Trip 1 - 2010 Kearneys Flats to Sharks Campground - February 2010

The first trip of the top of the Mulgrave for 2010

Normally, I will not be placing a kayak/canoe trip on the blog unless there is something special about it. Last week was about how the kayaks floated in the flooded Mulgrave. This is placed on here for the first trip of the usual river track.

The other main thing that makes this trip special, is the fact that we had an abnormal amount of kayaks on the river. Our crew consisted of 13 but in essence, we really could have had 18 kayaks on the river. We have had more than 13 people on the river at the one time....however, a lot of those trips were the fact that they were in hire boats. Today was the surprising amount of 11 personal craft and only 2 hire boats. It seems that I have infected a whole lot of my friends with the paddling addiction....and we as a group, seem to "picking up" extra paddlers who are interested for an easy paddle.

Let's have a look at the crew that was there today....Flounder, Flick, Spray, Adro, Tarzan, Bonnet Boy, Schultz, Tim-Me, all regular paddlers were joined by the Kelly Boys, Gos, Dano, and Stocky.

Another special fact about today was the fact that there was another crew of 6 kayakers in an advance group in front of us....so the normally placid and quiet river turned into a frothy mess of social gossiping, info trading, and respectful questions about each other's paddling experience.


The measurment at The Fisheries was at a quite respectable .7 of a metre under the fisheries bridge....perfect for all types of boats.

It was quite a relaxing paddle today as no-one was in a hurry, and we all seemed to be quite content to tea dip the paddles all day long. Starting with a later start than normal, and followed by a couple of practice rolls from Tim-Me, Tarzan, and Adro, the crew set course downriver.

The first swim did not come until "the strainer" where all boats bar Schulzy stayed above water. He had a fight with a swinging vine and it turned out he lost. The crew swung into action to rescue his boat and meet up with him for another 50 metres downriver. It has to be pointed out that Adro also almost went swimming, but seemed to disguise this fact from the super-sledgers until later.


First Timers Dano, Gos, and James Kelly stayed in the boats until later....

The next psuedo swim was taken yet again by Adro at the "Eddy Trap". However, he rescued it with his first ever rapid eskimo roll. A fact that he was overjoyed with....that was his first shot in the war.


The next swims were taken at the later lunch spot. It was both disappointing and joyful that all paddlers made the "Waterfall" rapid. However, confidence now overwhelming, Bonnet Boy and Tarzan trying to show the exquisite rolling skills didn't quite pull it off....and the end result was they voluntarily went swimming. A fact that we all enjoyed.


The lunch spot, although that we were there at 11.30, was a quite joyess location to have a break where we actually had the boys....flounder, bonnett boy, tarzan, tim-me and James Kelly try their rolling skills. A relaxing laugh was had by all.

Tarzan , sporting his new "helmetcam", gave the group a humourous outlet for practicing their sledging.



It was not long until we were underway again, and all that remined for the trip, was the Swing Rapid, Arnolds Bridge, and the tumultuous Shark's Tooth Rapid.

The swing rapid came and went and onto Arnolds Bridge we went. To the delight of young children and their parents or elder siblings on the bridge, all the paddlers avoided the imposing tree and eddied out at the proper river right eddy spot.


From there, the imposing "Sharks Tooth Rapid" remains.

It has to be said at this point, Gos, the journey's virgin kayaker had to this location stayed in the safe Bass boat. This all changed when he dropped into the hole at the Tooth and then received a microscopic view of the river bottom. Much to the delight of the others.

However, he was not alone as Nigel Kelly, also came away from his stable sit-on-top....much to the delight of his son, James.


Upon reaching the campground, a relaxing cool swim session was then on the agenda. Once all vehicles had been returned, the group then sampled some of the river cherries that area in the river in multitudes.

So ends the first trip for 2010.

Please remember : when paddling the watercourses of this great country, please take only photographs and leave nothing but footprints.