284 kilometres from the mouth.

Started early,  about 7. Stopped at Morgan for water and lunch just the other side.  Houses around Morgan very Queensland like ie on stilts. Riverbank is freehold with lots of private property signs.
For a while I was going for Blanchetown but ran out of day again.
Camped in one of the houseboat stopping places.

The river is winding between two cliff faces some kilometres apart.  Every now and again the river comes up against one of the cliffs and travels along it for a while before it bends back eventually leading to the other face.

Huge reaches but not much activity.  Saw two moving houseboats and one other moving boat today.
The Southerlys are still here.  I thought they would be gone by now.  Later in the day the headwind was up to 15k.
Started to warm up in the afternoon so am hoping the high will take effect tomorrow.

Approx 310 kilometres from the mouth.

The wind lived up to its forecast and it’s still gusting outside now.  Got a good sail down all but 3 reaches.  Those 3 were pretty tough but it was worth it.  Maximum speed was 10.7k which is travelling.  The average in the windy reaches was about 7. 5k.
I was looking at where the boom on the sail is bolted onto the mast and noticed the bolt had come undone.  The bolt was just hanging.  I couldn’t reach it so I thought a gentle wack with the paddle would help.  Bad move.  It all sprang apart with the bolt still there but even more precarious.  Slowly over to the bank and managed to get it fixed. Lucky. 
Nearly got to Morgan,  about 10 k out.  Just ran out of day. Got the main reaches in before the river turns south and hopefully the high moves in tonight.
Camp here is for houseboats and campers..
Kitchen & Bedroom (out of  the wind)

Garage

Cliffs

383 kilometres from the mouth  –  same as yesterday.

Camp Waikarie,  battened down ready for more rain and hail (small) tonight. Very cosy. 

This morning the easter campers were here and unfortunately had to pack up in the rain.

Everything is charged,  including me, (with food) and ready for tomorrow.  Tomorrow is either going to be good or bad.  The wind is gusting from the SE to SW up to 25k so depending on how it blows up the reaches will depend how my day goes.  It will be like that for tomorrow and then a high pressure system moves across and everything goes calm.  Most of the reaches look like they favour a southerly so I am hoping it’s good.  The thing why tomorrow is important is Morgan,  the next place is where the river turns south.  So,  if I can get to Morgan on the wind tomorrow it will be easier to get south with the high pressure system around and maybe some northerlies. 
Nice town,  beautiful river front and nice camping but I think this is just open for Easter.

This is another one of Overland Bend.  Stunning sunrise!

383 kilometres from the mouth.

Left just after sunrise. 

Large reaches all heading west and perfectly calm at the beginning.  Huge cliffs. Some for kilometres.  Lots of swallows in the cliffs.  Some seem to like my sail and almost land on it.  I would love that  to happen.

The large reaches are taking energy. Today  I stayed in the Kayak until I got to Waikerie but I was pretty tired.  Mainly in my legs which seems strange but it is the rudder. 
Some sailing but the wind changed and started blowing at me in the last hour and a half.
At about 12 rang the caravan park and booked in. They are using an overflow area which is relatively close to the river.  Got  to the ramp and took about 30 minutes to get out with several wake and speed boats using the town reach. 

Going to have a rest day tomorrow. I have probably two more days of roughly westerly then the river turns south.  So will be watching the wind forecast for  those huge  reaches. 
Rain is forecast for tonight so I am set up in my beautiful tent ready for it. 

424 kilometres from the mouth

Quite an event full day and am lucky to have got this far.

Packed up and left the camp after meeting the neighbours with two dogs camped along the way.  They had the happiest 3 legged dog ever. 

Paddled past their camp and waved to their friends as I went past.  Paddled for and hour and a half and got to the 444k sign.  Thought I would take a picture.  No phone.  Went over to a bank and looked in the gear I packed, no phone.  After a few minutes resigned my self to a days loss and a 10k paddle extra back to last night’s camp.
Less than a kilometre a boat pulls up and asked me how I am.  A little depressed I say I’m hoping my phone is still on  the bank back there.  It isn’t they say.  Here it is.  One of  the guys had  gone for a walk,  found it on the bank and came after me.  The kindness of strangers.  Amazing.  After a chat and many thank you’s I went back to 444.  I asked them to leave a contact on here so I hope they do. 

Stopped for lunch at Kingston on Murray and had a great conversation with a local person about bank erosion.
Got through lock 3 about  3:30  and arrived here an hour or so later.  Banks are packed with  campers but I’m lucky to  not need vehicle access.

The Spot battery caved in today.  1st set, not bad going, 38 days.

454 Kilometres from the mouth.

Started in Katarapko Creek and after a couple of hours arrived at the Murray.  Navigation was with the Murray River access maps as the gps map showed me going overland most of the time.  Every designated campsite was taken up along  the creek.  Landscape looked bad from fire a few years ago and most trees were dead except just  before the Murray where it greened up.
The river is increasing in size and length of reaches.  Had a soft southerly which was good for the day.  The last reach was 12k and I got all but the last 2 which will have to  wait for the morning.  Campers everywhere and large groups.  Some boats and a half dozen house boats.  8
The camp here  is good except when I dragged the magnificent machine up on the bank I cracked open the bulkhead between the cockpit and the day hatch again.  The trouble is I don’t like it  being  in  the water when the wake boats go past.  I’ll have to unload it and then get it up.

Got the flag on the back.

Slow day.

Approx 509 kilometres from the mouth.

Left the tidy and historic Renmark at about 7:30.  Paddled slowly to lock 5 as I was early. On the way came across this..

It’s called “How’s the serenity”.  Which is Rob’s favourite saying when we are paddling somewhere nice..  Or paddling anywhere really.

Decided to approach the lock early and the gate opened and in I went.  Long reaches and southerly gusts up to about 25k.
Managed to get one long reach with the wind behind me before hitting one very long one into Berri against the wind.  Next to these cliffs.

Got to Berri at about 3pm and decided to keep going.  Rang the tourist office and checked out a creek entry just past the next lock that gets me into a long Creek that is straighter than the Murray and more out of the wind.
There is a rock causeway across the entry of the creek and was told it would be ok to get the magnificent machine across it.
Booked the lock and took off.  Arrived at the lock at 4:15 which was what I estimated.
Got to the rock causeway and managed to get across it without damaging anything.  It was in  place to control the level and the flow into the creek.  The Pelicans thought it was a great spot.  There was about 20 of them and not far away was a great camping spot but I decided to move on.

Finally had to stop here,  which is acceptable but only just.

Not going to rain.  Doesn’t rain in the River land.
Can’t see the magnificent machine from the tent,  bit  of a worry.

An achievement today.  That 8:59 plus the 28 minutes stopped time, was full time in the Kayak except for the causeway.  I have been stretching but thought I would see how long I can stay in the Kayak.

566 kilometres from the mouth. Same as yesterday.

This is the Murray River flag.  I am told that because it has light blue stripes it is the lower Murray River.
Somehow, tomorrow morning I am going to tie one on the magnificent machine.
Booked lock 5 for 9:30 in the morning. Caravan park is starting to fill up for Easter so the river over the next week will be busy.
Not sure how far I will get tomorrow.  Just have to see how the day pans out.  Apart from bread and water I organised about two weeks supplies today.
Finally found a good lantern.

There is a front coming through at the moment,  just wind and no rain.  Today when I asked if it will rain the answer was “this is Riverland, it doesn’t rain here”.

566 kilometres from the mouth. Same as yesterday

I like Renmark, it’s a great place.  Spent the morning getting what I needed.  The lights and a standby hat which might turn out to be the one I use.
Parked at the main wharf was this..

Had  quite a long chat to Frank and his mate Ken on board.

A great pair of guys.  Frank, on the right, is a lot smarter than he looks by the way.  Notice the bricks.  That’s a stove,  full size,  wood stove with oven, on the houseboat.  I love that boat.
There were pumpkins,  rock melons etc growing all over the boat.  Most held up with bras. 
Frank’s a singer songwriter among other things.
Tonight he was going to take the boat up river to catch some fish.

Read more about Frank

566 kilometres from the mouth.
Relatively quiet day after a pretty intense day before.  Did not sleep well.  Pelicans prowl around at night.  Something I didn’t know. 
Few more houseboats.  Nearly cleaned up a fishing line out the back of one that was parked on a corner.  I’ll have  to be more careful.
Spectacular cliffs coming into Renmark and  massive reaches.
While I was resting in amongst some weeds a large carp came nozing around.  I got it on video for later.
Never been to Renmark before and it is nice.
Caravan park is huge but right on the river.
I will be two days here. To rest and build up a bit and buy some gear that has failed.
My head lamp..  Cost $5 at bcf..  Still goes on the same set of batteries but has fallen apart.
My small  lantern uses one set of aaa in two nights. Gotta be something better than that these days.