Proud Mary - A Reccie Trip

[hairymick]

G'day guys,

Yesterday, Robin and I and a couple of mates did a reccie trip down part of our Mary River. Plan was to meet at Tiaro at the take out.

This is a view from the take out at Petrie Park, Tiaro

Looking back into the park. Travellers can camp here for a couple of days at no charge.

Leave a couple of cars here and then drive to the put in at Emeries Crossing near Gundiah ( about 20 miles away)

Looking down stream from the new bridge at the put in'

Miss Robin

 

[hairymick]

Robin and the others have never paddled this stretch of river before and were a little apprehensive at first. Let me introduce them.

Keeny,

Boat - Viking Predator Plastic SOT fishing kayak

The Kiwi Connection evil buggers
In the canoe, Holding the fish, Ozzy,

In front - Gazza The black Shirley Temple. Mad bloody kiwis - Where do they get these names? Much more on these two funny buggers later.

Their canoe is a Roscoe, Canadian Fibre-glass, 16' job. Very good boats.

Within, 200 yeards of the put in, these two mad coots had their first spill. :lol:

Which, of course, called for there first (of many) bourbans :shock: for the day. Was shaping up to be a very long day indeed.

 

[hairymick]

This is gonna take quite a few posts. hope you don't mind Chuck.

At the time, the river was flowing at just under two metres which is pretty close to ideal. Much lower calls for many portages, much higher and it becomes a little dangerous in places. About a foot higher would be real nice.

This is pretty typical of much of the area close to the put in. Nice, long stretches of open, slow flowing river - absolutely pristine though a little muddy from all the recent rains.

I hung back with these two, sort of keeping an eye on them for much of the trip.

 

[hairymick]

More scenery,

This is mainly cattle land along this part of the river but only one or two houses can be seen from the water over the entire trip.

With lots of twists and turns around logs and strainers.

and lots of little gentle gravel races in
between

 

[hairymick]

Kiwis are at it again

and again

and again

and again :shock:

Ya get the picture?

and just for a change

 

[hairymick]

More to come tomorrow.

 

[Wannabe]

Mick,
With those two boys in the same boat kinda raises the C.G. a little bit, don't it. I love the photos.
Bob

 

[Kayak Jack]

Thanks, Mick. Looks like a good trip - entertainment for free. Your Kiwis can take some lessons from Bear's Buddy. He goes over much more gracefully, and with aplomb.

 

[oldsparkey]

It always amasses me when looking at your pictures , your water and territory sure looks like the ones we have over here. Paddling down one of your rivers I would think I'm in Florida easing down stream.

Mick...

I get the feeling that your two guys like to take a dip in the river now and then ... OK... More now then , then. :lol: Judging form there smiles they were /are having a darn good time.
Could they be trying to set a new record for miles paddled , swam. They sure bring back some memories of times past for me.

When I was a kid ( yep , that long ago) a buddy and I would spend as much time swimming with the canoe as paddling it , during the summer time , paddle some and then dive over the side and swim along , then slip back in the canoe and paddle some more.

Chuck.

 

[bearridge]

O Mister Vacationater,

Bout time ya'll had some time off fer paddlin'. :wink: The pichurs look like there aint no wind at all. Round here the wind whips hard in March-April.

regards
bearridge

The end of labor is to gain leisure. Aristotle

 

[Ozark]

I've been known to fall out of my canoe before too. My favorite and I think easiest is to set my lawn chair up in the canoe raising the C.G. above the gunwales and relax and wait. I wished I had a picture of this set up. I also like to knock the bottom out of the cup holder in the arm rest and put in an umbrella. That helps raise the C.G. also but allows you to wait for the splash in the shade. I've even took a nap while using this system, I did overturn then but on the gravel bar I'd drifted into. If anyone would like lessons on this technique I would be glad to assist you on this science. This course is a beginners level, but easily mastered. Proper stowage of all camping gear is a must while using this seating arrangement. Nobucks this probably won't work on the kind of waters you paddle or at least wear a helmet. We don't want you to crack your head open on an iceberg.
Paul

 

[Kayak Jack]

Paul, how much do these lessons cost? Can I get them email? Or, do I have to wait for snail mail? I been saving box tops since lunch itme.

You can show Bear's Buddy your tricks, and he'll show you his on the Au Sable.

 

[Bilgerat]

Great piccies, Mick! Thanks for the report. 8) 8) 8)

Mike

 

[hairymick]

G'day guys,

Thw two Kiwis were about 250 pounds each and I think that, in conjuction with all the adult beverages they were consuming was part of the problem

 

[hairymick]

Lunch stop

I think they did reall well to get under this old bridge.

Last rapid of the day. We pulled out above it to scope out a run, and I didn't pull my boat out high enough and turned round to see this :shock:

Probably just as well because my boat allready had significant damage.

Robin and Keeny shot them before I could get set for a piccie. Gazza decided to walk. Here is Oz solo.

 

[dangermouse01]

Mick;
Nice of you to let them use your boat as the guinea pig to test out the rapids. :lol:

I hate when that happens.

Love all the rest of the pictures, those rapids look like fun stuff.

DM
mike

 

[bearridge]

Friend Mick,

That wuz danged funny.....'n purty. I wish I had been there with ya'll. Sounds like Miz Robin haz caught the bug, but them rapids will look different on a cloudy day when yer boat iz fulla campin' gear.

regards
bearridge

Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. Edward Abbey

 

[Kayak Jack]

Looks like a good group, good waters, good weather, and good times. Lucky folk.

 

[hairymick]

Thanks guys,

Was a Great Day. Bear, Robin has well and truly got the bug mate. She is allready talking about the next run.

Sadly, this is the river our government is planning on putting a mega dam in and these places will be lost for ever.

There are huge environmental concerns with this proposed damn dam, not the least are the extinction of several fish species and amphibians that are only found in this river and rely on its flowing to breed. Some of them are the Mary River Cod, Lungfish and turtle.

The local farmers are being kicked of their land and the screaming greenies are up in arms. Many of us more conservative tyes are also siding with the greenies on this and I think there is going to be some trouble ahead. :wink: Nobody wants this bloody dam except the developers who are looking at even more urban sprawl between the New South Wales border north to about the Sunshine Coast. To support this scale of development, they are looking at damning OUR river and stealing OUR water from OUR river that doesn't even flow near them.

After our paddle on Thursday, Robin has joined the Save the Mary group, a mob established to try to stop this madness and I won't be far behind her. She is even more passionate about this river now she has paddled some it than I am and that is a very big call. :shock:

Enough of a rant.

few more piccies

Nice camp site along the way. These were the only campers on the river we saw.

Bamboo stand on river bank.

strainers from last flood.

Approaching Tiaro

All done

Time for home :cry:

 

[swamprat]

Great post Mick! I did the same thing with a canoe on fisheating creek not to long ago. Pulled up for a break and a bit of fishing and next thing I know it was gone on around the bend without me. :shock: