I have to agree with Ratty, “There’s nothing––absolutely nothing––half so much worth doing as messing about in boats.” (‘Wind in the Willows,’ Kenneth Graham) And it was a glorious long weekend after 34 mm of rain to be doing it. We had intended to head up to Eaglevale for a splendid voyage on our favourite […]
Just to prove that all of our trips don’t end in disaster: As the rainfall forecast for the rest of the summer is dismal and the river heights are rapidly falling we seized (maybe the last) opportunity to shoot one of our favourite sections of the Wonnangatta, ie Black Snake Creek to Waterford (Meyers Flat)
I’m sure you know we have been doing this for very many years – but it is getting harder. Because of Della’s eyesight she is less comfortable with the plastic boats we have used in the past: the Perception Minnows she/we used when the kids were little (over thirty years ago) , the Nylex Pioneers
I guess every hunter dreams of some secluded valley where it feels like you are the first person to have ever trod – at least where the deer are as plentiful and tame as rabbits and there is no competition from other hunters. Where you can arrive at your camp after a couple of day’s
Last weekend we again completed one of our favourite sections on the Wonnangatta River in the new Double Packraft: Bullock Flat to Black Snake Creek. We never tire of this marvelous river. Taking into account the long car-shuttle (from home for us – over 3 1/2 hours each way) we usually choose to do this
Recently I posted that we had bought and trialed this fine Naturehike packraft. Last weekend there was 1.8 metres of water on the Waterford gauge (perfect) and the weather was in the low thirties – so off we went! For us this raft is just about the perfect size. We can lash a waterproof pack
I didn’t expect my youngest, Merrin to remember this song from her childhood so many years ago (I used to sing it on the river apparently) but when she called for it yesterday on ‘our’ old stretch of the Macalister, of course I instantly obliged – in my usual toneless manner. Della and I
Many people may not know that the famous C19th Wonnangatta Station was ‘serviced’ by a pack track up the true right bank of that river (ie the right bank facing downstream) along which all its supplies came (including even a large piano). No doubt other sections still exist below the Moroka Junction, but this post
Packrafting the Thomson River, Gippsland #1: This is probably the best weekend trip in Victoria. It may be mid-winter now but soon you should be planning your wonderful spring/summer trips – and this should be one of them! You start this just downstream of the historic Brunton’s Bridge where the road of the same name
Some folks are just downright suicidal, and sometimes I am one of them! In 2009 I had conceived a plan to be the first person (I think) to canoe the mighty remote Seaforth River in Fiordland NZ (14 years ago today!). I had a brand-new Alpacka ‘Fjord Explorer’ packraft (https://alpackarafts.com/product/fjord-explorer/) courtesy of Kevin Rudd’s bushfire
