You’ll need to have your wits about you in parts, with eddies calling you towards the shore. For instance, there are submerged branches and logs and a little steering is required to make it through several narrow passes.
Edward river is strong, which makes for a challenge and also a team effort. You can take a break by grabbing on to a partially submerged log. Be aware if you stop paddling without holding on, you will lose some ground!
Today’s paddle is shorter (1.5-2 hours). It is more intense and without a morning tea break. Before long my arms are aching and I’m beginning to lose a little co-ordination. Thankfully our guide calls out that it is time to turn around. The opportunity for the current to carry me more easily down the river is exciting. Some paddling is still required to navigate the narrow passes and overhanging branches.
Since the current is strong, a lapse of concentration, laughing at a joke, and my paddle mate and I nearly end up caught in an overhanging tree. Consequently, there’s a lot of laughs as the co-ordinated and uncoordinated battle against the current to stave off the shore. It’s tiring but exciting work.
The contrast between the two rivers makes for an exhilarating adventure. Again our guide is a local and passionate about the region, leaving us with a zest to return. For someone who hasn’t really paddled before, these two days on the water have whet my appetite for the kayak, ecotourism holidays and the Murray River region itself.