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Canoe/Kayaking
Trails in the Southwest
We have a new website in the South West
targeting trails in the Warren Blackwood region which includes
the Shires of Nannup, Boyup Brook, Bridgetown-Greenbushes
and Manjimup.
We have completed the mapping of the
Blackwood river from Boyup Brook to Sues Bridge.
This map can be downloaded from our
website http://www.totaltrails.com.au/ ……..go to
the canoeing/kayak tab and select "download brochure/map
As previously mentioned we have also
installed a new exit ramp at Rocky Bluff +/- 8km downstream
from Bridgetown that is the end of the Geegelup Cup race and
the better rapids. See photo attached.
The website is still
in its infancy but will contain MTB, Bush Walking, Horse and
Canoe/Kayaking trails
Regards: Pat Scallan Trails Committee
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To Paddle the
Hotham River
Richard Molek
Well it’s been a few
years since our last trip down the Blackwood river from Bridgetown
to Augusta back in 2008 (some 261 Kms) and I was very confident
that I would plan another trip a lot sooner than this. In
between thinking about another trip and doing something about
it - 5 years had passed. So now it was time to dust the paddles,
fumigate the boat, salvage the camping gear and get going.
Finding a group of seasoned likeminded paddlers who enjoyed
camping, paddling and a sense of adventure was easy. The team
was basically the same group who paddled the Blackwood with
me some years ago namely, Richard Swindale, Alan Morbey, Steve
Coffee and yours truly Richard Molek.
We were also very fortunate to have Dan Madson, Jason Molek
and John Tomczak volunteer as support crew. The river that
we choose for this trip was the Hotham River.
The A Team! Richard Molek,
Richard, Steve & Alan
HOTHAM RIVER – the
Hotham River, the largest tributary of the Murray River, is
about 160km long, rising north east of Narrogin, and flowing
generally north and then south westerly before joining the
Williams River to form the Murray. The river was discovered
by the explorer Thomas Bannister in 1830 and probably named
by Governor James Stirling in 1832-33 after Admiral Sir Henry
Hotham. Hotham was a Royal Navy hero who had destroyed the
French West Indian Squadron in 1812 and was the commander
of the Royal Navy forces blockading France after the defeat
of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
To the best of our knowledge, nobody has ever paddled the
Hotham River from its early origins to its final confluence
with the Williams River to form the beginning of the Murray
River. There were no records to be found which suggested that
this had even been previously accomplished and in discussions
with Terry Bolland from CDU, local paddle knowledge drawn
from Boddington, local residents and farmers who lived along
the river there was no indication that this feat has ever
been successfully completed. As far as we can determine, we
appear to be the first - and once you read the rest of this
article you may begin to understand why.
As with all rivers, the trick with paddling a river is to
ensure that there is enough water to allow you to paddle the
distance. Unfortunately with the Hotham, there are numerous
man made Fords which control the natural flow of the river
which is quick to rise with good rainfall and very quick to
drop.
The photos above and below were taken in mid-July as part
of our recon.
The photos above and
below were taken in mid-July as part of our recon.
After our first encounter
with the Hotham River our spirits were low as it would be
impossible to paddle in these conditions - nevertheless we
were determine to try. A quick bit of research on historical
rainfall over the years indicated that there was a cycle and
this year was a good year for regional rain. With some more
statistical “hokery pokery” we committed to the
10 August- it was either the 10th or never.
As luck would have it, our timing was perfect with constant
rain the week before the 10th leading to a staged river level
of 10.89 recorded at the Pumperhys water station and 11.04
at the Marradong water station. Right…. gear packed,
food organised, two way radios all working, GPS synchronised,
petrol in the car, boats on board – it’s 5am and
we’re off. As we drove down to the launch site it was
hard to image what the conditions were going to be like after
the rains, but we all prepared in our own special way. I noticed
both Steve and Alan embracing the Zen philosophy of “don’t
wake me up” which allows them to mentally prepare their
minds and bodies while subconsciously tuning their reflexes
to almost super human levels.
The start
Our start point was the
bridge at Stratherne Road some 20km north of Narrogin. We
were a bit late in starting our trip as we hoped to be on
the water well before 8.30am and here it was 10am. Nevertheless
we geared up ready to tackle the Hotham.
Due to the upper reaches of the river
and the lack of water in this region the first day was very
slow going. In the beginning we struggled with very shallow
water however as we got closer to our first downstream way
point, the levels did rise slightly making our journey just
that bit more bearable.
We managed to paddle a distance of some 19kms on the first
day arriving at Popanyinning at 4.40pm. This was a bit disappointing
- at this pace it would take us 8.5 days to reach the end
of the Hotham River as opposed to the original planned 5.5
days. Nevertheless a good hot meal, an early night and some
luck should see us through. Not a chance – it rained
during the night and the cold kept most of us awake for good
portions of it.
Alan and Steve in the
foam
As the next day was a Sunday
we were allowed to sleep in to 6am - and yes, today was the
day that we were going to make up for lost time. So after
a hearty breakfast, we packed our gear and headed down to
the river bank. The paddle on the second morning was fairly
much the same as yesterday – slow due to shallow water
levels. Nevertheless after a short stop and a bit of food
our spirits were lifted and we set off once again. The further
downstream we paddled the higher the water level became and
although the river was still shallow in parts, it was definitely
getting deeper with a faster flow. Today was a better day
with a distance of 25kms paddled before we called it a day
at 3pm and unpacked our camping gear at our second way point
– Napping Pool.
Lunch time
The third day started with
us being on the water at 7.30am and heading for our next way
point at Carabin Road. There was no rain yesterday or today
meaning that the water level would be dropping a 100mm per
day. We were glad that we started our trip two days ago as
with the water dropping so quickly, it was doubtful if there
was enough water to even paddle the first two original days.
As we paddled further downstream, we found many long pools
and numerous unforgiving Ti-tree sections.
Ti-trees & logs shaped the journey
The Ti-tree sections were
tricky but navigable at this water level with many noticeable
strainers. It was evident that this section of the river would
be very dangerous to paddle during high water as the flow
would be fast with very little time to make the many right
decisions required to navigate these sections. There were
many times in which we picked the wrong channel and were forced
to duck under very low branches or get tangled in impassable
pieces of interwoven twigs and branches.
Ooch - not another fallen
tree
These sections are not
to be under estimated in high water – even in low water,
the flow was strong enough to keep us on our toes. Other sections
of the Ti-trees were a bit of an eye opener for us leading
to some portages and on one occasion the portage was up a
river bank with an incline of about 70 degrees and some 4
to 5 meters high and then 20 meters through dense bush to
a launch point – a masterful feat that we managed to
complete in half an hour or so.
We finally reached our way point at Carabin Road at 4pm with
a satisfying distance of 26 kms paddled. The further downstream
we paddled, the quicker the water flowed and greater the distances
we were able to cover. As we become more confident with the
Ti-trees, dodging wire fences, crossing Fords and jumping
(ramming) logs, we began to feel better with what could be
achieved in 5.5 days. Maybe we could do it…
We were getting good at waking up in
the morning, eating breakfast and getting ready with minimal
fuss, all except for the bitching about putting on wet paddling
gear – nobody ever got used to that!
Into the lost world
Here we were on the fourth
day eager to get an early start and keen to get those kilometres
under our belt. It was a hard day’s paddle as most of
the work revolved around finding channels through Titrees
and portaging due to Fords or avoiding wire fences strung
across the river. The sections of Titree were broken with
occasional long pools which allowed us to make up for lost
time. We soon began to understand the river; the pools which
allowed us to make up time due to their relative high water
level would soon give way to a Ford. On the other side of
the Ford the levels were lower and once again we would paddle
through Ti-trees looking for barely recognisable channels
to paddle.
Nevertheless the weather was kind to
us with some rain and generally very little wind. Our spirits
were high, however it was noticeable that we were getting
tired and the toll of paddling through Titrees was beginning
to show. The thought of unpacking our camping gear at the
end of each day and packing it back up was adding to our woes.
After covering a distance of some 27Kms we managed to get
off the water at 3.15pm at the Hotham Albany Highway Bridge
ready for the ritual of setting up camp. Facing the further
prospect of packing and unpacking our camping gear each night
we combined our massive brain power and decided that we would
leave the boats by the side of the road and set up a base
camp at Boddington for the duration of the trip. So we left
the boats and drove to Boddington to find a campsite at the
local caravan park.
It didn’t take long for us to adjust
to these palatial surroundings and our spirits were soon back
on top, especially after a hot shower, some warm food and
an excellent bottle of red that Alan had bought down for the
occasion. With the water rising due to some late rain last
night and only an odd 56kms to paddle in a few days, we were
feeling very confident. The biggest unknown to us was the
last 20kms of the Hotham River as this was through the valleys
of the national forest with no exit point other than leaving
the boats and walking out. Then off course there was the small
question about the exit point – how do we find it? The
exit point was easy to find on maps, it was where the Hotham
and the William rivers met to form the beginning of the Murray
River – easy. Unfortunately the river view through Ti-trees
would be totally different and if we missed the exit we would
continue to travel deeper into the national forest along the
Murray River with very steep valleys on either side with no
hope of exiting and dragging the boats to the roadside. This
was where our GPS navigator, (Richard S) sprang into action
–“I have the way point plotted into the GPS and
I can tell you exactly when we need to exit” – great
somebody to blame if we miss the exit – sounds like a
plan to me. After a very cold and wet night we arose to face
the next day. What a relief it was not to pack the gear –
just leave it there and the maid will look after it.
At times we did get long
pools
The next day we were on the water at
7.15am – it was cold, windy with the occasional periods
of rains. By this time we had been very proficient at navigating
through Ti-trees and picking which channels were the better
choices. The channels were very shallow at times and it was
then that we realised how fortunate we were that it rained
last night. The river had risen during the night by some .1
meter making it just shallow enough to paddle in some places
- what luck. After a long hard paddle we were able to get
to our next way point - Williams/Pinjarra Weir at about 3.35pm.
It was a good day in which we managed to paddle a distance
of some 36 Kms, mainly due to faster water flow as a result
of last night’s rains. We only had an odd distance of
21 Kms left to paddle. Yippee…
Back to our base camp at Boddington
and a hot shower followed by a three course meal and a great
night’s sleep – well… the shower and the food
were great - the night was cold but fortunately no rain. The
last thing we wanted was faster flowing water for the upcoming
Ti-tree sections.
We were on the water at 7.15am all ready for the last day’s
paddle. I thought that since we would be paddling through
valleys we may see the occasional rapid or two - no such luck
- just more Ti- trees; worse than even. Nevertheless we were
too close to the finish to worry about Ti-trees, Fords or
wire fences which crossed the river. Nothing was going to
stop us now – then it rained and the wind started to
pick up as did the chill factor – nothing too uncomfortable
just a sign to let us know that we still had a bit to go.
The beauty and the beast
Then I heard the words “50 meters
to go” from our trusted navigator, “25 meters to
go”, “10 meters to go”, “5 meters”
and lastly a confident “here we are”. Not sure what
that meant; the exit point was no were to be seen. After a
long and anxious 1-2 minutes, Steve soon spotted a large yellow
flag up a 60 degree incline just a few meters in front of
us. Johnny T (our support driver for the day) had worked out
that the exit would be very difficult to find while on the
river so he hung a yellow flag on the bank some 6 meters above
the water line.
It's all over
Well… that was it
- handshakes all the way round with quite acknowledgements
that it wasn’t too hard, no problems, all a big fuss
about nothing, could have done it quicker…. and on it
went. As we dragged the boats through the mud and up the incline
towards the road it started to rain – not lightly, not
gently but in buckets for about 20 minutes leaving us with
no choice but to change into our dry gear on the side of the
road while it rained heavily and continuously from very dark
grey skies. We must have been a sorry sight for the passer
byers who drove by wondering what we were doing. I think we
also wondered the same thing.
From here it is was a simple matter of driving back to our
camp site at Boddington, grabbing a quick bite, packing the
gear and driving back home just in time for the afternoon
rush hour – yep back to the modern life.
All in all it was a great trip and we would recommend it to
anybody who enjoys a bit of a challenge. As with any trip
there is always a magic spot that we find and wish that we
could share the moment with other fellow paddlers, on this
trip I believe that the photo below summed up that moment.
The view from the water was almost pre-historic and without
any hesitation I stopped my boat, took out my trusty non water
proof camera and snapped away.
Hopefully not being to
presumptuous, we have taken the liberty of naming this stretch
of the Hotham river as “Paperbark Avenue” and claim
bragging rights as being the first to have photographed it.
Given that we found this unusual section of Ti-trees in a
non-easily accessible part of the river, it would be highly
unlikely that more than a handful of people would have seen
this extraordinary waterline display of natural symmetry.
For those wishing to undertake a similar trip, please feel
free to contact us for further information. We would more
than happy to share our trip experience and knowledge. Just
contact the Ascot Kayaking Club or Terry at CDU for our contact
details. I have also included an Appendix with way points
and other information that we collected which may help you
with planning your Hotham trip.
As for us, we are hoping to paddle another
Western Australian river next year… or so, adding to
our Blackwood and Hotham experiences.
Richard Molek
17/9/2013
In a Nutshell
A total of 167Kms paddled, taking 44 hours of paddling time
with an average speed of approximately 3.8
Kms per hour.
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