Ever had a dream to paddle the Murray? Amy Teitzel did. Now utilising her long service leave, she is paddling her 13-foot canoe the length of the mighty river.
Amy started in Walwa, 150km upstream of Hume Dam on April 9.
Photo: The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper.
“I started paddling 25 years ago, then I took a 20-year break.
“Living at Berri in the South Australia Riverland, I thought, ‘I live on the river, I should take it up again’.”
Amy paddled from her home to the Murray mouth last year and hopes to complete this full-length attempt by the end of July.
“It’s not about going fast. The canoe I have is more for comfort, others often use sea kayaks which are faster and a lot longer.”
Amy has found the river a real mixed bag, describing beautiful nature moments, lovely people and a challenging low river.
“There had been lots of farmland upstream but going through the Gunbower Forest was very special, it felt like I was in the middle of nowhere.
“Barham was very special. Jenny and Chris Pye made me feel very welcome, giving me a tour and meeting all their family. Lovely people.”
The low river has made disembarking a challenge. Amy is averaging about 20km a day before attempting to scale the muddy exposed banks to set up camp.
Amy had some excitement with her drone while near Echuca. While mid-flight the drone’s battery reached low levels, triggering an automatic return to home GPS feature. Unfortunately, a gum tree was also on the most direct route home. The collision of drone and tree made for an unintended three-day drone rescue. Calling on the help and support of fellow paddlers, the drone was retrieved and sent for the necessary repairs.
You can follow Amy via a Facebook page called Outdoor Amy, and there will be a follow-up YouTube video series on the journey.
This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 27 May 2021.
