My Kevlar skid pad canoe repairs on a delightful overnight trip on a couple of beautiful warm days with abundant water from Kingwill Bridge to Hut Creek. We planned for a longer trip but Della began feeling unwell (and I blew up a clutch in one of the cars) so we had to cut it short. Thanks goodness we can still hitch-hike – and thanks to Terry and Nick for giving us a lift!
Petrol and sausage roll stop at the Toongabbie General Store.
Setting out from the picturesque Kingwill Bridge.
The dogs only appear to have settled in. Honey is a real ‘water dog’. She likes nothing better than to jump off one canoe then swim to the other. She drives us nuts with this trick until we become so cross with her we bully her into desisting – usually only just after she has nearly had one or other of us out of the boat in a rapid worried about her drowning her silly self!
Lots of bird (and other) wildlife along the river.
Della mastering the very first rapid.
And just cruising.
You would never go hungry with these guys along the bank. See Small Game and Ghost Shrimp and Other Small Fry.
The Deer Hunters Tent #2 proved a real winner. There is really much more room in it than the shortened version (The Grey Flyer) so that for many trips (particularly with dogs) it will be more desirable to take it. Mind you, I have experimented with shortening the pole in the Grey Flyer since we came home from our Forbidden Wilderness trip which makes it much more roomy. I really need to make a fitted floor for each tent too to get the full weather advantage of them.
I have bought some Membrane Silpoly which weighs .93oz/yd2 which should substantially reduce the weights of either. I am still aiming for a sub 400 gram tent (including floor guys and pegs) which suits two people plus gear – and which allows a fire out front or being heated by an ultralight tent stove weighing 2-300 grams at most.
It is never very difficult to find a delightful stop to spend the night.
Just ‘chilling out’. I am reading my way through the works of Bernard Cornwell on my phone.
Spot is enjoying himself, as you can see.
The two dogs had a tussle on my Exped HL Winter M hiking mat. This is just about the very best and most comfortable mat, but it is not immune from dog’s tearing a 3″ hole in it – neiher was my Thermarest Noeair Womens.
As you can see I have quickly and successfully repaired it with a strip of cuben tape, This is just about the best repair stuff I have ever found. I repaired Della’s down coat with it on the EBC when she nearly set it on fire!
Morning, and off we go again.
What a great cliff face.
The river is so tranquil this morning.
Honey is on watch.
There are still substantial tracks here and there where deer are visiting/crossing he river but I think the (illegal) hound hunting has seriously diminished their numbers. See The Silence of the Deer.
So many beautiful riverine views.
Della is paddling better today but she hadn’t been feeling well
A substantial watering hole.
At Hut Creek this old timber jinker (?) has been a feature of the riverbank for forty years at least. It must have a story to tell.
Can anyone identify a cabin with a lift-up hatch in the roof like this?
NB: You can have 14 Days of White Water on the Wonnangatta River, one of Victoria’s greatest treasures. I confess to having enjoyed it many, many times over the years.
See Also:
14 Days of White Water on the Wonnangatta River
For River Heights: Canoeing the Wonnangatta – Catching the Wave
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-remote-wonnangatta/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/remote-wonnangatta-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnangatta-spring-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-wonnagatta-spring-day-three/
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/dawn-surprise-rapid-wonnangatta-river-australia-day-2017/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-three/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/canoe-wonnangatta-the-movie/
https://www.theultralighthiker.com/2019/12/23/marvelous-mitchell-river-day-1/
https://www.theultralighthiker.com/2019/12/27/marvelous-mitchell-day-2/
https://www.theultralighthiker.com/2019/12/27/marvelous-mitchell-day-3/
