Kayaking on the Darling River

The mighty Darling river flows from Queensland through Western NSW and into the Murray river on the border of Victoria. Teeming with life, it is a vital resource for animals and plants as well as farmers for irrigation. I have paddled on the Darling - a childhood dream partially filled.

As a 16 year old I paddled the Hawkesbury river canoe clasic - some 110km Ever since I have dreamed of paddling the major rivers of Australia.  I am glad now to have paddled a small stretch of this river and can would have loved to have had more time available to paddle a multi-day extended tour.

I haven't been on the water for a while, so it was a real pleasure to take the inflatable kayak out of its bag and actually use it. I paddled 18km, firstly against the current then with it for an easy return to camp (Yanda Campground, just south of Bourke). The Darling river is 1472 kilometres long, so I have a bit more to cover !

Bird life is bountiful, and unfortunately there are also feral pigs and goats. Still, they are animals and probably have as much right to be on and near the river as I do.

The banks are quite steep and muddy, making it difficult to land. Every now and again though, there is a rocky or sandy shore. Just at about the time you need to have that rest ie about 1 to 3 hours apart.

Being remote, you are lucky to see another vessel. What a pleasure. The water is smooth, and nature is at its best. Today anyway !

It is a real pleasure to see a mob of emus popping down for a drink. Being a bit uncertain, they didn't linger as I approached.

I realised that there is a lot to do if I want to do that multi-day trip. Dealing with the mud is a big consideration. The stuff is a viscous adhesive putty, that not only gunks up thickly on your footwear, but almost cements you in place upon each step. Getting back in the kayak cleanly is a big deal too, being a yoga guru in the attempt to scrape the goo off and wash it clean without upending your craft in the process.

Then there are burrs. Bushes laden with burrs carpet the banks, are strategically placed to thwart a clean exit path out.  Like any good maze there will be a false passage then abrupt ending that is tantalizingly close to the desired location.

Try and get through and you will punished with the needle sharp barbs that break off with the smallest amount of force. I found that a pen knife along with the zoom feature of the camera on my phone the best tool to extricate the tiny splinters almost submerged below the skin surface. Should you decide to leave them, they dish out more pain that they deserve, as they seem to target the most sensitive areas such as fingers and feet.

So, paddling the Darling is a delight, it has a steady current which is great if you are travelling downstream. For a longer paddle, a good strategy for dealing with mud, or knowing where the rocky  or sandy banks is needed.

Furthermore, there are various farms on the banks, but it is a sparsely populated area.  Having a satellite phone or two vehicles to shuttle every 20 to 50km would be a good idea. ie some sort of measure to deal with an emergency. It wasn't a trip that I was prepared to do without proper planning.

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