Day 4 – Jingellic to Burrowye Reserve (45 km by river)

Immediately on launching this morning we had to negotiate the gravel race just under the bridge. We dragged the boats past and launched downstream. There was a series of gravel races which we were surprised by as we had been told there were none below Jingellic. It's seems to be the kayak version of “non-cyclists” advice where you are told the road is flat only to find there is bloody big hill!


There were a couple of moments of drama, there were some rapids that we went over because that was where the current took us and there was a gravel race where we were both tipped out when the current split and then rejoined further down. Our kayaks are vulnerable to tipping when hit side on by the current. I was tipped out and looked up to see Simon heading straight at me then he was tipped out too. So the score to date, Simon 3 capsizes, Joe 2 and Tony 1. Unfortunately for Simon each time he went over he seemed to loose something. Any one seen a pair of sun glasses or any number of drink bottles.

It was a long day and it seem to take forever to paddle to our destination. Our original plan was to have lunch at Burrowye Reserve but this ended being our eventual campsite.
Our actual lunch spot was just past a riverside property where we yelled out to a man tidying in the garden. He told us we were at Tamalmo. We later found that Tamalmo Station covers about 14 km of the northern bank of the river.

The lunch spot was picturesque gravel bend in the river. The willows covering the river banks made the scene very serene.

We reached Burrowye late in the afternoon. There were a couple of young Asian girls fishing from the bank when we pulled up and showed them our map to confirm our location. Apparently it was their 1st time fishing and they were not quite sure what they were doing.

We set up our tents away from their camp and then dragged our kayaks up the beach. This was an ideal camp spot. You could come and stay here for a holiday, just sitting back and reading a book after a good day paddling.

Later in the evening we had a chat with a woman who brought 2 horses down to the river to drink. She lived on a local farm and as able to tell us about growing up in the area.