Kayak 4 Earth

.Day 55 - 20/7/07 - Starting Downstream from Bourke.

Steve's Report: Late start today. We visited the distance education centre in Bourke and talked with Nina who conducts the lessons. Next Tuesday when we are doing a crew change I am going to be on the satellite with her so that will be something very different.

Then, as luck would have it I got to see action at the other end later in the day. I stopped at Jandra which is a station downstream and has been there since 1857. Ollie and Hugo were having a lesson, Leanne was there as I think the tutor and we met Di and Phillip Ridge, the parents who own the property. Phillip's family owned it from the start so the boys are fifth generation.

I set off from the bottom of the weir. The paddling was easy with the river wide and deep. Only the paddle hit bottom in places. It is easy to see why Bourke is where it is, the river is much different downstream. Upstream it does not look navigable except on the weir pool but downstream it does.

There are 100 megalitres per day running over the weir and apparently there are 1000 Megs at Walgett but it has not got to Brewarina. Maybe it will get to me, maybe not.

Dave is off to the races and watching the rugby. I am going to spend the night beside the river somewhere. .


Its not cold, just freezing. I just like looking like an eskimo at the Bourke Weir	Kayaker's view of the Bourke weir

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