Injury and Recovery

 

After the Carrathool trip, I had a tweaked arm, diagnosed as Tennis Elbow (when it correctly should have been called ‘paddled too hard to get away from the storm elbow’). I then complicated this in some way working on my house, painting above my head and climbing ladders, which gave me a sore shoulder on the same arm. With all the driving back and forward from Wagga to Echuca (see https://herofukutu.blogspot.com/2024/12/time-place-pace.html ) I did not have the time nor money to see someone for a diagnosis, or a remedy. Finally in December, I got into a physio in Echuca and they recommended some exercises that I have been trying to dutifully do and both the bicep and shoulder are feeling better. In a test to see whether I could paddle without pain, I took my kayak down to the boat ramp near where I am living and took to the waters of a different river, the Mighty Murray – mighty fucking noisy and muddy. Being the Christmas break there were people set up with gazebos and eskys on the beach near the boat ramp and a multitude of dickskis (as I call them). Plus ski boats, houseboats and even a Marine Police boat who seemed to be ignoring many people without life-jackets. The waves from the boats stirred up about five metres of silt from the shore, and made paddling more complicated. I paddled about 500 metres up stream, until I was convinced that my arm seemed to be working, and then turned around and coasted back to the boat ramp and left.

One afternoon I went out to Barmah National park and saw that there was hardly anyone at the campground, so the next evening, on a whim, I went back there and camped for the night. It was beautiful. Lots of birdlife, including a fledgling whistling kite (and parent) and a bittern.

I used to camp here on route from NSW to Natimuk and had paddled to the edge of the Eastern Lake (Barmah) in my inflatable, but I thought I would try and find my way into the Western Lake (Moira), as a longer test for my arm.

There were lots of fishing dingy just near the boat ramp but as soon as I took to the water I spied a channel coming in on the left and happily took the opportunity to escape the main stream. It lead up almost a kilometre to a fork. To the right a low old weir wall blocked passage but the left it looked clear, so I went left. I soon realised that I was in a man made channel, with the right bank having piles of rock, and at one point a old wooden retaining wall. Nevertheless, it was pleasant paddle. I realised that at any point I could have dragged the kayak over the thin divider between the channel and the lake but did not care. The trip was mostly about testing my arm, and I will go back to paddle up the Moira lake now that I know the lay of the land, or lake. And it was really pleasant. My arm was not hurting, and there were birds everywhere; cormorants, kingfishers, egrets, what I think were Grey Teal, and I saw an Azure Kingfisher and some Sea-eagles.

Eventually, after another 3 km up the channel, I turned and paddled back down towards the river. I’d not noticed on the way up, but at a point where there had been a couple of big fallen gums chainsawed to allow passage, someone had spray painted 900 and an arrow pointing downstream on a trunk. I assumed it meant 900m to the river, but WTF. Dora Creek road comes in somewhere here so maybe this was why.

I had a look at the weir, resolving next time to portage around it and be on the lake proper. I then returned to the boat ramp and left, excited by the fact my arm seemed good, and planning to resume my Murrumbidgee journey at soonest point. Carathool to Hay is next on my list.