Tuesday 21 September 2021
Ted and I drove from Gundagai to launch the canoe on the Tumut River downstream of Blowering Dam. While waiting for me to arrive in Gundagai Ted had previously checked out some possible launch spots. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Ted could not get back to Darwin and I couldn’t get back to Victoria until I had spent 14 days in an area of NSW that was not in lock-down. The Tumut and Murrumbidgee rivers met that criteria so on Monday Ted and I drove to Tumut to stock up for our canoe trip down the Tumut River and look at launch options. Apparently the word Tumut is derived from the Wiradjuri word doomut or doomat, meaning camping by the river, which we planned to spend two nights doing.
The closest launch spot to the dam was past the fish farm on the Hume and Hovell Walking Track, just below the Blowering Dam access road. It was here where Ted sighted and photographed a male Australian King Parrot. However, this site was muddy and a bit of a carry from where we could get the VW van in. Instead we launched slightly downstream where the Hume and Hovell Walking Track crosses the Tumut River on the pedestrian suspension bridge. This is further upstream than Jones Bridge Reserve, where the Tumut River Canoe and Kayak Trail starts.
The Oddy’s Bridge water level station at the put-in site is presumably where Oddy’s Bridge once stood. The flow rate was 3130Ml/day and a depth of 1.4m, which was probably the perfect water level. We were glad to avoid the typically lower winter levels. The Tumut River was a totally different river to the Darling River we had just finished paddling (see Barwon-Darling Rivers Canoe Trip 2021). The water was clear, the flow faster, with a narrower and shallower river profile. This meant Ted in the rear had to put in more effort to avoid gravel beds, overhanging willows and partially submerged tree branches. Much of the river bank had been reinforced with boulders to help control erosion due to flooding.
At first we were concerned about how we would handle the faster, shallower water. However, the canoe was very stable and we were soon feeling a lot more confident. The section of the river between Oddy’s Bridge site and Jones Bridge Reserve was sensational. A truly beautiful part of the river, and we were both very glad we had opted to put-in further upstream. This part of the river is probably more challenging at lower river levels.
Oddy’s Bridge water level station 
Fast flowing swifts
We saw six platypus on our first day, which was a joy. This was more than I’d seen in the wild in over 50 years of bushwalking and camping beside Australian rivers. Being used to all the ducks diving underwater on the Darling River, the first we saw we thought might have been a duck. The second looked like a partially submerged tree branch, until it dived under as the canoe approached and resurfaced alongside us. Two were partially captured on video. Although they are not common, we continued to see them on subsequent days while on the Tumut River. More unusual were the three North American bison we came across downstream of Tumut.
Male Australian King Parrot 
North American Bison
Although there were some logs caught around the Snowy Mountain Highway and the Tumut Plains Road bridges, there were clear flow paths beneath the arches, so they didn’t present us with any problems. There was a marked increase in river flow after the junction with the Goobarragandra River.
The first real challenge we faced was as we approached the Bombowlee Ave bridge coming into Tumut. Here the river splits into two, and because we hadn’t had the chance to print out any aerial images, we didn’t know which was the main channel. We opted for the left hand channel. This was shallow and fast flowing with blind corners. In hindsight, the right hand channel was probably deeper and straighter. It was quite an adrenaline rush, but thankfully we successfully navigated the shallower sections, avoided the overhanging branches and made it around the bends without getting wet. We probably looked quite skilful to the spectators standing on the road bridge even though we didn’t feel it.
Passing through Tumut meant passing the caravan park, with a number of bemused caravaners waving to us while we concentrated on not tipping out. The rest of the afternoon was spent picking lines down fast swifts and past submerged branches, and just enjoying this absolutely fantastic river.
Finding a place to camp was more difficult than on the Darling River. The countryside was all farmland and we hadn’t had a chance to print any maps or air photos so were unsure of what was ahead. So we were unsure how far away homesteads would be, or where we were with regard publicly accessible campsites or road verges. Although not too high, the banks were often quite steep and muddy, so choosing a landing to check out potential sites was also tricky. However, we completely nailed it, finding a small sandy beach, with suitable flat areas for the tents. An added bonus was that someone had used a chainsaw to cut and leave (why?) a large quantity of good, dry Eucalyptus wood. Although it had been underwater at some point, and was therefore covered in dry mud, it made for a great fire. We were grateful, as the temperature was cool (Ted said “bloody freezing”) and the wind quite strong (Ted tried to protect his tent behind a large stump).
Day 1 on the Tumut River had been quite challenging for us both, learning how best to navigate the fast flowing swifts, and agreeing on the right lines to take. We were both amazed at just how beautiful a river it is, and paddling it was pure joy.
