ALMOST READY!!!

[Boblee]

Almost ready to head down the Murray from Yarrawonga/Mulwala to Hopefully will be gone for a month and hopefully there will be enough depth to get through, it is up a little at present but they are apparently going to pulse it? supposed to be for environmental benefits but it only pulsed at this time of year with rain and it would have been almost dry without irrig.
Should be launching on Sunday or Monday but got to be home for a meeting Monday night so will have to leave it anchored as there is nowhere to moor or tie it up except to logs near the weir.
Hopefully we will get to Echuca but who knows we wont be in a hurry and the wife has to get back for a weeks work in a couple of weeks so will pull up near some town and wait.
The Murray still rates as our best trip from Gippy lakes, various rivers up the E Coast, Whitsundays and across the top to the Kimberlies we did a trip from Wentworth to Wellington (800k's) in 2007, absolutely fantastic with a different scene around every bend.
If any of you other Mac owners get a chance you will not be dissappointed if you make the trip, no sails but should have the camera and towing the dinghy for a little fishing, will be taking the computor to find river levels but reception will be very intermittent.

[bartmac]

Half your luck...its on my bucket list...just have to figure where to launch and how to get the tow rig to the other end

[Mac26Mpaul]

Sounds Awesome Bob. How about posting a few photos on the way

[Boblee]

Bartmac the Murray is caters better than the Whitsundays for boaters, plenty of launching ramps and dump points in at least every major town especially past Echuca, the ramps are just a concrete slab but these boats can really be launched on any dinghy ramp.
Finding somewhere to leave a vehicle is not really a problem, most parks charge minimal rental although if you were starting from Mulwala you are welcome to store here in Berrigan 40k's away or could find somewhere in town, as for picking up tow vehicle busses go right along and call into most towns.
When we went down to Wellington we came back to Murray bridge and caught the bus to Adelaide then to Mildura where we had the vehicle stored pretty easy on any of the rivers or the coast.
In this case one of our kids will probably pick up the missus and bring her back as although it's a long way by river, pretty short by road 1/3.

Mac26paul will have the computor and the camera but will only have limited internet but will try probably need something to do when waiting especially if the fish aren't biting.

[Boblee]

Well came back a bit early for a few reasons but did get from Mulwala/Yarrawonga down to Moama /Echuca but found they didn't have enough water to push us out the lock at Torumberry, also the Southern Eighty was going to be on last weekend with very little options except someone coming down to move the truck if we left it at the lock.
Doesn't really matter it was a great but tiring week and a bit and took the opportunity to go pig hunting with TYB and some mates when we got home:D
If anyone is considering this stretch would suggest they start at Mulwala to learn the river before hitting Tocumwal and be very confident of your ability with the boat in tight situations before tackling the "Narrows" between Picnic Point and Barmah Lakes irrespective of levels as it is tight with little option except to commit to a course and run with it, wouldn't be hard with a smaller boat but a bit dicky with the Mac and towing a dinghy.
Will post a few photo's later if lucky as the camera card went kaput after downloading onto another computor, it's a great trip with some wonderful scenery and sights, not spectacular but very very interesting especially the animals and birds etc.
We clipped the prop 7 times and rubbed the boat once but no damage as only travelling at 6-10 k's an hour depending on depth and wind, rarely over 1500 rpm except to clean it out but would have averaged about 1200, the etec went good for fuel, used just over 40l in the Mac for the 280k's+, plus a bit in the dinghy fishing and exploring etc.
Would I do it again in the Mac no, would I do it knowing a bit more about what was ahead of us, yes in a flash.

[cruiser]

....................
Would I do it again in the Mac no, would I do it knowing a bit more about what was ahead of us, yes in a flash.

Hi Bob, When you say you would not do it in a Mac, is that because of windage? or the motor too large?

I have spent a bit of time over the years on western rivers, in tinnies with small motors, bashing props on logs - not fun to listen to when they hit!! However, I can undestand the charm of travelling in such places and would love to do a trip down the Darling or Murray sometime in the future.

[Boblee]

Wouldn't go down that route in the Mac again because we have already done it once in it but would recommend it for others, no problems but just be wary of the "narrows" as I mentioned, sorry if I wasn't clear, loved the Whitsundays too but wouldn't bother going back either.
We will finish the Murray including the stretch from Echuca to Torumbary and then continue on to Mildura, to go through the Torumbary lock the weir keeper suggests 2.15 downstream for our boats drawing approx 450mm at 1.78 think we would have been ok but for sure would be ok outside of the lock if we could have managed to get around it a bit easier.
They do have a trailer but everything was just too risky and tight besides I was keen to go pighunting with the boys too.
The Macs windage was not really a problem and neither was the motor, on the two days when the wind was up we just pulled up as the wind makes it too hard to read where the logs are close to the surface, the River Murray Charts book is great for showing where most snags are but as it's over thirty years old you still need to read the river, especially in the narrows wher many new trees have fallen almost right across.
It was no worse and even easier than many other rivers we have tripped along, especially as you don't have to worry about changing tides and winds and mostly it is sheltered from winds anyway by the banks and trees but much better and more interesting scenery.
My respect for the old riverboat captains certainly increased.

[cruiser]

...........The Macs windage was not really a problem and neither was the motor, on the two days when the wind was up we just pulled up as the wind makes it too hard to read where the logs are close to the surface...........

Thanks Bob, yes that all makes perfect sense. I was thinking after my previous post that there would mostly likely not be as big an 'ouch' factor when hitting a log with a big motor as with a small motor - both at low speed of course.

[Boblee]

Just uploaded about 40 out of 200 photo's the wife took onto Photobucket will have to go through them later when have more time but hope this link works .
http://s156.beta.photobucket.com/user/b ... Feb%202007

[cruiser]

Thanks for the photos Bob - looks like a pretty relaxing holiday.

[Boblee]

Yeah can be as relaxing as you want it with plenty of things to see and do on the way, don't like staying in one place for long but you could set up on some of these beautiful beaches for months (some do) just relaxing but during any holdays especially on the vic side the camps are inside each others guy ropes.
Interesting that the day after the Aust day weekend when some were still packing up during the day and the beach must have been packed and noisy, when we got up next morning a roo had been drinking in front of the boat and then hopped right alongside the mac (18'), peered into the dinghy and then left, would have been a good photo but probably dark at the time.

[cruiser]

In a previous life I use to go up to Mildura a bit for a week at a time. Would stay at the Grand Hotel when it still had the lift and the Bell Boy and silver service dinning room - cheap as. Was like being paid to stay in a resort . That was in the late 70's, so I imagine it may have changed these day - mind you it was still hanging on pretty tight to the 'past' in the late 70's. Mildura always had that wonderful holiday destination feeling about it.

[Boblee]

Have spent a bit of time there for the Country music festivals and one year even used the mac to motor between the venues and camp on the river.
Was thinking of going from Echuca to there last September but was still recovering from the knee operation, an addaed incentive to do it this year so we can finish the river off.

[Mac26Mpaul]

Thanks for posting those pics Bob, looks great, love to do some river cruises one day.... Feel free to post some pics from some of the other amazing trips you have done