Day 563 | Almost Tocumwal: kipping with the throng

78 km | zzOz total: 18,430 km

I was back in the National Park today, NSW style, a pleasant morning following the Murray upstream on Millewa River Road through the largest River Red Gum forest in Australia, indeed the world. “Road” is a little highfaluting, it’s basically a one lane track.

Just before lunch I was flagged down by someone in a 4WD.

Heard about the Murray Marathon?

I hadn’t but it was fast heading my way, a four day canoeing/kayaking race, a few hundred competitor, twice as many support crew.

I stopped and had a chat to one of the officials at a checkpoint, let me tell you there seemed more officials than competitors, telling me about some experience from times past.

A carbon fibre kayak was sitting there, pick it up, but don’t drop it, it’s worth 5 grand, he says.

Oh, I said, it’s like a plastic bag, sure wasn’t much weight there, the diminutive paddler wasn’t carrying much either.

Then back on the basically single lane track I started to make the acquaintance of the back up crews, a large number of Subarus, typical city dwellers with a kayak fetish set of wheels, quite a few bigger 4WDs, and surprisingly lots of 2WDs, all driving too fast in close formation, raising dust and then stopping abruptly when realising they had company, ie, me heading their way, miraculously there weren’t any bingles in the low visibility conditions.

After a few dozen zoomed by I thought I’d prefer watching the paddlers while attacking my lunch, they came in all sizes and shapes: kayaks stroking elegantly, doubles, various designs, canoes with the short single paddle requiring quite unreasonable effort in comparison in the windy conditions, an out rigger, then a surf ski rider, standing up, gondolier style.

Eventually the cavalcade evaporated into their own dust, I was back on my own, quite the surreal, completely unexpected experience.

As I neared Tocumwal my trailer tyre blew again, second time in as many weeks, both tyres sporting rips. I stopped to figure out a way to continue, why didn’t I visit that bike shop in Echuca across the road from the supermarket one question that came to mind.

A different race official stopped to enquire about my well being, it’s another dusty road out there, claimed to have seen me on the other side of Toc earlier in the day.

Hunh, that’s where I’m heading, but he was adamant. When in doubt go with the flow.

Oh, I say, I decided to turn back, it was all too hard this road, I’ll have to go and wait for my mother to pick me up.

Satisfied he sped off.

Is there another Bob out on the river I was left wondering.