Kayaking on the Clarence River Pt 2

It has been over three years since my last (mis)-adventure on the Clarence River, and repeating the trip with less... difficulties had been on my mind since I returned from Sydney.

Unfortunately my original partner couldn't make it, so I roped in a friend for another crack at kayaking the 27 km stretch of river from Paddys Flat to Hootens Road.

With the benefit of hindsight we had a few things in our favour. Attempting it during summer (longer days, warmer water) and using some sit-on kayaks that wouldn't flip and fill with water, I had a pretty good feeling about this trip.

Justin and I left Brisbane on Friday night, and after a quick bite to eat at the Rathdowney pub we arrived to Paddys Flat well into the night. The drive was uneventful, apart from sections of heavy fog which reduced visibility to only a few metres, and we were happy to find the camping area almost entirely devoid of people. We had the pick of the spots, we knocked off a few cold beers while we set up camp then turned in for the night.

It didn't rain overnight, but it was overcast when we woke and the ground was wet from a heavy dew. We had a slow breakfast, then shuffled my car downstream, returning back to Paddys Flat to begin the kayak adventure at 9:30 AM.

Only 100m downstream we had to get out and drag our kayaks, there wasn't enough water to cross under the bridge at Paddys Flat. We passed our only neighbour, fossicking for gold in the river bed.

Back in deeper water we hopped back on and were properly on our way. A little way along the river was the first set of small rapids, ones that I have kayaked many times. We couldn't make it through, the water levels were so low due to the long drought in the area that we had to get off any drag the kayaks past the shallow rocky sections. Not off to a good start, but an omen of things to come.

At least the kayaks weren't filling up with water at every bend....

An hour had passed and we had only gone three kilometres, it was shaping up to be a very long day. At that rate we wouldn't make it downstream until after dark, I was beginning to regret the slow start to the morning.

The only way was down so we persevered. Short sections of deep water we often broken up by unnavigable shallow sections of mossy and slippery river rocks. Every step had to be taken with care, otherwise a twisted ankle or worse would result.

The hours dragged on, sections of paddling, then dragging, trying to find ways along the banks to clear sections of river or through weed beds and slick rocks.

All the while the dark clouds gathered, the overcast skies helped keep the heat off, but eventually the skies broke and the temperature dropped as the heavy rain kicked in. Luckily we were on a long stretch of deep water so I was able to keep warm by paddling.

The rain didn't last long, and by that stage we were on autopilot, knowing the every step, very stroke would take us closer to the end.

We came to a long section of shallow river, once more dragged the kayaks out, and kept heading downstream. It was appropriate that we weren't on the water when we finally stumbled across my 4wd, just on dusk. We changed into dry clothes, cracked a beers, racked the kayaks and heading back upstream to camp.

No sooner had we arrived that a mass pasta was on the boil and a solid fire was roaring, tired and sore we settling in around the warmth and enjoyed a few more well earned beers.

As the embers faded we retired for the night, and fell asleep exhausted in our tents.

The following morning the sun was out, the day quickly heating up with the humidity already high. Back to Brisbane, still not quite content with the trip, if the picks up some more water with a decent season of rain I'll have one more try...

More photos here

Camping at Northern NSW

Heading out on Boxing day full of xmas cheer, Chris and I headed south-west into New South Wales for a few days of camping, hiking and kayaking.

We arrived at Urbenville just after lunch and decided to hike to a new climbing spot that afternoon while the weather was fine. The route descriptions were pretty good and we followed faint motorcycle tracks before a step, ferny section lead steeply up to the rock wall. Kicking away the leeches that had attached themselves to Chris' shoes, we checked out the routes and rested before heading back down the hill.

Once back at the car we decided to go for a swim at Tooloom Falls, and wash away the sweat and grime. We scrambled down the rock cliff and had a great swim in and around the falls. Noting the the adjacent camp site was full, we drove in to town to have dinner at the local pub, and watched the day turn to night.

That night, we decided to explore Yabbra State Forest a little more, to try and find a suitable place to camp for the night. We drove past 'Battery Hill' a small section of rock we planned to climb the next day. Soon the narrow track became overgrown, and before long I was driving through metre high grass unsure of where the track continued. Sticking to the mountain we found the track again, following it all the way around to where we started from! Feeling tired and not seeing any other suitable sights during the day, we parked on the other side of the waterfall on an old rocky road and set our tents up as best we could.

No sooner had we finished then the rain kicked it. We hastily climbed into our tents, tried to get comfy on the rocky ground, and fell asleep to the rain getting heavier. It continued through the night, by morning it had stopped but it was clear that we wouldn't be climbing that day.

Plan B involved driving a little further south to a place called Paddys Flat, nestled on the banks of the upper Clarence River. It was the site of many previous camping adventures, and an epic winter kayak trip earlier in the year.

After an early lunch and setting up camp to dry a few things out, Chris and I set off down the Clarence River. The recent rain had stirred up the water, but it was pleasant paddling downstream. We navigated the small rapids without issue, but as we got further downstream the skies darkened.

Keeping in mind we would need to paddle all the way upstream back to camp, we turned around after a few hours and started back. Soon after, the skies opened up. Lightly at first, but the rain soon grew heavy. The river swelled a little, and it was noticeably harder paddling against the extra current.

The rain eased as we arrived back to camp, we set about starting a fire and drying things as best we could. At least our tents were properly pitched so our bedding was dry. The fire was soon blazing, and we say around in the light drizzle enjoying a beer and a hot dinner. Night came and with it more rain, so we retired to our tents for the night, a lot more comfortable on a bed of thick grass beneath.

It was hot and humid the next morning as we packed up camp, still no climbing to be done due to the rain, so as we started back to Brisbane we made a slight detour for one last hike. We stopped at Mt Maroon (the site of many great adventures) and started up the steep summit track. We made good time and arrived at the top after lunch, drenched under the hot sun. It was very windy at the top, so after a moment to enjoy the vista and a short rest we started back down.

A few hours later we were back home, another great trip away. It was a shame that we couldn't get any climbing in, but we more than made up for it with some great hiking and kayaking. A trip to be repeated soon.

More photos here

Kayaking on the Clarence River

The weekend arrived and it was my opportunity to do something I had thought about for a long time. When previously camping at Paddy's Flat in Northern NSW I have always enjoyed kayaking along the upper Clarence River. Invariably I would only explore a short section of the river downstream of my camp site, never venturing too far past the many rapids.

I had often thought if it would be possible to continue all the way downstream to the next available road crossing, but it remained only a mental exercise. Until now...

Naz and I left Brisbane at the crack of dawn on an overcast Saturday morning and started south. The weather cleared as we approached the Queensland border, but became overcast and drizzly once through the Scenic Rim.

We turned off at Urbenville, a site of some recent climbing trips, and took the south-eastern loop bypassing Yabbra State Forest, past Bonalbo until we arrived at the end point of our trip. We left my 4WD at the Hooten's Road river crossing, then continued upstream to Paddy's Flat. We arrived half an hour later, Naz drove down next to the river to unloaded the kayaks and we began our journey under cloudy skies just after 10 AM.

The water was frigid but the beginning of the trip was through glassy water and short sections of small rapids and we remained dry. We went along at a medium pace thinking we could do the ~27km trip in five or six hours, and as we paddled we enjoyed the pretty scenery and the serenity on the water. We meandered along trying to avoid barely submerged rocks and logs, following the twists and bends of the river.

Further downstream the rapids became trickier, the water gathering speed through the windy rocky sections. Picking a line through the frothing water, trying to weave through the deep sections past the shallow sections while the currents pushed us towards rocks, we managed a few sections before getting capsized. All it took was the kayak to get a little turned against the flow of water (by hitting a unseen rock) and all of a sudden you would be flipped over into the cold water with your kayak full of water. From then the only option was to wade past the rapids holding onto our gear until we came to a calm section. We then dragged the kayaks onto shore and tipped them over to get rid of as much water as possible.

The second time I came off I lost one of my water shoes, the rest of the day would have to be spent bare foot. Not a problem when in the kayak, but it made dragging the kayaks over the rocks slow going. The sun briefly came out to warm our waterlogged bodies but was soon lost behind the clouds, and we shivered in the cold.

Luckily we had plenty of exercise which soon warmed us up, but the capsizings became a regular occurrence. I hit a particularly solid rock head on in strong waters, went under, and when I came up my GPS was nowhere to be found, lost to the river. It was getting late in the day, and now we had no idea how far off we were from our destination. We had no choice but to continue downstream, and hope that we would beat the early setting winter sun.

Further down the river, around the bends we paddled, making good time on the calm waters but losing time at every set of rapids. Suddenly, I rounded a bend and could hear music coming from further ahead, I paddled for 20 minutes with the sounds of the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire's 'Old Crows / Young Cardinals' album echoing through the valley. My kind of sound track, keep that in mind before attempting to listen if you are curious. You have been warned.

Thinking we must be nearing the end we upped the pace, but the music died away and we were left with long stretches of river with no signs of life either side. Looking back through satellite photos I have no idea where that music could have come from, I saw no roads or houses anywhere near that stretch of river.

It got harder to navigate the rapids as the day progressed, tired minds and bodies not helping the path finding. Eventually the light gave out and we continued down the river in darkness, only aided by our small head torches. It was even more peaceful at night, but we had decided that it was no longer safe to try to navigate the rocky sections. Every time the sounds of the churning water grew louder and the current stronger, we beached our kayaks and pulled them up and around logs, trees and boulders. Relaunched the kayaks in calm water, and repeat. It was tough and tiring work but we had no option but to keep going.

Luckily the cloudy skies kept the in the warmth of the day and we weren't too uncomfortable. Many times we though we must be close, but the river kept on going. Eventually, several hours after the sun set, both sides of the river flattened out, and while we were dragging our kayaks around some rapids Naz stumbled across my 4wd. Dry clothes and a cold beer were our reward for the nine and a half hour journey, we were exhausted and relieved, but happy to have successfully made it to the end. The casualties? A fishing rod, a pair of river shoes, a handheld GPS, a pair of sunglasses, and a wet phone.

We drove back to Paddy's Flat, only stopping to let a Bilby cross the road. Tents were quickly set up, we built a roaring fire while the spaghetti cooked. I had forgotten to pack some cutlery so my dinner was eaten using a pair of BBQ tongs. A few beers later we were in our respective tents and fast asleep.

We awoke early in the morning to a beautiful crisp winter day. A large pot of coffee was brewed as we restarted the fire, and we relaxed around the camp site as the day began. We took our time packing up camp as neither of us felt very energetic, and we started back home just before midday.

A few hours later we were back in Brisbane. Lots of great memories and sore muscles from our adventure, but something I'd definitely attempt again during the longer (and warmer) summer days. All things considered I still had an amazing time.

Lots of river photos here

Brunswick Heads

To celebrate my Dad's birthday I drove south to Brunswick Heads to meet up with my parents who were staying in a great caravan park right next to the Brunswick River.

The weather cleared up so after lunch so we walked to a nearby inlet for a swim. The incoming tide cleaned out the murky water and we swam in the beautiful clear, refreshing river. We walked around town afterwards, then set out for a leisurely kayak while the sun was setting.

After some delicious pizza at the great local pub we made our way back to the caravan park where I quickly fell asleep on my camp stretcher.

Another quick refreshing swim in the river in the morning, before heading back to Brisbane. A very relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

More photos here