What a pleasure a cool night is. We slept like babies until 3am when it started to spit. We all got up to put the flys on the tents. EJ also got up thinking it was time to get up and packed up his camp, only to find everybody else was back in bed. He decided to spend the rest of the night in a tarp on the sand.
An early morning has us on the water by 7, just before sunrise. A great time to be paddling. Today is cooler and the wind has not yet stared so we are having a great paddle through what I think is the best part of the river so far. Perfect sandbars, beautiful trees and forest and the river is quite clear. We see more sea eagles, a wedge tail eagle, and lots more goats, kangaroos, and our first emu.
Good flow in the river and a couple of "discounts" (where the river has changed course and the new route is shorter) has us at the 998km marker by 11. A big celebration was had as we are now in three digits to go. Feels like it is just around the corner.
EJ spots a ran stuck in the mud at the bottom of a steep bank. With the help of Sarg and Tony the get the ram out and prop it on the bank. We can only hope he can get up the bank when he dries out.
Thomo has a plan to get to Colonan so we can have lunch at the store. We paddle until 1 and upon arrive we find the store has been closed for years. A big disappointment so we setting for the baked beans again.
Thomo has a new plan to go to Nangiloc where we can get dinner at the store. We paddle hard in the wind all afternoon to get there before 5:30. EJ goes and asks the locals where the store is and we head off down the highway on foot. This time we find a store and the local Tavern where we have a great dinner. Thomo is now off the hook.
After dinner we return to our boats and paddle across to a sandbar to setup camp, prepare for tomorrow, call home, watch the sunset and go to bed.
A big day is over and we are well set to get to Mildura on Saturday.
The great bush and sandbars in the national park
Just another one of the endless sunrises and sunsets
Crikey! What beautiful photos!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you guys are having a blast! Just wish I could commit the time to do the Source to Sea!
ReplyDeleteWe are setting off from the NSW border Next Friday (4th March) to do the 650km to the Murray mouth over 4 or 5 weekends - Please drop me a phone number via my blog - http://timetopaddle.com - you never know, we might spend a day or 2 paddling with you guys in the lower sections of the Murray!