CLARENCE RIVER CANOE TRAIL | HARD LESSONS / Fail on the Mann River

[@bernardrobinson837]

Good one Paul. I learnt a while back, when sailing, that you always take a spare hat. And good on ya Chris and Rachel. True country hospitality.

[@Getgowin]

Thanks Bernard, yes lots of learning on this one. Spare hat, different shoes, helmet and improved skills! Chris and Rachel are exactly that, great country people. Cheers Paul

[@hamlltonhope8123]

Best video I have seen on that section Paul, it didn't look inviting downstream of Northern Broad Water Bridge, something like a barrel may be an appropriate watercraft, like they used on Niagara Falls. Do not give up on the Clarence, launch at the Gorge, the river is stunning and you have the skills to get to Copmanhurst.

[@Getgowin]

Thanks for the feedback, yes a barrel or Pack Raft would have been better. I will definitely go back when the weather sorts itself out. Cheers Paul

[@hamlltonhope8123]

@@Getgowin Just got back from the Gorge yesterday. Levels are good, too much water for me to paddle up the Gorge.Jeez, love to be 10 years younger. meeting Belinda is worth the drive alone.

[@ianfuller4066]

Great video. We are doing the Clarence river canoe trail in April, and you have given us a good look at what's required.

[@Getgowin]

Thanks Ian, should be much better conditions by then. Thanks for watching, regards Paul

[@katesmiles4208]

Hats off to Chris and Rachel. Good souls. 😊

[@Getgowin]

Yes absolute legends

[@chrissoderlund2713]

Great video Paul. Rachel and I were more then happy to help you get home safely. Come back anytime to try again😉

[@Getgowin]

Chris you Legend, what a face for the screen! You need to be in movies... Thanks again for your help. Cheers Paul

[@eddieintheoutdoors]

I’m amazed at how fast you were going! Wow, section 6 is intermediate!! I think I’ll try section 8, haha!

[@Getgowin]

Yeah it's supposed to be easy... but the water levels were the real challenge as it actually went up that day when I was expecting it to drop. Thanks for watching.

[@roocanoe6338]

Good on ya Paul, you always put together an excellent video, and love your fishing and bushcraft skills. While you didnt demonstrate any of those particular skills here, it was still interesteing to watch due to your paddling dramas on moving water. Viewers always love a few dramas even if its a little humbling to admit your lack of skills. The whitewater here all looks rather mild 1 or 1+ rapids, however not the rocky rapids, but the moving water through and around trees looks the bigger hazard. If you do venture into 2 and 2+ rapids with a large volume of rock, wave trains, cushions and holes you may want to think about a helmet and more secure footwear, along with a few whitewater lessons. Hope you do include a little more of this in some of your videos

[@Getgowin]

Thanks Roo, appreciate the feedback. Upping the skills is definitely on the cards, but not keen to take on anything harder at this point. Foot wear is under review as that wax a major pain in the ass. Cheers Paul

[@AmyOutdoors]

Great video and recap Paul. If I had water like that near me I'd definitely get some skills training under my belt so I could play in it more often! Fair to say that run was past my skillset too! I'm hoping to have the chance to learn that stuff in the next few years... let's hope it rains enough to keep some of those rivers flowing!

[@Getgowin]

Thanks Amy, I don’t expect to run water like that again, but I too will brush up on my white water skills. Cheers Paul

[@mmmbass6068]

The upside is that there are plenty of appropriate footwear types and models available on the market

[@Getgowin]

Haha, yes apparently Croc's aren't the best option...

[@dirtbikeadv]

Yeah good one. Ironic you had not enough water on your last trip and this time there is too much water. That's all part of being outside in the environment with Mother Nature. Would you consider a double ended paddle when shooting rapids so you can control the canoe more???

[@Getgowin]

Yes the weather and water levels are a challenge this summer. I will stick with the single ended paddle and develop more strokes around the canoe to get better control. I also need to kneel when paddling rapids to get better access to the water and manoeuvring. Cheers Paul

[@leepennycad3509]

Wow Paul that was a real cliff hanger. I love the fact your pushing yourself harder but keeping it safe ,which is great because we need you round for your next adventure. Great stuff. Cheers ✋

[@Getgowin]

Thanks Lee, it did get a bit hairy but all good. Cheers Paul

[@anthonybarbour43]

Wow, what an adventure. I've had a couple like that. As my buddy says, "even a bad adventure makes a great story." You definitely made the right call getting off that river. We had to cut our last kayak camping trip short in Virginia due to flood warnings. Always best to error on the side of caution.

[@Getgowin]

Thanks Anthony, yeah no regrets in getting off. Another viewer told me it does get worse down stream so I would have ended up in more trouble. Thanks for watching and commenting. Regards Paul

[@shaungallagher9025]

Hey Paul, thanks for taking us along on this trip 👍 love the locals helped you out and see you next adventure 😀

[@Getgowin]

Cheers Shaun

[@seacaptain888]

Lucky you werent up Schitt Creek without a paddle.

[@Getgowin]

Well almost…

[@RickAngell]

That was a nail bighter paul!

[@Getgowin]

Cheers Rick, just a pity I didn’t get to do the rest of the trip

[@thefloodtower4866]

I have done the nymboida at a medium river height and when I saw the flow on your trip I thought that I wouldn't do that on my own. Well done though. One thing.. I would wear a helmet! 😊

[@Getgowin]

Yes up until now I hadn't thought about a helmet, but probably not a bad investment. Cheers Paul

[@BushKayakersCampingAustralia]

Nice one . better to be safe than sorry . What section were you planning on doing ? Start and finish points ?

[@Getgowin]

Sections 6 and 7, start at Cangai bridge, get out at Winegrove/ Lilydale

[@BushKayakersCampingAustralia]

@@Getgowin would have been a nice trip with the right skill set in the right conditions .looks like there would have been a fair bit of portage around rainbow falls but smooth paddling after that maybe if not too flooded. you say section 6 and 7 . what guide references are you using ?

[@Getgowin]

It’s the Clarence River Canoe Trail, longest whitewater trail in Australia. Go to: www.myclarencevalley.com/clarence-canoe-and-kayak-trail/

[@BushKayakersCampingAustralia]

@@Getgowin thanks 👍

[@Getgowin]

Pleasure, I also provide a link to the water level for this section in the video description. You want the Mann River at Jackadgery.

[@EscapeePrisoner]

oh wow. You actually got the water bottle's departure on video. Sneaky bastard of a thing.

[@Getgowin]

Yes it just wanders off quietly on its own… Croc was the real loss. Bush bashing in bear feet wasn’t fun. Thanks for watching

[@kentitcume645]

That river can push some water. When you think about it a 200mm increase in height is a lot of water flow across the width of a river that size. Unlike your other videos there was a distinct lack of a happy face for much of this one. I reckon you made a good judgement regarding pulling the pin. Roll overs happen quick and although you might have all the safety gear it isn’t much use if you get pinned. Good on “old mate”, Chris and his wife for helping out. They normally are a good breed. Looking forward to the next adventure.

[@Getgowin]

Thanks Ken, I later discovered there was a further flow of water which lifted it even further when I was on the water. So essentially it was over the 1.4M level recommended as the limit for beginners / intermediates like me.