Canoeing

[samh]

HI all,
Anyone here into canoeing? i plan to do a short canoe trip some time, 2 or so probably down the Tamar. Has anyone done that before. I was wondering if there are possibilities for an overnight stay, preferrably camping along the bank of the river. Is it easy to find camping spots?

THX,

Sam

[Son of a Beach]

A lot of the banks of the Tamar are muddy, and inaccessible at low tide, but there are a few spots where you can get ashore at all tides. I'm not sure about camping though. There's Tamar Island, which would be a great place to stay, now that Bruno has departed, but I'm not sure if camping is allowed there (I would guess not). You can camp in my front yard (Rosevears).

[samh]

That doesn't sound very promising, can you probably suggest any other spot where I could go canoeing as a overnight trip around the Launceston area?

I used to be a mad/fanatic/zealot paddler, but lost touch with it when I moved to Australia 10 years ago. I work with a guy that is a kayaking fool.

[Son of a Beach]

There's Lake Trevallyn, which is very accessible, and large enough to make for an interesting canoe trip, I think. Again, I've no idea about camping though. If you don't mind a bit of a drive, there are lots of other places with great potential (eg, Lake Rowallan).

[Clownfish]

I'm really keen to give canoeing a go - so far I've only done a bit of paddling up and down the Rubicon near a friends' shack.

Could anyone suggest somewhere I might be able to hire some - reasonably - before splashing out (ha ha) on expensive gear?

FYI We have two boys, 11 and 14, who are likewise keen. Would two two-seaters be the go?

[samh]

@clownfish
I'm not really sure i I can help you with that. I'm only a beginner as well and borrow the canoes from a friend. For beginners and young kids it is perhaps better to have a two seater, as they can share the work . But it all depends where you go and for how long. On the other hand for me personally I prefer a single seater, for me it is a little bit like riding a bycycle or a tandem bycycle. I'm myself trying to explore some areas for canoeing. So far i have only been on the North Esk and a little bit of "beach kayaking" at Bridport. Apart form that i have done some in NSW at Lake Macquarie and some creeks there

[sthughes]

There is a good camping spot on the eastern bank of the Tamar at the Batman Bridge (toilets and all). However I'm not sure if the river is accessible at that spot. At the mouth there are several good caravan parks (Kelso, Low Head).

[Son of a Beach]

There is a good camping spot on the eastern bank of the Tamar at the Batman Bridge (toilets and all). However I'm not sure if the river is accessible at that spot.

Ah, you mean "Whirlpool Reach"?

The water rushes through there very fast mid-tide. There's oysters to negotiate at low tide. But high tide would be a great place to stop (just a few rocks to clamber over). It is a nice picnic area too.

[sthughes]

Yeah - just checking the Tasmap apparently I am! Appropriatley named I guess.