In 2014 one of our guides started a project called the Descent of the Burnett River. In this the goal was to navigate all parts of the river that have water. The descent was to be competed on a Stand Up Paddle Board. To our knowledge this has never been completed on a SUP before. Currently 90% of the sections have now been completed. Some of those trips were completed solo and some with friends. Some sections were completed as a “dualthon” were pushbikes were left at the end point, so once the paddle was finished they rode from the end point back to their vehicle left at the start.

This is the story from one of those sections.

Start point: Harding’s Lane

Finish point: Robinsons Road

Distance (Paddle): 14 km approx

Distance (Cycle): 17km approx (includes some walking)

Back to basics with a small crew of 3 of the original members of the Project Burnett Descent Team. There were some weary heads Saturday morning with a great night out had the night before at a Busby Marou concert.

We loaded up 2 kayaks, one SUP and three bikes and headed out for the 220km drive, stopping at Childers enroute for coffee and breakfast.

We dropped the 3 bikes off at the finish line (so we could ride back to the ute at the start point), which was where we started from last time.

We then headed up to Hardings lane to try to find a point where we could access the river. Although the roads are often marked on the map and designated roadways they can be fenced by farmers as the roads are not used. We ended up leaving the ute at the end of the lane and walked the last few hundreds meters to the river, then down the huge riverbank, carrying all our gear.

Once down the river bank we had a another few hundred meters walk along the sand until we found some water deep enough to put in.

At this point I thought it would be a good time to mention to Andrew that the red kayak I had borrowed for him may leak – the owner told me he’d never actually had it in the water since he’d bought it a few years ago. Andrew look concerned, then laughed.

Turns out the kayak did leak so required regular emptying of water.

The river though in this section was spectacular – not too wide that it was boring but not too shallow that we had to walk.

After getting less than half way we spotted an awesome campsite so decided it would be the perfect place to camp even though we hadn’t made as much distance as we wanted. Soft grass beats rocks any day!

We then went to scope out the condition of the railtrack for another adventure (stay tuned)

Then some great food and a quiet beer by the campfire

We woke up to a freezing but stunning morning and cooked up a gourmet breakfast – which was a good thing because it turned out to be the last meal we had for the next 10 hours!

Mark cruising by. Andrew was so confident in his paddling he took along his second morning coffee. Which resulted in him hitting a tree and floating backwards whilst still drinking a coffee.

Then capsizing.

A few more small rapids and trees to dodge as well to add some excitement

And barbed wire fences to cross under

Arrive back at the bikes & try to figure out where we need to go to get back to the Ute. We’d decided to take the off-road route on the opposite side of the river which consistent of some tracks, some railway line and some “hope for the best” bits of the map with no roads marked.

Of course we’d brought 2 road bikes as the original plan was to ride on the bitumen the entire way back.

Then we got lost a few times.

And the Camera battery went flat.

So no images exist of the rest of the trip.

But it consisted of something like this…

• try to figure out where we are going
• get lost multiple times
• ride around an orchard, over some creeks
• ride/walk up a massive hill. and down again
• get lost again. dodge bulls. jump fences
• Best quote “it wouldn’t be an adventure if we knew where we were going”
• walk across a 15m high railway bridge where you can see down straight through the wooden slats
• ride through grass higher than us
• loose the 4wD dirt track and follow the cattle tracks
• somehow find our way back to the river
• cross the river (ute was on the other side)
• walk along sand for a fair while. climb up massive river bank carrying a bike
• drive back to collect kayaks.

Then to finish

• eat the best chicken schnitzel ever tasted

• Plan the next trip