Canoeing our way down the Ord River

Canoeing our way down the Ord River

Saturday 26^th & Sunday 27^th August

Our 2 day canoe trip down the Ord River, from Lake Argyle towards Kununurra, was definitely a highlight of our trip.

Day 1- After an early morning pick up, an hour drive out to Lake Argyle, some sightseeing and the obligatory safety talk we finally got into our heavily loaded canoes about 10am.

The first part was easy as the water gushing through the Lake Argyle hydro power turbines pushed us along at a steady pace- we just had to keep the canoes in a straight line when we went through some narrow sections of the river.

Our first stop was next to some jutting out rocks that we jumped off to cool ourselves down. There are no issues with crocodiles as they set a series of traps past Kununurra to keep this whole section of the Ord River free of saltwater crocodiles- we did see heaps of freshwater crocodiles though, but they are quite shy and swim away whenever you get too close.

The next section of the river got even more beautiful as the gorges narrowed and we paddled in between steep sections of rocky, red cliff and watched huge sea eagles soar above. After a few more challenging sections where we had to navigate around some small islands and down narrow, fast flowing sections (we’d been warned that these were the parts many people capsized in) we made it safely to a sandy beach for lunch.

The next section took quite a long time and required a lot more effort as the current was not as strong. Thankfully we still had a bit of a tail wind as it was a long way to paddle. We kept a good pace and passed the time spotting freshwater crocodiles and watching cormorants sun themselves and we even saw a snake swimming along. The scenery was just stunning and it was so peaceful being the only ones on the river.

After paddling for 4 hours and 38 minutes (that is just paddling time as we paused the timer at each stop) we had covered 23 kilometres and we were quite exhausted!!

We had just enough time to get our beds set up (mosquito nets, self inflating mats and sleeping bags) and our food organised before the sun begun to set. After a very satisfying dinner of burgers (we all had a very big appetite after canoeing all day) we fell into bed about 8pm. It was lovely looking up at the stars from our beds, however we all had rather restless sleeps as the night was full of a cacophony of sounds that we were unaccustomed to. There were birds, cane toads, possums, owls, bush mice and other small marsupials and we even heard things splashing in the water. To top it off we were sprinkled with dirt, leaves and seeds from the overhanging trees when birds or possums were climbing overhead!

At the lookout over Lake Argyle - it was super windy (as you can tell from Emilia's hair and Daniel's puffed up top!).

Fully loaded and ready for adventure.

One of several fast sections of river we managed to get through without capsizing.

It was so serene and so picturesque.

Our first stop for some fun jumping off the rocks.

Daniel has such good balance he was able to stand up and canoe so he could look for freshwater crocodiles.

Lunch spot - Sandy Beach.

As you can see in the next set of photos, we got to paddle through some remarkable landscape.

The sun had gone behind the cliffs so we were paddling in shade near the end- this stretch felt so long but camp was just around the corner at the end.

The open air toilet at the camp!

Pelican rock is just visible through the trees on the left. The dusk light turned the river a pink hue.

Relaxing at our riverside camp.

Day 2- We were all awake before sunrise (around 5am) as light streamed into our mesh tents and the birds began their morning songs. It was a lovely time to be up though, and Daniel and I climbed to a nearby lookout (he went a lot further up than me) to watch the sun rise up over the river- it was beautiful.

After we packed up the campsite and had breakfast we paddled up 2 nearby creeks- one was narrow and had lots of small waterfalls at the end and the other, Cooliman Creek, was wide and we enjoyed paddling up watching all the birds. We popped back to camp to collect our gear (which Daniel skillfully loaded onto the canoes) before heading off for the day. We had a much smaller distance to cover (only 12km) which was perfect as our arm muscles were all a bit sore after the previous days paddle! However as soon as we got out into the river the wind began to blow. Unfortunately it was a head wind so we had to paddle with all our might as the canoes began to move backwards as soon as we let up. We had to paddle in close to the river’s edge as it was impossible to paddle against the wind in the middle of the river. We were all very pleased when we made it 3km up the river to the entrance to Herbie’s Hideaway, the first attraction of the day. We canoed up a narrow river as far as we could then walked along the edge of the river, on an overgrown track, for about 20 minutes. I was starting to regret our decision to visit Herbie’s Hideaway when the gorge finally came into view. Wow! The gorge at the end was well worth the effort – towering red cliffs with a deep pool at the base. It was beautiful and we all enjoyed a cool off in the icy water.

The next section wasn’t as hard (thankfully) as the wind had died down a bit. It still took a long time before we made it to our lunch spot. After that it was only a short paddle to the bit the kids had been looking forward to – Jump Rock. It was a rock jutting out into the river where Daniel and the kids had a great time jumping from the highest point down to the river below. By the time we left we had about an hour to get to the pickup point. When we arrived there we’d been paddling for 2 hours and 54 minutes (most of this was strong paddling against the wind) and we were all exhausted but so pleased to have had such a wonderful experience.

We got picked up about 4.30pm and enjoyed a cruise along the Ord River back into Kununurra whilst the sun set. It was a fabulous end to a spectacular two days.

By the time we got back to the caravan it was 6.30pm - we all slept very well that night after an incredible 36 hours!!

The mesh tents we slept in - the kids chose a prime spot right next to the river.

Morning light over the river- just beautiful.

Daniel and I climbed up to a nearby rocky lookout- this is the view from where I stopped....

...but Daniel went even higher.

Climbing these rocks in thongs was worth the effort for the stunning view.

Emilia and Jackson went off for an early morning canoe together - it was funny watching them zig zag up the river.

At one of the small waterfalls we found at the end of the a narrow creek near the campsite.

She couldn't resist letting the waterfall run through her hair.

Daniel and I got to paddle together down Cooliman Creek

The kids doing one of their zig zag moves up the river!!

On the walk to Herbie's Hideaway the track was a bed of pandanus for some of the way.

Herbie's Hideaway

We tried our first artistic drone shot- a bit wonky but still pretty cool.

The official Jump Rock - Daniel and Jackson were already up jumping by the time Emilia and I arrived.

The daredevils- this is the highest the kids have jumped from.

We were tiny specks paddling along among the vast landscape.

One of the many freshwater crocodiles we spotted- Daniel managed to get so close to take this great photo.

A giant boab at the campsite we were picked up from- Jackson didn't even have enough energy left to stand up!

We were all so happy to sit on the comfy seats and relax on the boat ride back to Kununurra.

It was a perfect way to end our adventurous two days.

Elephant Rock

Sunset over the Ord and one happy, but sleepy, boy.