Anyone done much canoeing..??

topcropper

topcropper

My sig these days is 'Your a long time dead'. So that means, don't talk about it, get out and do it.



We've been camping every October on a cattle farm on the Macleay River, in the middle of the Oxley Wild Rivers national park for a few years, and we often see people and canoes going past on multy day trips, and thinking what a cool thing it would be to do. So me and 7 others did a two day trip on the weekend. Covered 32 ks.

We started from the Chandler river, from this point,......

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=-30.741246,152.014883&spn=0.012928,0.019226&z=16

from a new national parks camp area. [not on google maps yet]. We got there late Friday, and the road in decended 800 metres in the last 5 ks, so it was very steep. Only suitable for high clearance four wheel drives. Took bass fishing gear, and food and bedding for an overnight, and some beer.

Headed off Saturday morning, with fully loaded canoes,....

canoeingthechandler231.jpg




The Chandler Runs into the Macleay River. Half way through the trip, we got to the juction of the two rivers, and so continued on, but now on the Macleay river.

Caught about 5 bass total. Ate the two biggest ones, and released the others.

Saw heaps of wild brumbies. There was a massive public upraw a few years ago when the national parks started culling the horses. I was all for the cull, but after seeing these magnificent horses in this wild country, I'm undecided now.

There was plenty of rapid sections. We all overturned heaps. I lost all my drinking water in the first overturn, [thankfully I saved the beer] within 2 hours of starting. Ended up drinking straight from the river, had no other choice, and the water didn't effect me at all, it was beautifull and clear.

Typical easier rapid section,......

canoeingthechandler263.jpg




We knew we'd be over turning, so we planned to keep stuff dry, but 2 blokes on a canoe overturned heaps, and everything got wet. At our overnight camp we had to build a big fire to dry everything, and thankfully it wasn't too cold. These blokes also lost a fishing rod, and some beer in the numerous busters.

canoeingthechandler214.jpg


See ya's.
 
You can only post 5 images at a time..?? What's the point of that..??



Managed to get some photos of one over turn,....

canoeingthechandler174.jpg


canoeingthechandler186.jpg


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Finished up at our destination Sunday arvo. Didn't see a single human, or even sign of humans like fences or anything on the whole trip. Basically, except for the brumbies, wilderness and national park the whole way. Gee's, I love this unpopulated country. Why do we have to fill it with people?

Keen to do it again. Next time we will start from where we finished this time, and go further down the river. The Macleay river eventually goes through Kempsey, and finally South West Rocks to the ocean.

The long term plan is to eventually be taking our kids away on dad and kids trips. We all have kids about 5 to 10, so they just obviously need to be older yet. Can't wait.

See ya's.
 
We used to go canoing in the Lower Lakes of the River Murray. Then someone stole our water. We went down there this long weekend, the water is gone and we have thick squelchy acidifying mud, and no water. We now have several canoes and kayaks that are doomed to rot.
 
Hi TC,

Canoeing is great fun. Last time I did any was 10 years ago. Took my then 11 year old son and a group of friends (adults) for a couple of days down the Glenelg River. Swore at the time to do it again, just hasn't happened.

These blokes also lost a fishing rod, and some beer
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What a tragedy!!! They obviously no nothing about life and what is worth saving. Never go on the river with them again!! ;)

bye
 
TC

My husband talks constantly about buying a canoe (or 2) and doing something similar. He also wants one for fishing on the dams near to us as he says you can 'sneak up' on the fish. I personally think he underestimates the fish and overestimates his ability to stay upright in a canoe, but he gets annoyed when I say this :confused:

Your trip looks wonderful, thanks for sharing the photos.
 
I've done a few trips - Shoalhaven and Manning - some years ago. Nothing too adventurous, but did manage to capsize.
Coincidently, I'm looking for a canoe right now to take with us when we go camping so the kids can muck around in it.
TC, I noticed those ones you have are plastic. That appeals to me because they are pretty indestructible. They're hard to find, though - most of them are fibreglass. I tried to make out the brand name on the front of that blue one but can't quite read it. Can you tell me what brand it is?
Scott
 
Hi TC,

We've done a fair bit up your way - sections of Manning & Barrington. Also overnighters on Shoalhaven. 15 yrs ago (before the kids), we did 10 days on the Allagash in Maine - saw moose, beaver, deer & a few rednecks, but no bears. We probably did 150km, rapids most days - the only portage was this one :eek:

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Cheers Keith
 

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Looks like a nice river TC.

I've been down the Obi Obi behind the Sunshine Coast once.

Went with some experienced kayakers (Himalayas, Sth America) which was probably a mistake as they pushed me beyond my comfort zone. Came back totally shagged.

Did about 25 kms starting a couple ks down from the dam.
Canoes wouldn't have cut it. We used kayaks with aprons.
It was pretty dangerous as the area is mainly dairy farms, so lots of barbed wire fences cross the water...some get washed out and twisted up.
After the rain, there was a lot of broken branches and stuff in the water.

I came out at least 6 times, especially on sharp bends when the water pushes hard against the rear of the kayak. Getting out of whirlpools was exhausting.

What I realized it is good to wear light sandshoes for when you fall out cos you never know what you are going to stand on. And keep all your gear well and truly water proof. We had 10 litre water tight containers that could float if they came out of the kayaks. Don't wear sunnies unless you are good enough not to fall out.

Overall, I haven't been motivated to do it again.
Though canoeing down the Brisbane River is popular and more sedate.
 
depreciator said:
Can you tell me what brand it is?
Scott
Click to expand...


It's an Australis bushranger.

http://www.australiscanoes.com.au/watercraft-bushranger.php


From this Australian company,

http://www.australiscanoes.com.au/


I've had a little bit to do with fibreglass canoes, and I wouldn't have one on one of our trips. We go smashing down into rocks and stuff, and scraping over everything. Fibreglass is probably very fast and light, but if one smashed up, it would be a long walk out.

I would highly recommend the canoe we have. Everyone on the trip had the same model, as we have found them to be the best.



One bloke on this trip owned a different brand, this red one on top of my car, think it's a pelican navigator,.....

canoeingthechandler363.jpg



It is much lighter and also plastic, more ridgid, and probably faster, however it doesn't handle as well, and it has a V shaped bottom which makes it unstable when going down rapids and bumping over rocks. We find the flat bottom is much better for what we do. We only bought that red canoe for our two drivers to use. The drivers used that canoe at the drop off, and the pick up point, but we didn't want to take it on the serious trip, as it's not as good. The canoes we have are soft plastic, with a flat bottom, very stable, and I'd think would be unbreakable. They also make good seats at the overnight campsite



We have canoed the Manning too. We have done from Rocks Crossing on the Nowendoc River, and it flows into the Manning. We have been down to the Tiri bridge on the Manning, about a 4 hour trip. Good too, and some rapids that will tip you over.

See ya's.
 
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Thanks TC and silversands.

I'll go looking for a Bushranger.

On one of my Manning trips when I was about 19, a mate and went in a fibreglass canoe.

It was autumn and a bit cool.

And raining

We weren't well prepared.

Put a hole in the canoe late one afternoon.

The only thing we managed to keep dry was our supply of hash.

We left the canoe on the riverbank and started walking away from the river looking for a road.

I still remember that walk. Cold. Wet. Stoned. No torch.

I'm amazed that nothing happened to us.
 
Hi TC,
Great photos mate, we have recently gotten right into Kayaking with a passion. Got 4 of them, Wendy & I got one each and also 1 each for the kids. We have taken the kids on some tamer paddles on Borumba Dam but Wendy & I have recently done a couple of trips down the Mary River from Vic Olsen Bridge at Tuchekoi to Traveston Bridge, where they were talking about damming the Mary. It is a 22km paddle and there are about 25-30 small rapids to go through. We do this in about 5 hours & 10 minutes. A bundle of fun, we most recently did it on Sunday just gone. We will need more rain before we do it again as it was getting borderline shallow in some spots. I will upload some photos in the next day or so, keep biting off more than you can chew and chew like hell.
JIM
 
Awesome experience, but may I suggest you do those rapids in a raft next time!

I like the idea of a camping trip whilest travelling up or down the river - but canoes are a bit unstable.
 
BayView said:
Awesome experience, but may I suggest you do those rapids in a raft next time!

I like the idea of a camping trip whilest travelling up or down the river - but canoes are a bit unstable.
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We all need some excitement in our lives. Doing these rapids on a raft or a proper single man Kayak would have been pretty boring.

Being tipped over was the highlight of the trip. These big simple canoes, fully loaded ment the otherwise boring rapids were a great challenge to get down. Being tipped over into the river in front of all your cheering and abusing mates is what life is all about.

See ya's.
 
topcropper said:
We all need some excitement in our lives. Doing these rapids on a raft or a proper single man Kayak would have been pretty boring.
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Went down some category 4 rapids in NZ a few years ago in a raft - team of 8 plus the guy "steering" and calling out the instructions.

It was scary as hell.

Didn't flip it, but came too close.

It was part of this thing we did called the "Awesome Foursome" - helicopter ride, then a bungy jump, then the jet boat, then white water rafting to finish.

A whole day of fear.

Fantastic.
 
Last year hubby went on a Himalaya trek; part of the experience was a two day raft on the rapids near Nepal. Think freezing cold water from Mt Everest!
 
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