The Lower Latrobe is a delight particularly like now when most of Gippsland’s rivers are too low for a canoe trip. From Thom’s Bridge (Morwell) to Lake Wellington (Sale) is approximately 165 km (by river) or about 8 days paddling at our normal speed (4 km per hour) and five hours per day. Of course it is all flat water.
It can be completed in sections: Thoms’s Bridge to the Tyers-Traralgon Rd (Sandbanks Reserve) 20 km; Sandbanks to the Traralgon Heyfield Rd 20 km; Traralgon Heyfield Rd to Rosedale 45 km; Rosedale to Longford 60 km; Longford to Lake Wellington 20 km. The Rosedale to Longford section can be shortened by a day by putting in at Crooks Lane bridge off Settlement Rd, Kilmany South which is what we did on this occasion.
This section is arguable the most scenic: the river is bounded by a strip of magnificent riverine gums on both sides, though there are some quite large sections of forest too. Bird life is particularly varied and plentiful. There are vast numbers of perfect camping spots along the river.
We canoed this section in two five hour days with an overnight stop. It would have been better to have done it over three days and to have spent more time exploring and fishing but we had to be back. The Vicmaps Rosedale South and Sale South 1:25,000 are useful along along with the PDF Maps App to establish your exact location.
The river banks are often quite steep until the river splits (take the right fork). From then on they are almost always vertical and there are only 1-2 spots you can exit the river at all in that 2 1/2 hour section! The best of these is on the left where the river used to rejoin about half an hour below the junction. Don’t pass it up. The last good flat camp is on the right at the junction.
For our trip the river height at Rosedale was .95 metres. The river was in a very low ‘flood’. It had risen from .75. The Catchment Management Authority had been letting water out of Blue Rock Dam for environmental flows. I would say the river would be canoeable at .75 metres but would be very much slower and require more careful negotiation of the many snags of fallen trees along the route. It might be a good idea to carry a buck saw in the boat with you as you might not be able to get out on the bank to portage if it became necessary. ( I had one of these but didn’t need it except to make tent poles.) The banks are heavy clay and slippery.
All the photos are in approximately the order that you will see things on the river:
There are many magnificent riverine gums.
It is extremely rare to have a glimpse of ‘civilisation’
Mostly you just cruise along between parallel strips of gum trees.
This is the most silent peaceful river I have ever canoed – except for bird song.
Very serene.
And relaxing. The temperature was the mid 20s C.
So many magnificent specimens of timber.
Just gliding along.
Time for lunch on this sandbar about an hour after starting out.
Lunch view.
Then we are off again. The dogs are anxious about Della negotiating a tricky bit.