Journey of Discovery - Glenelg River Canoe Hike

By Soonlee Lim

Prologue
On the 1st of August 1836, the Surveyor General of N.S.W, Major Thomas Mitcahell, during his 'Australia Felix' expedition on the Glenelg River, wrote in his diary:

" It was, upon the whole, considering the permanent fullness of its streams, the character of its banks, and uniformity of width and depth, the finest body of fresh water I had seen in Australia."

After our journey of discovery we definitely agree with Major Thomas Mitchell's description of this magnificent river. The Glenelg River offers excellent opportunities for flat water canoeing over the 75km from Dartmoor to its mouth near Nelson. For much of this distance the river flows through Lower Glenelg National Park, enabling canoeists to enjoy nature and observe wildlife in its natural environment.

The 15th Essendon Sea Scouts canoe party consists of 15 scouts and 4 leaders. For the journey we used 7 canoes and a small powered Rescue boat. For most of the scouts this is a very unique experience. Our journey started at our Scout Hall in Ascot Vale on Sunday the 13th of April 1997. Below is our journey as seen through the eyes of one of the Scouts, Laura Simpson.

Day 1
Well, after travelling for more than 6 hours we finally arrived at the Glenelg River. It was much nicer than I expected. For the first night we were staying at a canoe camp called Moleside. There were two jetties and one of them was really cool for jumping off when we went swimming. The other one was lower and great for launching our canoes and boat.

At night, around the camp fire Alex and I did a skit, so did Mark and James. It was lots of fun. I went to bed early but could not sleep because Thomas was making a racket trying to kill all the flies in his tent. I supposed it was pretty funny at the time. I kept waking up throughout the night because I was very excited and could not wait to start the canoe trip.

Day 2
I woke up late and didn't get to eat all my breakfast. It was an overcast day and occasional showers. We managed to pack up and start our journey without too much delay. The river was beautiful and very peaceful. We saw a lot of birds. We canoed a total of 13.7 km and it seemed to take years. I was so happy when we arrived at our camp site, Skipworth Spring because I was so tired! After setting up camps some of us 'crazy ones' went in for a swim. It was absolutely freezing! After dinner we ran a Scout's Own. Will, Alex and I did the closing prayer and we said: "Lord, thank you for a lovely day. Please let the rest of the canoe hike be a success....Amen". Unfortunately it started to rain and our leaders told us to go to bed. Imagine going to bed at 7.30pm! Unreal!

Day 3
Today we started on time, 9.00am sharp. My canoe partner was Helen (ASL), one of the leaders. We kept coming last and I didn't know why! We were supposed to stop for lunch at Red Gum Landing, but we were canoeing so well we got there at 10.20am. So we canoed on and had lunch at Forest Camp North at 11.00am. We arrived at our next camp site, Deutchers at 1.30pm after canoeing for 11.9 km. Deutchers was a really pretty camp site. Some of us went for a swim and it was freezing like yesterday and the day before. After dinner Alissia and I did a skit for our Albatross Patrol. The theme of the skit was "Helping other people". After the skit we had lots of fun sitting around the camp fire telling jokes and stories.

During bed time two boys from another camp site were trying to scare Jasmine and they were really annoying because they undid Thomas's tent pegs. Anyway Thomas and Will told them where they could go!

Day 4
We left Deutchers at 9.10am and we canoed about 10 km today. It didn't seem to take very long. We must be getting better at it. We arrived at our camp site, Lasletts at about 1.00pm, just in time for lunch. Some of us went for a swim and it felt just as cold as before. But we still had a lot of fun. The mud was gluey and black. It was disgusting. In the afternoon it was a great opportunity to catch up with my badgework. Everyone was helping each other to do badgework and Graham (ASL) was fantastic in teaching us all the knots and lashings. Soon, our Scout Leader was a real 'bushman'. He broke stalks off the bracken and used them as chopsticks for eating noodles. He also showed us how to use bracken leaves or tree bark to clean our cooking pots and pans, instead if steel wool and detergent. It was more environmentally friendly.

Thomas, Will and chris cut down two huge dead trees and they were great for firewood for our camp fire. That night we all sat around the camp fire and we all told a story in turn. Alex and I said the closing prayer.

Day 5
I was expecting a great day today because we were going to visit the famous Princess Margaret Rose caves and I was going out of Victoria into South Australia for the first time in my life. I was so excited I could not wait to get started. On our way to the caves we saw some beautiful sandstone cliffs and caves. We arrived at the caves just before 10am and as soon as we stepped on land the first thing we were looking for were 'flushing toilets'. What a relief! The guided tour started at 10am. The caves were beautiful and they were so different to what I had expected. It was really amazing when the tour guide turned off all the lights to 'show' us what it must have been like for the explorer, Keith McEachern who first discovered the caves. I could imagine him down there with just a candle. Must be really spooky! There were stalactites which grow down from the roof of the cave. There were stalagmites that grow up from the floor. But the most amazing things were the helictites which grow sideways. Bit like anti-gravity. Very strange but facinating. Throughout the tour all the Scouts were asking lots of questions and at the end of the tour the tour guide told us that we were one of the best groups she had taken through the caves. Cool!

After the caves we set off again. Before I knew it we arrived at Dry Creek where we crossed over to South Australia. Since it was such a historic occasion for me we decided to have our morning snack there. My Scout Leader suggested that I should position my canoe on the border line and have my morning tea in both States at the same time i.e drink in Victoria and snacks in South Australia. I was very happy and excited when we crossed the border. I collected a couple of gum leaves in South Australia so that I could remember the first time I crossed the line. Alex was my partner for the last leg of the journey and it was great.

Our final destination was Simpsons Landing. We arrived there slightly ahead of schedule. After washing all the canoes and loading the trailers we moved into a local Caravan Park for th enight. We had the best hot showers. t was heavenly! We went to bed early and I had a great sleep and fully rested for the long trip home. When we arrived at the Scout Hall mum was waiting and she was so happy to see me.

Epilogue
The 15th Essendon Glenelg River Canoe Hike was a most enjoyable and successful trip for both the Scouts as well as the leaders. t was a magnificent environment to learn and share. We learned a lot about one another. We built a lot of trust and respect. We had a lot of fun and accomplished heaps of badgework as well. The magic was, we had lots of quality time together. Last but not the least we would like to acknowledge and thank all the parents who helped to make this journey a reality.

Soonlee Lim (Scout Leader), 15th Essendon Sea Scouts, Victoria

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