Bringenbrong Bridge - Towong - Cow camp.



Don Quioxte



Bringenbrong - Towong Map.

Towong - Tooma River Map.

Tooma River - Tintaldra Map.


Why Bringenbrong Bridge?

Most people who paddle the length of the Murray begin at Bringenbrong Bridge. From here, according to some entries on Seakayakforum, you can use seakayaks, a popular choice with distance paddlers. The river had been low, which is no surprise at this time of the year, before the winter rains, but with rain falling the week before and more predicted I was hoping for a rise. You can learn a lot about the way the river responds to rainfall events by watching the monthly and yearly graphs at the Murray Darling Basin Authority's Live River Data - Murray River upstream of Yarrawonga Weir website. The site shows the level of dams and the amount of flow at measuring stations. When you click on one of these, you are taken to a site which will give you more detail.



I was surprised to see that the river height at Bringenbrong Bridge was only 80cm. It has been raining all day. Watching the river gauge for the last week, I noted that the river rose by 80cm following the rain in the hills on the weekend, however that seems to have passed and the new rise seems not to have arrived yet.

A glimpse at the Hume (at 37% capacity) on the way to Bringebrong.
Ruth (the better looking one - without beard).
Low river: 80 cm on the gauge at Bringenbrong Bridge. 

Kitted up for a rainy day. 40 ml predicted.

Mike Bremer, in his blog, Murray River Canoe Trip, wrote:



Getting the hang of white water again. 

The river flows quickly, but not as fast as I thought... up to 7km where the current is channeled, but mostly between 3 and 5 km per hour. The willows are dangerous, with strong currents washing straight into them on the outside of bends. Paddling away from them at the last moment is a risky thing to do, as you have to use all of your power to get away in time. The best thing to do is to take a line just inside of centre, even if it means, as it often does, shallower water. You have to make sure that you have your line for exiting the bend before you enter it. This is especially important if you are in an expedition sea kayak as I am, as they tend to want to go straight. It would be very hard to not capsize if you end up in the willows. If you do capsize, stay upstream of your boat and if possible use it to swim yourself to safety. If you can't get your boat out, leave it. You can get another boat, and someone can help you retrieve it.





Gravel Races:

I came across a small creek at the 6 km point, it was followed by a wide gravel race. You can hear it as you approach. For a flat water paddler, that can make you as nervous as the high pitched whine of a southern 80 boat approaching from behind. I was soon to get used to these, however some are downright dangerous. Perhaps when there is more water it is not as bad. At this level the paddle-able channel is often quite narrow and I have to share it with willows and fallen trees. Gravel races occur almost every kilometre.


Pelicans

Something that I did not expect to see on the Upper Murray were flocks of pelicans: these hesitantly flew on as I approached, the pattern repeating itself all afternoon. I reckon they are ready for me the move out of their territory. Brown moorhens and the larger purple swamp hens move through the tangle of willow roots and branches. 

Farm fences, even electrified fences reach well not the river,
to control stock despite regular metre variations in river height. 

Towong

The Upper Murray is farming country, most of the banks are cleared, with cattle free to access the water's edge. There has been extensive work to stop the banks from eroding by adding large bluestone rocks.



Stuck on a gravel race, just before Towong Bridge.
Towong Bridge.



The river is quiet, although I have seen river camps, the only place I saw someone was at Towong Bridge, where I chose the wrong path and had to use my hands to push about 15 metres over a shallow gravel race. Instead of waving, or shouting encouragement, a woman photographed me in my moment of glory and went back inside, to show her companions what the water washed up. I guess that is where most other people are on a day like this too. Sensible, warm and relaxed - enjoying the sound of the rain on their roof.

Towong valley, before the river enters the ranges.
Towong is famous for its 19th century wooden grandstand at its race track. The grandstand was used in the filming of Phar Lap. Gangster, Squizzy Taylor stole a substantial sum of money there in 1928. Just out of Towong is Farran's lookout, one of the best places to see the Snowy Mountains in Australia.


upper murray Towong ...indigenous for 'go away'
The historic Towong Race Track, where Pharlap was filmed.
Towong is promoted as the 'Flemington of the bush'.

View from Farran's Lookout,
perhaps the most spectacular view of the Snowy Mountains in Australia.
Upper Murray Valley downstream of Towong. Murray River Road.

Upper Murray Valley downstream of Towong. River Road.

Upper Murray Valley downstream of Towong. River Road.

Upper Murray Valley downstream of Towong.

Quiet

On the water, the near constant drizzle, created a misty winter's atmosphere. These are the peaceful moments, the water is dark and still. The willows and poplars on either side, have a hint of golden autumn colour and in the background the hills of the great dividing range are forming a picture perfect backdrop. A few grey herons and black cormorants are flying to another fishing spot, the cicadas are humming and I can hear crimson rosellas. In between these calls and movements, everything is silent.






Corryong Creek

Corryong Creek Junction has a modest entrance into the upper Murray. It is hidden by willow trees and can be easily missed except that it is on a sharp bend from the snags and one has to paddle slowly to negotiate these.

On the gravel island I leave to the left of me, just downstream from Corryong Creek junction, patrol two spur winged plovers.

After a 5 hour drive to get to Bringenbrong Bridge and an early afternoon start I am struggling to put in the distance I hoped to achieve today. To get to the Hume in the four days I have allowed, I need to do an average of 50 km a day. With the late start that won't be possible today, but it is more of a struggle than I expected. There are a lot of gravel races around. I'm managing these, but it's really tricky. In addition, the drag caused by the shallows slows you down. I have waves following me like a paddlesteamer on many corners. In-between the gravel races there are pools of still water. The current is actually faster in Albury - perhaps because of the steady flow.


Stately yellow gums now tower either side of the river. I can see the road on the Victorian side. The rain has stopped and the water is dark.





Just negotiated a real heart stopper. The river slid left down a gravel race, with all of the current running through snags, and, just at the bottom through a fallen tree. I managed to thread in the eye of the needle - then the calm again. Knowing where this one is in future, I would advise pulling out and walking around. it would be no drama to do this on the large gravel bank.

About 1 km downstream of the Corryong Creek junction was a difficult snag on the outside of a broad gravel race.
Pull up beforehand if paddling in low water. At high water, you should have more choices. Note how the border  (grey line) does not change with the river. This causes all sorts of bureaucratic problems for farmers.

Location of strainer.
Photo of strainer just after Corryong Creek Junction.

Detail of strainer: safe passage = walk across pebbles.



About 25 km from Bringenbrong Bridge I came across the first long straight. It is roughly a kilometre long and makes a welcome relief from winding curves gravel races and snags.

The water is clear I can see at least a metre through it. It is nice to think that our Murray starts out this way. You wouldn't want to drink it though, the cattle pollute the water with their faeces, the results are visible as foam around snags in the areas of faster current.

MDBA: Tooma River

Tooma River

The Tooma River junction is more picturesque than that of the Corryong creek. It is a true small Australian river, emerging from amongst the river redgums - the first river red gums I have seen on the Upper Murray (since beginning at Bringenbrong Bridge. It has pushed a sand spit out into the Murray. The pelicans, which have been flying away from me all afternoon, grunt in disapproval at my arrival and lethargically fly on again. I didn't say they had to move.


Again, all is quiet and I am lulled into what is probably a false sense of security. Around the bend there maybe another gravel race, another snag.

Camp

It is now getting late in the day for this time of the year. The light has a hint of evening to it. The smaller birds are starting to come down to the river now. I can see grey fantails and willie wagtails diving on the water's surface and I can hear wrens. The river is peaceful. It has a misty winters day atmosphere and is really quite beautiful.

Moored and secured nice and high in case the river comes up overnight.

River levels on the Upper Murray vary by up to metre on an almost weekly basis,
reflecting releases from Khancoban reservoir. Live River Data.
My campsite is about 3 km downstream of the Tooma River junction.





I paddled about 30km this afternoon and have a camp safe from a likely to rise river about 3 km downstream of the Tooma River junction. As with most sites at this end of the river, I am sharing mine with it actual inhabitants, the cows. I hope they don't mind.




Monday: 19/11

Torrumbarry - Lock 26 - Bush campsite 20 km below weir.
River markers: 1668 to1608 km to the sea.
Distance travelled today: 60 km
Total distance travelled: 104 km.












Kingfisher. You have no idea how hard it is to take a photo of one of these without a zoom lens!

On this day journey I saw massive changes in the Murray River. My camp was 46 kilometres downstream from Echuca. The banks were still high and there was farmland on the NSW side of the river. As I came closer to Torrumbarry Weir, the river banks seemed to get lower and lower -really it was the river that was rising, held up by the weir, number 26 of 13 with locks allowing boat traffic to pass through (14 to 25 were never built). The bush became lusher and billabongs more frequent. Cockatoos seemed to be in heaven here. Although not the numbers I remember from my childhood, those that I did see almost seemed to be playing. Whether it was how they came down to the water to drink, often hiding behind logs and then lifting the heads and raising their crest to take another look at this big red boat going past, suddenly unsure, or pulling bits of wood off soft rotting logs on the forest floor, curious as to what they might find. In the last kilometers before the weir, where the river bends are so convoluted that it is possible to see the river coming back on itself only a stones throw away, the banks are almost at water level.

The downside to all this beauty is that for the last 30 kilometres before the weir the current is as good as dead. It is hard paddling. You know that if you stop, well you stop. No free kilometers from the river here and if there is a head wind, you’ll go backwards. To take the focus off the current I skirted the tall reeds lining the sides of the river. These were pretty, full of unseen little birds and something I was not used to coming from Echuca.



Just above Torrumbarry Weir there is a strange collection of old buses and vans... 70's again?


You can hear the weir before you see it. Approaching it in my kayak I had the feeling that I was coming up to a waterfall - which is exactly what it is - only a man made one. Generally, boats and sane people don't go over water falls. I had to tell myself to keep calm and approach the lock. The lock was designed to allow safe passage for river boats whatever the level of the river and although built at the dying end of the river trade there had been dreams of a river transport network to rival road and rail as still exists in Europe and the USA. 
The lock master Alan Williams, opened the gates just wide enough for my boat to squeeze through. I ducked to fit under the walkway (which is raised for larger vessels) and positioned myself in the middle where he assured me that I would experience the least suction from the 'plughole' at the other end and best ride out the waves that form when the water gets low. The plughole was an apt description. The whole thing is gravity fed, there are no pumps involved. Water is allowed in from above the weir to bring the water level up and drained through gates in the wall at the bottom end to lower it. You don't want to be too close either. I felt part of history, part of someone's dream of Australia that never was - and very small in that big lock. It was a privilege and an experience I can really recommend.

As I passed through the swirling water of the lower gates I was in the real Murray again. It was deeper and narrower than at Echuca and in contrast to upstream of the weir, the river banks were bare and caked in dry mud from the recent high rivers. The constant high river level upstream of Torrumbarry allow vegetation to colonise the banks, right down to the waters edge. Here the banks were eight metres tall, steep and barren. It took some getting used to. The river also seemed to take a while to settle, to work out where it's current should flow and to drop the mud picked up from the base of the weir and form beaches again.



Going through the lock at Torrumbarry is a bumpy ride. I felt pretty small in a kayak. The weir master said to keep away from the other end because that is where the plug hole is. "Don't want you sucked in there". Turns out he was not kidding.






This trench of river runs between the Barham Perricoota Koondrook forests. It is a natural and cultural icon, much loved and contested by people of many different interests and one of the most isolated stretches of the river in its whole course. It's many snags and clay bars make it unsuitable for the water skiing so popular above the weir, but God's gift to fishermen. Sitting on the high bank where I pitched my tent I have never seen so many fish swimming through the water, checking out areas where the water swells and behind logs for anything tasty. The banks may be barren, but the water is full of life... and clear.


The river downstream of Torrumbarry Weir until Murrabit is deep forest, the Holmes Glenn of river red gum forests.



Day 2 camp.

More about Torrumbarry Weir


Instead of opening the rivers up to round the year river trade, the weir enabled the development of land along the Victorian side to intensive farming through a system a delivery channels. These channels linked previous river courses, existing streams and billabongs, building a network that could deliver water on demand to 1000's and 1000's of farms. They effectively created an inland delta. People found that with more water, they could farm intensively. Dairy farms became popular and the area attracted new settlers. Small towns found that with roads and water, they did not need to be linked to the river, nor depend on its ebbs and flows and grew. Torrumbarry, Cohuna, Leitchville, and Kerang developed into proud communities.







LOCKING THE MURRAY.
TORRUMBARRY WORKS BEGUN.

'Part of £5,000,000 Scheme.'

(BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.)


About 24 miles from Echuca by road, and between 40 and 50 miles following thedevious downstream course of the Murraythere is a U-shaped bend in the river that is a mile around but only an eighth of amile in width at the neck. Across thisnarrow neck a new channel is to be excavated


so that the river can be diverted and the Ü bend "cut out." Within thenew channel a lock and weir are to be constructed and they will be the most


easterly of the great chain of river works,that will make the Murrnv navigable for1,000 miles of its course. The turning of the


first sod in connection with the Victorian -New South Wales section of this undertakingon Saturday by Mr. Gloom, Common wealth Minister for Works and chairmanof the Murray River Commission, was madethe occasion of an interesting ceremonythat was joyfullv celebrated by residents,and marked a definite stage in the develop ment of a great project.


There are to be 26 locks and weirs onthe Murray and nine on the MurrumbidgeeThose on the Murray will be roughly 40miles apart. Primarily the locks and weirs are to secure a navigable river but theyare also an important step in the conservationof the waters that for so many years have been allowed to run to waste.


The Torrumbarry} Works will bank up sufficient water to give a depth of 6ft at Echuca. They will also make it possible to fill the Gunbower irrigation channel bygravitation, and so keep the Kow SwampReservoir supplied, and, in addition, willsave the pumping into that channel forCohuna. To lrngationists in Victoria and New South Wales however, the chief advantage


from the liver works which the Murray River Commission is constructingwill be conferred by the great reservoir at the junction of the Mitta Mitta. The workis to begin almost immediately.
The Argus 16 June 1919


Everything has a cost.

Irrigation and river regulation have provided much to the local area, but not without a cost.
  • The timing and extent of floods has changed - winter flows have been reduced and the summer flows increased.
  • The frequency, duration and extent of the floods has reduced, causing changed to the forests' system of natural channels.
  • Water quality has declined - increased salinity and nutrient levels are washed into the river from the catchment.
Murray Darling Basin and Goulburn Murray Water are working to remedy these serious problems by:
  • Restoring the natural forest channels.
  • Allowing controlled seasonal flooding of the red-gum forests.
  • Catchment management assistance to landholders.
  • Community education and involvement.
Source: Torrumbarry Weir Information Centre.



The old weir was built in 1923 at a place where the river looped. It was made of a red gum planks resting on a steel framed trellis, which could be pulled into the river, or back out of it for repair on a set of railway tracks set into concrete in the bed of the river. It is hard to see how such a structure could hold back the force of water backed up for 100 kilometres (all the way to the Goulburn junction 18 kilometres above Echuca) but it did. These wooden planks were moved by hand, using a long pole. The structure was freed from snags in the same way.





Frustrated with the amount of carp in the Murray, lockmaster Alan Williams invented a fish cage which only trapped that pest species. Now in its fifth version and on fish ladders at weirs along the Murray, the cage takes advantage of the tendency of carp to jump when they meet a barrier and of native fish to dive. The native fish find a passage out of the trap when they dive, whereas the carp find themselves in a big steel cage. When carp were at their worst, Alan was pulling out the cage three times a day, a tonne at a time. The carp were passed onto 'Charlie carp' for a new life as garden fertiliser. 

Since cod fingerlings have been released into Murray and snags left in to provide them with shelter, the numbers of carp have decreased dramatically. Alan says that he only has to empty the trap once a week when the carp numbers are climbing and has removed it totally for much of the year. As well as maintaining the weir and operating the lock, Alan and the other two weir masters manage the National Channel (which provides irrigation water for farms almost as far away as Swan Hill) and the regulators which allow water to flood into the forests, filling the wetlands and improving the health of the river red gum forests - still suffering following a decade of drought.


It is surprising the range of fish that Alan finds passing through the fish ladder at the weir: occasionally he even finds a rainbow trout - but only in the cooler months. He says that the murray cod numbers have not really dropped despite the black water event of 2011 when many large fish were seen floating down the river. he thinks that where it was possible for the fish to swim up tributaries like the Campaspe and Goulburn, then they were able to escape the low oxygen water and re-populate the river.























More from this expedition:

  • Google+  Murray River Paddle Echuca To The Sea Photo Album
  • Facebook Murray River Paddle
  • YouTube Murray River Paddle


More information about topics from this page:
  1. Wikipedia:  Torrumbarry
  2. Murray Darling Basin Authority: Managing Environmental FlowsConstruction of fishwaysRiver Murray Navigation BroshureGunbower Perricoota Koondrook ForestKoondrook Perricoota Flood Enhancement Project
  3. Discover the Murray: Murray River Locks, Weirs, Dams & Barrages
  4. Goulburn Murray Water: Torrumbarry Weir
  5. Barry and Maureen Wright's River Murray Charts
  6. Environment Victoria: The Living Murray , Gunbower-Koondrook-Perricoota Storylines
  7. ABC Central Victoria: News and Community Events