Days 2 - 4, Albury – Yarrawonga, 13 - 15 Oct

Day 2, Albury – Howlong, Sunday 13 October

Got off to a good start again this morning, it was brilliant to have Pru and her colleague from Mitta Mitta Canoe Club join me at the start, if only I was in a K2 kayak with another person like them so I could cut through the water faster! Had lunch at designated spot and it’s been a beautiful day, no sign of the storms mentioned on the news last night! I felt a lot of wind might be slowing me down but paddled harder and didn’t lose any ground, there were a lot of snags that slowed my progress through a narrow section though.

Afternoon turned cold and wet, with lots of wind making it difficult to paddle, I wish I hadn’t mentioned the weather forecast to Pan at lunctime! Was glad to arrive at the end point in Memorial Park. We had dinner at Howlong Lions Club, loved the sweet potato salad – thanks Sheila!

In 1946, Peter Welsh, now 94, paddled the Murray River with his friend and dog, hunting fish and rabbits along the way, mostly living off the land, camping out at night. He came to see us at the Lions club and what an inspiration he is, full of great stories, I'd love to sit and chat to him about what the river and surrounding landscape was like back then, what they saw and how living along the Murray went -  hopefully I’ll get the chance to do so on my way back home after this marathon!

Day 3, Howlong – Corowa, Monday 14 October

Our friends last night at Howlong Lions said that there’d frost in the morning, uncharacteristically late in the year, and they weren’t wrong - very cold this morning and I really had to work to get the circulation pumping and the kayak moving! My shoulders are still just a little stiff, but no dramas. Started paddling at 7am, it was 6°C and stayed cold all morning. Another platypus jumped up right in front of me – scared me witless, it was so quick and out of the blue! Arrived at Corowa at 1:30, the top temperature today being 13°C. Had a great dinner at Corowa Lions club, a good turnout, sold plenty of raffle tickets and had a good time with the Lions form Corowa and other clubs nearby – thanks so much for your support!

Day 4, Corowa – Yarrawonga, Tuesday 15 October

We walked the kayak down to the river where we were staying in Ball Park Caravan Park and it was covered in an atmospheric mist, which remained for a couple of hours as I was paddling. The river was still flowing beautifully - a good day to paddle! But then, later, a black snake crossed my path and I stopped and got my camera out. Those things don’t hang about and by the time I framed the shot it was 20 feet away and climbing the bank.

After I passed an island after Bundalong, I was in dead water and fighting a headwind. It was difficult finding routes through, lots of snags and trees rising out of the river or fallen and blocking the route. I had to take a shortcut at one point to miss a large meander as it had been a really tiring leg and the stream got narrower and narrower. I was ducking under trees, pulling myself around them and at the end there was another fallen tree completely blocking the route but thankfully someone had already been through with a chainsaw and reopened the path. What a relief, I was through, thanks to the lumberjack! When we arrived at the caravan park, a local reporter came to cover our story for the local newspaper.

Yarrawonga Lions welcomed us to their ‘Woolshed’ clubhouse for a BBQ. They recently had a show in town and local farmers entered the annual wool coat competition, after which the Lions club raises money for charity by selling the coats. The guys there showed us a length of wool, called a staple - and explained how the fineness of the strands is important in the judging. Thanks for the lesson, the food and your donations, ladies & gents!