This will sound pretty lame, but we took the gang from work out to the Olympic whitewater course at Penrith a few years ago. We were in rafts, but there were canoes there, too. I had to work at it, but I managed to tip my raft over twice. The best thing was actually going down the whole course in the water i.e. not in a raft. Great thing for city slickers.
Anyone done much canoeing..??
- Thread starter topcropper
- Start date
I did some white water rafting above Khancoban once absolutly loved it, I have spent a couple of nights canoing down the murrey near barham when i was young too.
Its something Ive always wanted to do more of but never really known anyone else interested. I have this crazy idea in my head of canoing the length of the murray river from up near Khancoban to Albury go round the weir then paddle all the way to SA.
Don't know if its possible though with the lack of water these days
Its something Ive always wanted to do more of but never really known anyone else interested. I have this crazy idea in my head of canoing the length of the murray river from up near Khancoban to Albury go round the weir then paddle all the way to SA.
Don't know if its possible though with the lack of water these days
Been canoeing (kayaking?) a few times with my old work. They made us do roll practise in the pool first and I remember having to get paired with the skinniest, weediest guy (who still weighed 15kg more than me) and having to get a different brand of canoe for me cos the guys at work were almost all fat with big butts and stuck quite well into the canoe and I had a small butt and kept slipping out when it tipped. The result being that my canoe was the only one that didn't flip over in the rough weather.
Was all a very long time ago, I was about 5 minutes pregnant on the first trip and my daughter is now 8.
Was all a very long time ago, I was about 5 minutes pregnant on the first trip and my daughter is now 8.
We do a lot of kayaking - have a double mirage, a single surf ski, and a double fenn millenium surf ski (yet we live in Canberra 
)
Haven't done too much whitewater, however hubby did a race up in the high country in November (week of the big snow storm) in which they almost ended up in a strainer (lost my good paddle!). Doing some up at Barrington Tops in June which should be good fun (although will be in sevylor inflatables). Most of our stuff is lake or river, although head down the coast a bit with them as well. Few friends are doing a Bass Strait crossing in the next year or two which is tempting to join in.
) Haven't done too much whitewater, however hubby did a race up in the high country in November (week of the big snow storm) in which they almost ended up in a strainer (lost my good paddle!). Doing some up at Barrington Tops in June which should be good fun (although will be in sevylor inflatables). Most of our stuff is lake or river, although head down the coast a bit with them as well. Few friends are doing a Bass Strait crossing in the next year or two which is tempting to join in.
Crikey! Spose you realise how cold the Barrington Tops will be in June?
Snows there a couple of times every winter.
I love my canoeing, but by the end of this month the canoe will be put away till October. Definately warm weather activity only for me.
See ya's.
Did an 8 day kayak trip down the Karnali river once (Western Nepal), huge class 4 & 5 rapids down cliff sided gorges. guy on the trip had a banjo & used to play deliverance in the evenings to add to the atmosphere. After clearing the rapids on day 6 we got held up by a bunch of armed Maoist guerrillas, but they gave us a receipt which was useful when held up again the next day.
Crikey! Spose you realise how cold the Barrington Tops will be in June?
Snows there a couple of times every winter.
I love my canoeing, but by the end of this month the canoe will be put away till October. Definately warm weather activity only for me.
See ya's.
Yeah - expect it to be freezing. It,s part of a 24 or 48hr race (am doing the 24hr version with some newbies - I like my sleep) - thinking it will probably be the first or second leg so they get us through in daylight. Wondering whether 3ml wettie is going to cut it or if I need the 5ml from diving days.
I cant believe how many canoeists/kayakers there are. I am a kayaker with 2 sea kayaks plus my favorite, feathercraft folding kayak. Spend most of my time on moreton bay or teaching kids to kayak - huge amounts of fun and very rewarding
I bought a canoe last week. Went looking for a canoe for the kids and found this one.
$127.50 on ebay.
Made by a bloke in the 70s. I saw it and felt like I had to save it.
So I bought it and Sunday morning took it down to the local river. The river near me is the Cooks River - Wolli Creek runs off it. It's an urban river and there is no way I would be keen on falling into it. If the pollution didn't kill me, I bet there are bull sharks in there.
Anyway, down I went to to the river. I put the canoe in at some steps and jumped into it.
Crikey, was it unstable.
I remember when I was a kid riding pushbikes that feeling I'd get just before taking a tumble. We called it the 'death wobbles'. Well, I had the death wobbles big time in that canoe. I was scared to move. I sat there as it drifted up stream with the tide wondering what I was going to do.
I got back eventually, but didn't enjoy it. The bloke fishing on the shore got a laugh, though. I need to find somewhere to practice where I won't mind falling in the water.
$127.50 on ebay.
Made by a bloke in the 70s. I saw it and felt like I had to save it.
So I bought it and Sunday morning took it down to the local river. The river near me is the Cooks River - Wolli Creek runs off it. It's an urban river and there is no way I would be keen on falling into it. If the pollution didn't kill me, I bet there are bull sharks in there.
Anyway, down I went to to the river. I put the canoe in at some steps and jumped into it.
Crikey, was it unstable.
I remember when I was a kid riding pushbikes that feeling I'd get just before taking a tumble. We called it the 'death wobbles'. Well, I had the death wobbles big time in that canoe. I was scared to move. I sat there as it drifted up stream with the tide wondering what I was going to do.
I got back eventually, but didn't enjoy it. The bloke fishing on the shore got a laugh, though. I need to find somewhere to practice where I won't mind falling in the water.
I've been thinking about some sort of outrigger thing - or even just some flotation attached to each side. It's a dilemma: do I risk falling in that river, or do I put on some sissy flotation aids.
Scott
Scott
Just bought another canoe.
A Bushranger, TC. And it's bright yellow, so I won't lose it.
Bloody heavy - had to get the bloke next door to help me get the thing off the roof when I got home with it.
But I drove all the way out to Lethbridge Park last night and it took me over an hour so there was no way I was going to come back empty handed.
It cost $480 with paddles, life jackets, and a neat timber platform thing that sits in the middle to keep gear (and little kids) from getting wet.
The guy selling it didn't have any photos on ebay. That canoe would have sold for well over $600 if he had photos up.
I figure if I use the thing a dozen times in over the next couple of years it will have been worth getting. Where we go camping at Easter, the hire canoes cost $70 per day and they're the same ones as mine. Of course, the kids were happy playing in it this morning on the back lawn at home. Maybe I won't have to lug it down the river?
Scott
A Bushranger, TC. And it's bright yellow, so I won't lose it.
Bloody heavy - had to get the bloke next door to help me get the thing off the roof when I got home with it.
But I drove all the way out to Lethbridge Park last night and it took me over an hour so there was no way I was going to come back empty handed.
It cost $480 with paddles, life jackets, and a neat timber platform thing that sits in the middle to keep gear (and little kids) from getting wet.
The guy selling it didn't have any photos on ebay. That canoe would have sold for well over $600 if he had photos up.
I figure if I use the thing a dozen times in over the next couple of years it will have been worth getting. Where we go camping at Easter, the hire canoes cost $70 per day and they're the same ones as mine. Of course, the kids were happy playing in it this morning on the back lawn at home. Maybe I won't have to lug it down the river?
Scott
2 new kayaks.
Bought 2 new kayaks over the weekend for the 2 older kids. Took them over to the creek just behind my house and bunged them into the biggest hole. The kids can practice over about a 50 metre run. Going very well.
They are australis 'bass' models. Flat bottomed, very stable. My 7 year old has been showing off by standing up in it. Came with a fishing kit, so that's rod holders and a water proof compartment. Also an ore strap holder doover thingy.
We head of to a real river in early October. The upper parts of the Macleay, east of Armidale.
See ya's.
Bought 2 new kayaks over the weekend for the 2 older kids. Took them over to the creek just behind my house and bunged them into the biggest hole. The kids can practice over about a 50 metre run. Going very well.
They are australis 'bass' models. Flat bottomed, very stable. My 7 year old has been showing off by standing up in it. Came with a fishing kit, so that's rod holders and a water proof compartment. Also an ore strap holder doover thingy.
We head of to a real river in early October. The upper parts of the Macleay, east of Armidale.
See ya's.
Had a Canadian once. Even laminated and shaped some classic paddles.
This was pre the net so I must have read "books" about it. Hows that for being old! It's clear your kids are too young for them but the proportions are real good. There is a thwart a little to one side of centre which is balanced for one-up paddling. There is another further off centre on the other end which becomes the rear seat (pointing the other way) which maintains balance when two-up. This is why Canadians are double ended.
With obvious difficulty I could throw a castnet from it and even caught a barra with a live whiting bait. They are good fun.
This was pre the net so I must have read "books" about it. Hows that for being old! It's clear your kids are too young for them but the proportions are real good. There is a thwart a little to one side of centre which is balanced for one-up paddling. There is another further off centre on the other end which becomes the rear seat (pointing the other way) which maintains balance when two-up. This is why Canadians are double ended.
With obvious difficulty I could throw a castnet from it and even caught a barra with a live whiting bait. They are good fun.
Jo & I did the Nimboydia (spelling ?) near Coffs Harbour a few years back in a raft with 6 others and the guide steering and I can assure you it was not boring...massive falls that I still can't believe he took us over and yes we did get tipped over once....there were 4 other rafts in the group and one particular raft was full of footy blokes from Argentina and the guide tipped them over every falls I'm pretty sure on purpose....which we all cheered from our rafts...they could not speak english nor understand it so we had our way with them....lots of fun.
BTW Jo & I were at the front so got the full view of each drop 1st...exhilarating to say the least...
I'm sticking to our 90hp evinrude powered Haines Hunter from now on tho...
BTW...was one of the guys Molly...?
BTW Jo & I were at the front so got the full view of each drop 1st...exhilarating to say the least...
I'm sticking to our 90hp evinrude powered Haines Hunter from now on tho...
BTW...was one of the guys Molly...?
We'll do that trip one day in a raft with professionals. Kids have to be 14 though, so some years off yet.
Nope. See him about though. He's still into bikes, road and dirt. He's coal mining and doing very well.
See ya's.
Last edited:
One of the things Im looking forward to when getting back to OZ is doing some nice long relaxing paddles. Got quite a few places to go in Japan and river close to my place with some excellent rapids (nothing too hairy well sort of) after a bit of rain. The only problem is can't find anyone else that wants to do the river near my place.
Back back in the old days when a young whipper snapper. We use to get tyre tubes and old car bonnets and go from Gardiners creek all the way to the Yarra near Kooyong (Old tennis centre) and take the train back home. Use to love making all sort of home made rafts.
Back back in the old days when a young whipper snapper. We use to get tyre tubes and old car bonnets and go from Gardiners creek all the way to the Yarra near Kooyong (Old tennis centre) and take the train back home. Use to love making all sort of home made rafts.
Yes, the things we did as kids. It's amazing we survived.
I grew up at Abbotsford - Sydney. It's a great suburb on the Parramatta River. We used to make rafts to head off toward the harbour. Paddles? Who needs them? So the tide would take us and then when it was time to head home we would either swim to shore and walk, or hail a Police or MSB boat to rescue us (and let them reprimand us). God knows what mischief we would have got up to if we didn't have that river to play with.
I grew up at Abbotsford - Sydney. It's a great suburb on the Parramatta River. We used to make rafts to head off toward the harbour. Paddles? Who needs them? So the tide would take us and then when it was time to head home we would either swim to shore and walk, or hail a Police or MSB boat to rescue us (and let them reprimand us). God knows what mischief we would have got up to if we didn't have that river to play with.
He hee, ah the good old days...as a kid of 12 maybe 13yrs old......tractor tyre tubes on a flooding Peel River, Paradise Park rapids Tamworth....no way would you recommend a kid to do that today....
Just pumped the tube up tight, threw it in, jump on and hang on tight....if memory serves me right I never remember anyone getting hurt tho....
Just pumped the tube up tight, threw it in, jump on and hang on tight....if memory serves me right I never remember anyone getting hurt tho....