoes it was a great spot with plenty of tables/chairs and a nice open area for anyone who might be interested in camping there. Checking the map it looked like there were plenty of campsites along this part of the river, unfortunately we’re guessing the flooding a couple of years ago has seen all of them closed or washed away. We still had plenty of daylight left so once again we set off. After paddling for about an hour we finally saw our first person since 9am, looked like he was doing an inspection of the river banks in his small tinny. This gave us hope there would be another boat ramp at some point where we might be able to either stop for an arvo break or if it was late enough, pull out for the night.  Continuing to paddle our way downstream we finally found an area where we could hop out of the kayaks for a while to stretch our legs and have a quick snack. Another stand of willow along the bank and another flock of the egrets, this time in larger numbers. A short time later we heard the sound of an outboard motor coming from behind us. It was the gentleman from earlier in the day, obviously heading home for the day. He was kind enough to slow all the way down to reduce the amount of wash he supplied. By this time we were ready to call it quits for the day so searched for any area we could land the kayaks for the night, preferably away from the swampy areas we continue to pass. Eventually we found a small area that would allow us to set up a tent comfortably as well as bring the kayaks out of the water. We set up camp, showers and had tea before heading to bed after paddling for 51.56km!  Two wallaby went bounding through camp later in the evening, hopefully if any others come through during the night don’t plough into our tent.

Day 12. Sandra had a bad sleep last night, her mattress was only half inflated by morning, the full moon with no fly on the tent made it brighter than usual and the wallabies jumping through the bulrushes and into the water had both Rohan & Sandra sitting up to see what was happening. Packed up camp and we’re underway by 9am, perhaps a little later than we would have liked. Compared to yesterday, the river was busy, we first passed a houseboat which was heading upstream, the couple wished us luck with our trip.  Next was a couple in a speedboat tying up to start their fishing day.  Next up was a speedboat with a skier on board. We then realised it’s the weekend again so everyone must be out enjoying the hot sunny weather. 36 degrees😕Our first stop of the day was at Picnic Point, it’s a pretty place to paddle through, the majority of buildings are either transportables or caravans with buildings over & around them. It also appears to be a popular spot for speedboats to launch from. There was a notice at the boat ramp advising it would be closed on the 20th between 6&9am for the marathon leg commencing there that day. A lovely iron arch near the boat ramp is also worth taking a look at. After a quick snack and taking the opportunity to offload our rubbish into the bins around the beach area we set off again meandering along the river, dodging the snags and checking out all the buildings. We didn’t come across any other speedboats for quite a while after that, their first pass was ok as we were able to ride over their wake with no problems. On their return trip it was poor timing due to a rather large snag we had to negotiate along with trying to ride their wake. We managed to get through that then focused on searching for a place to pull into for lunch. After a bit of searching we came to a spot that looked like it may have once been a boat ramp but was mostly washed away, we managed to pull in and enjoyed some shade while having lunch. Back on the river after lunch it was getting hot, we haven’t had the headwind today like normal so no breeze on the face to help cool off. We have had some great tailwind assists though which has made paddling easier. We were going to try find another spot to stop but after checking our maps realised we were almost at Lake Barmah so decided to continue to there. Just before we merged in with the lake we met up with a paddle streamer heading upstream. The wake immediately behind it was surprisingly good, the bigger waves seemed to come further behind it. We made our way to the lakeside campsite and used their toilets before heading for Barmah we’re thinking of stopping at the caravan park for the night as it’s forecast to possibly get a bit rough with strong wind and rain. There are plenty of people camped up on the riverbanks again and another speedboat/skier to contend with. We stopped at the base of the caravan park, had a mandarin and discussed our options. Given it was still reasonably early we decided to continue for a bit longer to get a few more km’s in so we didn’t have as far to paddle to Echuca, especially if we’ll be battling strong headwinds again.  Found a spot that should provide shelter from the strong winds if they eventuate so set up camp, had a shower to cool off,then had tea.  Had to retreat to our tent for the night to get away from the insects, there are so many under our fly it sounds like rain falling on the tent. It’s also extremely hot in the tent, what wind was blowing earlier as now stopped leaving it stuffy inside. Fingers crossed we eventually get some cross flow through the doors on each side of the tent.

Day 13.  Today was pretty unproductive as far as covering distance on the river. We had a huge gust front come through early in the morning, then around 5am we were hit with rain, thunder and lightning which didn’t let up until around 9am. The rain at least dropped the temperature making it more comfortable as it had been sweltering during the night. Checking the BOM app it looked like we were going to get another round of rain either just before or around lunchtime. It also indicated wind gusts up to 30 knots. There were whitecaps on the river at the next corner from where we are camped. Decided to catch up on some sleep after two nights of not having a lot. The day was spent watching the comings and goings on the river with some investigating thrown in for a change of pace. There’s a tin shed not far from where we are camped so we took the time to check it out, or at least as much as we could, it has been locked down reasonably tight. Over the last couple  of days we’ve seen trees with parts of their trunks painted red. There is one where we are and upon inspection it appears it might form part of a land survey as it has a metal plaque attached with S R 7 6 S 5 3 stamped in it. There are a couple of small carp scooting around near our kayaks, when Rohan washed out the porridge from our Jetboil they were pretty quick to come around and scoop up any morsels they could find. One of the larger boats we passed yesterday headed down the river this morning, returning late in the afternoon, thinking they might have travelled down to Echuca for the day. We also took the time to recharge some batteries with the solar chargers, clean and dry out the insides of our kayaks, dry out our gloves and anything else that was damp. After our evening meal we packed away our camp chairs and did an inventory of our food before heading into the tent to avoid the mozzies.

Day 14.  Early start this morning, up at 5.45 and on the water by 7.10. The aim was to get started before the wind picked up and to get to Echuca by early afternoon. The first half km was all headwind, stronger than expected mainly due to the river not being protected by forest. It’s interesting that when paddling into a strong head wind it appears that you are paddling uphill whereas when it’s calm or light wind you are paddling downhill. We had three breaks along the way to Echuca, each after paddling for around 75-90 minutes and only stopping for around 10 minutes, the last leg into Echuca was closer to 2 hours. The closer we got to Echuca we saw an increase in the number of sandy type beaches, unfortunately quite a few of them were signposted as private property, we also knew we were getting closer by the number and frequency of houseboats we saw. An accidental reading of the map saw us start heading upstream on the Goulburn River, a quick clarification and we turned around and headed in the correct direction.  There is a huge holiday park on the way into town, all the new building are raised up what looks to be 5m above ground and lined up with very little space in between. As we were pulling in to the wharf area at Echuca the paddle steamer Pevensy was just heading out of dock for an hour long cruise. By the time we reached Echuca we had paddled 42km in 6 hours since departing this morning. Gathered all our laundry and walked to the laundromat.  Rohan went to the shop next door and purchased bacon & egg toasties and a milkshake for our lunch. While the clothes were in the dryer Rohan headed off to grab a couple of items from Big W, after the drying was complete Sandra went to Woolworths to grab our food for the next 8 days then went to Kmart to see if they had a battery pack as her current one is not charging properly. We met up in front of Kmart and headed to the taxi stand and arranged a taxi to take us back to the wharf where we loaded up the kayaks. Talked to a gentleman who originated from Croatia who was doing some fishing where we’d parked the kayaks. He doesn’t like fishing but was doing it anyway so he could let all his friends know he’d tried to catch a cod. We set off again thinking we might only paddle for a half hour and then set up camp, only problem was there were no places to pull out.  The majority of the river edge was either filled with houseboats or all private property with huge backyards with air conditioned gazebos, private jetties and boat ramps. Rohan was ready to set up camp on one of the terraced lawns but fortunately we found a nice little beach area where we set up camp. The ducks came around and we’ve probably made a mistake in feeding them some muesli, we think they’ll set up camp on top of our kayaks as they’ve learnt where the muesli is kept.

Day 15. A casual start to the day, first off breakfast for us and of course our new friends the ducks. As soon as we opened the muesli packet they were there wanting their breakfast too. After we were all fed and Rohan had ensured our water bottles had been filled with filtered river water, we packed up our sleeping gear, tent and rubbish, put our solar chargers on the back of the kayaks and set off for the day. Straight across the river from us is one of the river distance markers. This one reads 1704, just have to keep an eye out for others along the way. Once again we broke our 75 minute sessions with time out of the kayak and recharging with fruit, vegetables, muesli bars and cheese sticks as well as refilling our smaller drink bottles which we keep handy in the cockpit. The larger bottles are kept in other parts of the kayak where we need the weight and have the space. We passed lots of houseboats again today, one of the more impressive ones had a couple of small palm trees on the upper deck.  There were also a few old paddle steamers moored along the banks as well. Quite a few people were fishing from the rear decks of the houseboats and the BBQ smells coming from one made our mouths water, oh well, our sardines on crackers will have to suffice for now. Just before Wharparilla someone yelled out to us “still heading for Swan Hill?”  We hadn’t seen anyone but when we looked around saw a man working on a jetty.  We’d spoken with him back near Tocumwal, he was surprised to hear we didn’t have a support crew with us and carried everything we needed. As the afternoon progressed it became warmer, requiring cool cloths around our necks and wetting our hats to keep our heads cool. By 4pm we were ready to find a suitable place to stop for the night. It took an extra half hour to find a nice little beach with not too many large gum trees and would give us enough sunlight to recharge a few more batteries. After selecting our tent site we set up the tent then cooled off in the river, very refreshing. Did a small amount of hand washing and put it on the clothesline. Rohan started the water filtering to refill our water bottles while Sandra arranged the food. We were just finishing up a bowl of porridge when we had a visit from David who lives in the marina which is only about another 4-5km from here. He gave us info on things to see at Torrumbarry and Swan Hill and suggested we swing by the marina to check it out. After chatting for a while he hopped back in his speedboat and headed off with a wave goodbye. We tidied up camp and tethered the kayaks for the night before heading to bed.

Day 16.  The Murray Marathon participants are due to go to Torrumbarry tomorrow, some faster ones there by 1pm so we decided to take it a bit easier today, stop short of Torrumbarry, set up camp then continue through to there tomorrow to watch them come in. As a result of this decision we made porridge for breakfast as we had time. After breakfast we packed up camp and set off for the marina at Deep Creek David told us about yesterday. It only took us about 10 minutes to paddle there.  There are a lot of houseboats moored there of varying ages, styles and size. One guy was sitting on his back deck and had just caught a fish, he wanted to know if we’d like carp for lunch, we declined the offer. Continuing past the first lot of houseboats there was a fire fighting boat, it reminded us of a Lego toy, and up on the bank was the pub and a couple of fuel bowsers. A little further down the marina we saw David’s speedboat so we headed down to say hi. After a quick chat we continued further down the marina where the newer, larger and obviously more expensive houseboats were moored. These boats have a large spike nearby which has a ring around it, the boats attach to the rope and if the water rises or falls then the ring rises and falls along with it but keeping them secured to the spike. Looks like they will have no problems with another huge flood situation. Headed back out to the Murray where there were a few people boarding the Emmylou paddle steamer, just after we passed the horn was sounded, we didn’t get to see it in action though we paddled for another half hour then stopped for a quick break before heading off again. It was already getting warm, cooling down and staying hydrated was essential and there were many times throughout the day where we stopped to wet our hats or neck towels, the occasional burst of headwind was welcomed for the cooling effect it gave. Shortly before lunch we docked at the Perricoota Station where the tank stand was being painted with murals, as we were walking around to get some photos we were asked to leave as it was private property and they were preparing for a wedding. We were kindly given the ok to quickly take some photos before heading back to our kayaks. Perricoota means deep waters and apparently the river in this area is 28 metres deep. It is truely a beautiful looking station. As the day progressed the apparent flow of the river slowed until we could actually hold our position if not paddling. By 4pm we were hot and ready to end our day on the water, we found a nice large area which looks to be used a lot by campers so pulled in, set up camp, showered and ate. Turns out we are only about 4km from Torrumbarry. We can see where we will be paddling tomorrow, if we walk across the piece of land we’re camped on we get to the river after it goes around the bend, took 192 steps from side to side and riverbank to riverbank. Will take more than that many paddles to get us there. Shortly before we headed to bed a couple of kangaroos and an emu went through our camp area.

Day 17. Ants are all through our kayaks, the logs we tied them to last night must have been full of ants and they were trying to get to get away from the water. It took over half an hour to clean them out, then we had to put everything back in again, less the ants of course. The distance to paddle to the other riverbank we’d walked to last night was 1.2km, definitely longer than the 192 steps. After a few twists and turns of the river we reached Torrumbarry Weir. Rohan rang through to the lock master who directed us to our wait point closer to the lock.  They have been expecting a paddle steamer to come through from Renmark so have been keeping the water level low so it took a little while for them to bring the water level back up to Weir level. We were waved in by Thomas who was operating the lock today. After giving our names and our destination we were given a quick rundown of what would happen and once all set the water level began to decrease, it would drop by 4 meters by the time the doors opened again. All up it took no more than 15 minutes from the time we entered until the time we exited. We paddled over to the boat ramp for the caravan park and ported the kayaks up on the side of the ramp out of the way of anyone who may want to float a boat. We set off for the main boat ramp where we’re expecting the Murray Marathoners to come in. At the entrance to the caravan park we decided to stop and get an icy pole. On our way out we met up with Mark Thornthwaite who was the founder of the Red Cross Murray Marathon in 1969. Mark let us know the end of todays section would be at the boat ramp but ten km back upstream, was a good thing we’d met him otherwise we would have been sitting there for hours with no participants in sight. If we continue to head downstream we should meet up with them tomorrow. Mark was very interested in our kayaks and after unhitching his caravan came down to check them out. A short time later we said our goodbyes and headed down the river again. As our kayaks had been in the sun for over an hour they were very warm inside so after only another half hour of paddling we pulled in for a break on a shady beach and opened the kayaks up to let the hot air out. Back in the water again and it’s getting very hot, so hot in fact that the wallabies on the edge of the river didn’t bother to hop away just stayed put for another drink. Our paddling sessions were much shorter today because of the heat, the hats were dunked in the river more often to help cool down. By 5pm we were ready to find camp, unfortunately it took until 6.30pm to find something we were happy with. We had just enough time tonight to set up camp, filter drinking water, shower and have tea before the sun went down. We think we’ll try and get on the river earlier tomorrow so we can get more done in the cooler,part of the day.

Day 18. Rohan woke a few times during the night to let me know there was a bull walking around close by. Found our headlamps just in case we needed them but fortunately all went quiet after a while. We were up and underway by 8am in the hopes of getting quite a few km under our belts before the heat really kicked in. Within 20 minutes of starting the lead speedboat of the Mighty Murray Paddle came up to let us know the paddlers were on their way. Shortly afterwards the first crew came through, they were in a tandem kayak and they were working well together. It was another 20 minutes before the second crew came upon us, then they started appearing in smaller groups. It appeared the majority of these first wave were mostly female, with only a couple of males. There were no suitable pull in spots for ages, after 2 hours we finally found a spot we could get in. The ground looked like rock from the river but as we got closer turns out it was mud. Needing a quick break anyway we made our way up to the firmer ground at which time the next  wave of paddlers started coming through. This group consisted of kayakers both single and tandem as well as canoeists. The guy we met at Tocumwal was going well and greetings were called between us. A few of the paddlers and a second support boat crew checked to ensure we were ok and we advised we weren’t part of the race, just making our way to Swan Hill. After this lot of paddlers went past we returned to the water. We thought that might be the last of them but more kept coming along. Further along the bank we could see a police car with its lights flashing, they were letting everyone know the checkpoint and change over for those doing a relay was only two corners away. Upon reaching the checkpoint area we thought we’d take the opportunity to get out, stretch our legs and refill our water bottles. There was a guy from Ballarat just in front of us and advised the bank was muddy and really slippery so we staying in our kayaks and Rohan refilled our bottles after accessing a full bottle from the storage of Sandra’s kayak. Setting off again what we thought were the last two kayakers passed us and we started cruising along the river again. Not long after and some more crews came along. Deciding to take advantage of a shady spot that we could easily access we pulled in for a lunch break. Next thing we know there are three more paddlers going past, each checking to see if we were ok. The last boat to pass were the officials who follow along at the rear to ensure no one is left behind. They stopped for a quick chat before following the paddlers along. After lunch we set off again, it was a good thing we’d chosen to stop when we did last night as there have been no camp spots for 30+km. It was so warm today we actually drank all our water so had to stop to do another lot of filtering before we could continue. By this stage we’d done 32km so Sandra made the call that the next time we saw a suitable camp spot we’d stop. At the 38km point we found a spot that would be ok, only problem was getting out and back into the kayaks safely so we continued on. We passed a nice little hut that we could have used only there was no access point for us from the river. We looked at a couple of other spots along the way before finally settling on a spot just before Gleno’s Campground. Access was steep but manageable, we waited for the sun to settle behind the trees before setting up camp hoping it might help keep things cooler tonight. It reached 35° and is only supposed to drop to 22° overnight. Took a quick walk down to the other campground in case it was better than where we are but the trees there are really big and most have dead branches.  Here’s hoping we sleep ok tonight.

Day 19.  It’s supposed to be a hot, windy day with possible thunderstorms later on. Our aim is to get to Barham and reassess our options after checking the BOM app. Having already spent time on and by the river during thunderstorms we’re not keen on experiencing that again.  The river is flowing quite well today although the corners are challenging with whirlpools seeming to go in multiple directions requiring strong inputs on one side quickly followed by the other. On all our stops today Sandra managed to exit the kayak without getting mud on her feet, a first since the sandy beaches disappeared. There are quite a few out fishing today, either in their boats or from shore. We waved to one group, who later went past us while we were having a break, the waves from their wake almost washed out kayaks back out into the river again. Further on we met them again, they create a lot of wake when they don’t slow down, we had just enough time to turn into the waves after they went past. Fortunately the next boat we passed was considerate enough to slow for us. We pulled into the Koondrook Wharf to check out accommodation options for the next couple of nights, finally we found a room so headed around towards the bridge between Koondrook and Barham where we looked for a place to put to shore. Ended up at the boat ramp near the caravan park where Sandra unpacked hers before carrying the kayak up to a grassy area close by. Meanwhile a group of people enjoying the water nearby were talking to Rohan about our kayaks and what we’d been up to. They were interested in seeing the kayak being packed up so after Rohan emptied his kayak out we packed it up and put it in its backpack. We called a taxi which dropped us at the motor inn, after cleaning up we headed to the Royal Hotel for a lovely meal before heading back to the motor inn for the night.

Day 20.  You’d think that sleeping in a “normal” bed would be great after using sleep mats for the past few weeks. Unfortunately that’s not always the case, at least the room was nice and cool. While having breakfast we looked at the weather forecast and decided that we would head home from Barham instead of continuing through to Swan Hill.  There are at least 4 days of rain and possible thunderstorms. We looked at the bus schedule to see when we could head home, there was a bus leaving around 1.30 that afternoon otherwise it would be 7am the next morning. We didn’t think we could be organised enough to be ready by 1.30 so booked seats on the 7am bus on Monday. Next problem to solve was our excess baggage, we can take two bags each as long as none of them weigh over 16kg. Given we still have enough food to see us through for another 4-5 days we will be overweight. Deciding to put some of our heavier items and any leftover food into a carry-on bag should alleviate one problem. Another problem we have is carrying our second bag with all our camping gear in it.  Carrying our kayaks on our backs isn’t a problem, it’s the extra 16kg in one hand that becomes problematic when walking to/from bus stops and between train platforms. After kicking back for a couple of hours we headed out in the drizzle to the hardware store after it opened to see what we could use to carry our second bags. We were hoping they might have a folding bag trolley, unfortunately no luck there. Next option was a standard bag trolley, but we thought it might be a problem putting it on the bus. Perhaps one of those pot plant wheelie movers would work, the larger ones can handle 50kg so that can handle two bags strapped together. In the end we settled on a laundry basket trolley which we separated into two pieces, we therefore had a frame with two wheels that we could strap the bag onto. After purchasing it we headed back to the motel to start sorting which items would be placed in with the kayaks and which would go in our second bags. By mid afternoon we had everything sorted we were ready for tomorrow’s departure. Spent the rest of the afternoon and evening catching up on news and watching a couple of movies.

Day 21. The alarm went off at 5.45am, after showering, breakfast and double checking we had all our goods we headed out the door at 6.35am. It’s a short walk from the motel to the bus stop which is good as there’s a light rain falling. Shortly after arriving at the bus stop the driver arrives to open up the bus, we’re able to load our bags under the bus and once our names are checked off the list are able to board the bus. The driver had let us know the bus was having gearbox issues and you could certainly believe that upon hearing some of the noises coming from the bus during our trip to Melbourne. The earlier part of the journey the bus was reasonably empty, once we reached Heathcote there was a large influx of passengers and the bus was at capacity. It was surprising that the bus has a stop at the Melbourne Airport, not a stop we had been expecting. On our way past the end of the runway we were lucky enough to have a large jet approaching on final and with the rainy and foggy conditions Rohan was extremely pleased to be able to see the wing tip vortices produced. We reached Southern Cross Station with 26 minutes to spare before our train was due to depart, we were also lucky enough to have our train on platform 1 so were able to take an earlier entry point that put us right on that platform. Boarded the train with 10 minutes to spare. Was interesting to note that despite Ballarat’s reputation for being cold and wet it was the one place where there was no rain or fog when we arrived. It was actually warm enough to strip down to t-shirts. Due to our son Michael having a rotating roster we were fortunate he’d worked the weekend and was off today and therefore able to swing by the station to pick us up and drop us back to our car. With our adventure over it’s time to take our kayaks home and give them some TLC while thinking about where our next journey will be.

On a final note - anyone who might be interested in doing even a small section of the Murray River our choice would be the area around Yarrawonga. The small estuaries just before Lake Mulwala were beautiful with the bird life and gentle paddling amongst the trees and reeds. The other area is after the weir at Yarrawonga where we only had to paddle for around 10-15 minutes before coming to another fantastic beach area where you can easily enter/exit your kayak.  These areas are also great for camping as evidenced by the number of caravans at some of the beaches which are easily accessible from the road alongside the river on the Victorian side.