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Qld Canoeing Inc Canoe Polo, Sprint.
Education
Marathon
Recreation
Slalom, Whitewater
www.qld.canoe.org.au
Phoenix Adventure
 
Adventure Racing, Multisport and Off-Road Triathlon
Whitewater Rafting Camping Sites, USA


 
The Guidebook contains an index of the paddling destinations covered in these pages.
 
Blaksleys  Anchorage Borumba  Dam Bramble Bay Bremer River
Brisbane  River The Broadwater Bulimba Creek Burpengary  Creek
Caboolture  River Clarrie Hall  Dam Cudgen Creek Cudgera  Creek
Lake Cootharaba Ewen  Maddock  Dam Hinze  Dam Jacobs  Well
Jumpinpin Maroochy  River Maroon  Dam Mary  River
Mooball  Creek Moogerah Dam Moreton  Bay Noosa  River
North  Pine  River Nudgee  Creek Oxley  Creek Oxley  River
Peel  Island Petrie  Creek Pumicestone  Passage Rous  River
Somerset  Dam South  Pine  River South Stradbroke Is. St  Helena  Island
Tinchi  Tamba Wetlands Tweed  River Wivenhoe  Dam  
Central QLD North QLD

North Coast NSW

 

Whitewater Rafting Campsites USA
Canoeing in Western Australia Paddling Partners
 
Upstreampaddle Magazine is a free online quarterly magazine available as a pdf download.
The magazine covers the geographical paddling area of the Guidebook, and also items of interest to the greater paddling community. Current issue is Winter 2010 now available. Next magazine (Spring 2010) is available 1st September 2010.
 
Spring 2010
Index of Contents
Spring cover

left: walker on track to Mt Ninderry, Sunshine Coast
 
- Albert River - Lamington NP to Moreton Bay
- Lake Macdonald - Cooroy Noosa area
- Mt Cooroy
- Expeditionclass Tassie Tiger Hunt 2010
- Tingalpa creek - salt water section
- Tingalpa Creek - Tingalpa Reservoir exploring
- Townsville Town Common - by land and sea
- Hinze dam - update
- The Photographers Ephemeris
 
available 1st September
 
Winter 2010
Index of Contents
cover

left: early morning on the Clarence River at Maclean
- Fingal Head
- Oxley Creek Common
- Mangrove Creek, Clarence River, Maclean reach
- Lighthouse, Ballina
- Lighthouse, Yamba
- Lighthouse, Byron Bay
- Mt Ninderry and the Maroochy River
- Stotts Island, Tweed River
- Coolum Creek
- Wappa dam
- Little Nerang Dam
- West coast, Fraser Island
Download pdf® file
now available
 
Autumn 2010
Index of Contents
Autumn 2010 cover

left: Stanley River above Somerset Dam
 
- The American Practical Navigator - a free download
- HMAS Parramatta - a virtual tour
- The Stanley River
- Scenic Trails in the Whitsundays
- Mudgeereba Creek
- Tallebudgera creek
- Gloucester Island, Whitsundays
- Road testing surfskis - Endorfinn and Molokai
- Extreme Games- Austria - Outdoortrophy 2010
- SW Tasmania - folding kayak trip - courtesy S. Meyn
Download pdf® file
now available
 
Summer 2009
Index of Contents
summer cover

left: sea kayaking Japan. image: Rik Brezina
 
- sea kayaking Japan
- overnight sea kayak trip to Zoe Bay
- Paluma Dam
- Ross Dam
- Cedar Creek headwaters
- South Pine River source
- Kent Group, Bass Strait
- Trail cameras - an introduction
- Whitsundays - a Great Walk in the Conway Range
- Whitsundays - looking for the wreck of the Valetta
Download pdf® file
now available
 
Spring 2009
Index of Contents
cover Spring 2009

left: The Twelve Apostles. Artist :Peter L. Used with permission of owner
 
- converting Lat/Long to Eastings/Northings
- Goold and Brook Islands, FNQ Guide
- Goold trip report
- Upper Rous River - exploring the Northern Rivers
- Okinawa - sea kayaking trip report
- Coomera River report
- Seary’s Creek, Tin Can Bay
- Tin Can Bay overview
- The Magnetic Island Forts Walk
- The Maid of Sker, Nerang River paddlesteamer
Download pdf® file
now available
 
Magazine back issues
  Winter 2010 - download Autumn 2010 - download
Summer 2009 -
download
Spring 2009 - download Winter 2009 -
download
Autumn 2009 - download Summer 2008 - download Spring 2008 - download
Winter 2008 - download Autumn 2008 -
download
Summer 2007 -
download
Spring 2007 - download Winter 2007 - download Autumn 2007 - download

 

Have you a trip report or notice of an upcoming trip or event to share?
Other news including lost gear, road or river closures? Email here
 
Latest news ...... readers may support the Guidebook/Magazine by the Donate button above
 
The Townsville Magnetic Island Adventurethon was held 4th July. On this page is a write up from a contestant in the short course.  For those interested in the Adventurethon please check out the website – http://www.adventurethon.com.au

Relevant photos can be found by clicking on the “pictures” tab at that site
 
Update 9 July 2010.

Hinze Dam (Gold Coast) access near the dam wall is restricted during construction work until December 2010. The dirt road western ramp 10 km along the the Numinbah Valley Road, upstream from the dam wall, is being closed mid July, and the new Western Ramp 2, 7 km along the road is being opened. Ramp 2 was opened for a short time before, but closed temporarily due to vandalism of facilities. The eastern ramp, near the water intake, is closed, probably until December 2010, but there is temporary alternate access close to the old ramp. The Guidebook will be updated by December 2010.
 
Spitsbergen  

Update 16 July 2010.

Heike Robinson (retired, injured) is now based in Longyearbyen. Jürgen Schütte is paddling solo. His Twitter, in German, is here: http://twitter.com/Seegipsy

Using Google Translate, the latest message reads.

" the Hinlopen Strait is ice choked"

Read the update at Heike's Live Journal

 

 

The Winter 2008 magazine has an article by Heike Robinson on kayaking in Antartic waters in a Feathercraft folding sea kayak. Beginning at about June 2010 (the northern Summer) Heike and paddling partner Jürgen Schütte will be setting out to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, a first! The sea kayakers depart from the capital town, Longyearbyen. More details can be read at Heike's expedition webpage. Here is the link to the Live Journal , and Heike's Twitter feed is here. The Spitsbergen Archipelago, also named Svalbard, is situated half-way between the most northern point of Norway and the North Pole, in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.

The camera Heike is using in Arctic conditions is an Olympus Stylus Tough 6010 and I have linked to a review here for interested readers.

 
sea kayak   Heike's Feathercraft Klondike newly fitted with a BSD (Balogh Sail Design) 32 sq.ft. Batwing design
 
Klepper   Jürgen's folder, a Klepper Aerius Quattro II+ 545, on the Möhnesee.
 

Update: 21 June 2010 Andrews Twitter feed here.

In 2009 Upstreampaddle followed, on this page, the progress of Andrew Hughes on a round Australia bicycle trip, backed up with two Bass Strait sea kayak crossings.

In 2010 Andrew will be on a 'Tassie Tiger Hunt' through south-west Tasmania and the exotic landscapes of Papua New Guinea. Hopefully we will get to see more of this part of Tasmania, following Andrew. In this remote location, a sea kayak will be able to transport much more than a backpack, and would be a much faster mode of travel. Let us hope that Andrew can make good use of 'Grace,' his sea kayak.

Andrew Hughes   Bathurst Harbour
  Andrew Hughes Bathurst Harbour, SW Tasmania
 
A new section is Paddling Partners. Want to find some company to paddle with? Email me a photo of you and your boat, your suburb, contact email address and I will put you on the page.
 
Lake Weyba is a shallow lake near Noosa. Eenie Creek runs into the lake in the north western part of the lake. (On Upstreampaddle's list of things to do, for the Winter magazine). It is possible to paddle up Eenie Creek for a couple of kilometres to the bridge on Walter Hay Drive. This link is to a Sunshine Coast Daily article about a shark caught at Eenie Creek, near the bridge. At this time it may be appropriate to remind canoeists who are not familiar with local knowledge, that sharks may be found In Lake Cootharaba, Kin Kin Creek, and the upper Noosa River.
 
Canoeists intending to launch at the end of Roys Road into the middle section of Pumicestone Passage, be aware of local ill feeling about use of those launch sites and boat ramp. (as per Sunshine Coast Daily article)
 
Latest stats for the site (June is 7 days only)
 
stats
 
The EPA QLD (National Parks) is opening a new Great Walk at Cooloola in Summer 2009. Google "EPA Great Walk Cooloola" for pdf with map etc. Anyone planning to walk it? Would like to hear from readers who have walked on South Molle, Lindeman, Shaw, Hook and Whitsunday Islands. In particular on Whitsunday Island, looking for images and text relating to Whitsunday Peak (from Sawmill Beach) Whitsunday Cairn (from Scrub Hen Beach), Hill Inlet Lookout from Tongue Bay, Solway Lookout and Chance Bay from Whitehaven Beach, and Whitsunday Craig.
 
  Spion Kop is the high point on distant South Molle Island, Whitsunday Group.

Photo by Hj Preuss, taken from North Molle Island, with Mid Molle Island being the rounded knoll, mid field.

 

recent reports confirm the presence of salt water crocodiles in the Hervey Bay region, with sightings at Deep Creek on the Western Fraser Coast of a 3.5 to 4.0 metres crocodile, and other regular sightings in the mouth of the Mary River region (River Heads etc.) .... take care sea kayakers.
 
Brisbane River notes:
4 May 2008. Mark writes: Wivenhoe to Twin bridges - a small tree has fallen across the entire river about 20cm above the waterline at the "log jam" area a few kms south of Wivenhoe.  Boats need to be passed over it. (remember you can portage around the log jam …. see Guidebook section notes. Editor) photo below refers.
 

Upstream at the logjam above Lowood, the river is blocked, about 150m upstream from where the portage trail finds the river again on the downstream side.

The first rapid at Lowood Corner now should be run on the right to avoid a fallen bottlebrush.

The river flow is back to low and slow.

03 December 08

 
logjam
 
Whitewater rafting Campsites USA   The new linked logo under the navigation banner at the top of the page is to Whitewater Rafting Campsites USA. Planning an American river rafting trip? You'll be camping, but do you know where? This site is a gallery of photos of river campsites, covering more than 400 campsites on the most popular white water rivers in the Western US. Each campsite has its own photo album. And each river has its own albums containing photos of the river scenery and rapids.

 

Reminder: Canoeists who have an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacon) need to be aware that the 121.5 MHz beacon ceases to be operational on 1 February 2009. Only the 406MHz beacons will work.
 
The Combie Trader II ferry service between Scarborough and Bulwer, Moreton Island has ceased. Micat runs a ferry to Bulwer from its Port of Brisbane Terminal two days a week.
 
 
Departs Brisbane
Departs Bulwer
Monday
12:30 pm
4:00 pm
Sunday
5:30 pm
7:30 pm
     
 
20 August 2008 ... the Guidebook entry for Somerset Dam refers to the Kirksleigh camping area, which is now Lake Somerset Holiday Park. Following last summer's rain, and a top up this year, the lake level is now over 87% full. The grassed over areas below the boat ramps, seen in photographs in the Guidebook entry, are now underwater. Looks great for a visit.
 
Lake Somerset Holiday Village ramp and high water level, Lake Somerset Holiday Park
 

19 August 2008 ... an email from Mark on Mary River conditions. "Thought I’d let you know a friend and I recently ran the Mary River from Kenilworth to Traveston on the 10th- 12th of August.

The depth when we started at Kenilworth (according to BOM) was 0.33 and was about as low as it could be to successfully run the entire river, even then there were some extremely shallow areas.  There were a few sections where tree’s had fallen (quite recently) across the river, however the longest portage was about 50 metres and always on very easy flat ground.  The hardest one to get through was a very large tree that had fallen across the entire river where there were quite steep sides (3 to 4 metres each side, no portage possible.) We were able to push through / under the tree which only took a couple of minutes of careful manoeuvering."

Hope this info is helpful – some pics are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/markrhodes/maryrivertrip

 

Mary River levels may be checked at the Bureau of Metereology River Height Bulletin for the Mary River on their internet pages. (rec. min. level .35 Kenilworth)

 

Upper Clarence River levels may be checked at the Bureau of Metereology River Height Bulletin for the Clarence River on their internet pages

Information courtesy Clarence River Wilderness Lodge
( http://www.clarenceriver.com/ )
   
Paddy's Flat to Hootons (min. river level .65 Tabulam)  
Hootons to Tabulam  
Tabulam to Yates Crossing phone or email the link if planning a trip
 
Brisbane and Mary River conditions. Email me if you have recently paddled any section.
 

Update: Blue Green Algae level in Clarrie Hall Dam, Doon Doon Creek, via Uki; and access:
Tweed Shire Council Water Supply Engineer advises " No current restrictions " 27 Nov 2007

 
Hamon Cove (launch point north-west Wivenhoe Dam) still had locked gate 18 September 2009 ... closed due to low water.
 
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Last Updated 09 July 2010 - contact email (mention canoe or kayak in Subject)