The Western Rivers

We packed up the van, loaded the kayaks and headed west on Sunday the 10th March 2013. We only had a couple of weeks as I was due to have my cancer operation on the 18th April and I had to be back at least two weeks before the operation so as the doctors could finalise all the test and everything else that doctors have to do before an operation. This was also a great opportunity to get away and do something that would take my mind off what was about to happen to me.                          

Western Hotel Mitchell

We had intended to paddle sections of the Condamine   River but when we arrived at Cecil Plains the river was in flood so we camped there the night and next day headed to the small township of Mitchell. Just out of town is the Neil  Turner weir on the Maranoa River, a great campsite beside the river.  Flushing toilets, a cold shower and a boat ramp to launch the kayaks. And only a few minutes to a great little town with lots of facilities, what more could a kayaker want. We stayed here for a few days.



Campsite beside Maranoa River

Maranoa River

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

A mishap on the Maranoa

After a long absence

It is now the 4th March  2014. I have been away from "A Bushwalkers Diary" for three and a half years. Where has the time gone? Read on and I shall explain.

During that time I have had two major medical procedures that laid me low for some time, but we wont go into that. I am alive, fit and doing very well, still bush walking, kayaking and travelling. In fact I was still walking and travelling in between my brushes with ill health, but I just was not blogging during these periods. Now all that is behind me it's time to start blogging again.

I have also had to change the URL of my Blog's address, so if you have found me again, welcome back. Three and a half years is too long ago to start telling you about where we had walked and what we had done, so I will only tell you about two really great trips we had last year.

The first one was in March of 2013. We loaded the kayaks on the Prado (yes we have updated the Kluger and now have a Prado) hooked up the Crusader X-Country caravan (we have also upgraded the humble Avan and now have an off road caravan) and headed west to spend a few weeks paddling in some of our iconic Western Rivers.

The second trip was in late August of 2013. We took the trekking gear, kayaks, bikes and caravan and headed to western NSW to spend a few months following the Darling River downstream to  it's junction with the Murray River, paddling the water holes and tributaries of the Darling. They call this trip The Darling River Run if you do it by car, we were not just driving it but also paddling wherever we could.