Last night it rained on and off and a big wind developed. The wind kept us awake in the early part of the morning. Judy and Noel greet us with breakfast. It is really good to have hot egg and bacon rolls, tea and coffee on such a cold and windy morning. Thanks again.
We wheel our boats back to the boat ramp pack them up and get ready for a difficult paddle. Thick cockpit covers, wind jackets and life jackets are the order of the day. At least we will be warm in the boats, that is until I step on the boat ramp slime and gracefully slide down and into the water. Starting wet was not ideal.
We head to the marina to meet Peter and Denis, who will be escorting us in Peter's yacht for the next three days through lake Alexandrina. Both are very experienced in boating, the Murray, and the lake. It is great to have them with us.
The first part of the trip to Tailem Bend goes well as we either have the wind behind us or we can get protection from the willow lined banks. We stop for lunch at a road house before heading to Wellington.
A change in river direction now has us heading into a very strong wind. At times we are not moving, but persistence pays dividends as we finally make it to Wellington. The final 12kms have been the worst of the trip and took us all afternoon. Strong wind with gusts over 60km/h and significant waves.
Peter has organised for us to stay on the lawn at the local hotel. To do this we need to lift all the boats onto a jetty. They should be comfortable there tonight. Dinner at the hotel and off to bed to prepare for our journey across the lake. The weather will play a big part on how far we get tomorrow.
Our camp at Wellington with Peter's boat in the back.
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