River

When I was just a kid I canoed 27 miles on Loch Lomond, Scotland. It left a lasting impression on me and one I have yet to match. I was afraid of nothing as a youngster, keen to try my hand at everything where there was a bit of adventure. Sadly, most of my pursuits ended in my 30's and then the fear took hold. Everything I thought of doing scared me enough not to try it. I didn't believe in myself and was afraid that trying something I thought I couldn't do would just end in failure - so I didn't try anything. I watched as my family went off hiking and cycling and sailing and swimming.........

Over the last 18 months, something changed - I am not sure how or what but it has been a revelation! A letting go, a freedom! 

An overheard conversation prompted my Thames Path Walk, and this book,  "The unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow" by AJ MacKinnon, sparked the idea of a river adventure and voilà! I'm on the river in a kayak! So what's my next challenge I hear you say???? Oh, I'm hooked on the kayak, I'm not ready to give that up yet. There's a lot to explore, places to go and things to see, albeit at a slow pace. And I'm not sure where my next inspiration will come from.

There are many places to get on the water in South Australia but having your own kayak would help - I'm working on that. The Murray River has some amazing places through SA and New South Wales, so I'm tempted to be having a few mini holidays over the coming year. Getting into National Parks, tributaries of Lake Alexandrina, the Coorong and the Onkaparinga River are all potential places for me to explore over the coming months.

Tasmania is also on the horizon for October 2017 and it would be fantastic to see the unique flora and fauna of the region. Huge red gums, forests of ferns and epiphytes and to sneak a peak at a platypus in the wild. It hurts to think about it.

Here's some photos taken in Loch Luna Reserve and on our evening paddle, part of the National Park near Berri in South Australia.

If you are looking for an adventure, try this company Canoe Adventure based in Berri. Kym and Karen do an excellent job of getting you into fabulous areas along the Murray River and off the beaten track. They let us loose with their kayaks, introducing us to some beautiful places we have promised to come back to.

I'm not a person who quotes God or the Bible, but this quote I found in my local paper rang true -

"See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness". And that is what it feels like.