
3 minute read
Outdoor adventures with Andy Flanagan
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES with Andy Flanagan Paddling the Mary in a packraft
Andy & Wendy ready for their maiden voyage
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THE other day we took our new pack raft for its maiden voyage on the Mary River. We did the section from Moy PocketPickering Bridge to the Vic Olsen BridgeTuchekoi Rd.
This is a fairly long one-way 27km paddle so is suited to the intermediate paddler, definitely not for the beginner - we were fairly shattered at the end. You will also need to do a car shuttle or have some one drop you, then pick you up at the finish.
The water was flowing pretty well, level was 1.18m according the BOM website - this seemed to be prefect and we assumed it would be fairly fast 27km. Our raft is a 2.3m, 4.8kg inflatable that packs into a medium size backpack, so she’s not a sleek craft and the trip took a little more effort than expected. Pickering bridge is a pretty launch point with low banks and lots of sand so a nice, easy and pleasant place to setup. This only takes about 15minutes as we have a little battery powered pump the size of a rubiks cube that inflates the boat in a few minutes. Life jackets on, our minimal gear stowed and off we go, whisked away by a nice swift current and before we know it we are negotiating our first fast flowing narrows.
We soon learn that this little boat doesn’t track nearly as well as our plastic kayak so to keep her facing forward we need to paddle hard and fast in the swift water. This proved a little challenging at first, because the boat is short, so 2 adults frantically flailing kayak paddle about can get interesting. It took a little while but eventually we synced up and things became a lot smoother, quieter and with less swearing. I was in the rear, so safe from my partners paddle, but I cannot say the same for her being safe from mine.
The banks of the river soon began to rise and the farm land disappeared from view and we were in our own beautiful tree lined silent little world. It took us about 4.5h but we didn’t stop for any rests, the recommended time frame is 6-8 hours so take plenty of snacks and drinking water. There are quite a few log jams that will need to be negotiated, they were all paddlable at this water level, but some were a bit tricky. We did get tipped over at one of these jams and being in swift water I have to say it was a little frightening to say the least. In hindsight it was mostly due to our inexperience and my paddle getting stuck in a fork under the surface.
If you like a bit of adventure I’d recommend a paddle on the Mary, she has it all - excitement, serenity and beauty. Plastic kayak or packraft recommended as it can be shallow with lots of rocks. Check out www.maryvalleycountry.com.au/canoetrails/ for some more detail and more options
Hope to see you out there. Happy adventures. Andy Flanagan - Unicyclist, Mountain Biker, Trail Runner, Senior Bicycle Mechanic at Spoke N Trail and owner of Sunshine Unicycles



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