River Fever – The Wilderness Virus
Thanks Break Loose for the opportunity for this novice canoeist and her friend to spend two days as guests of the refreshingly genuine Sharon and Stephen Ross, owners of Clarence River Wilderness Lodge.
Their remote 4000 ha wildlife refuge property is moulded over ’semi-alpine’ heavily forested ranges of the Great Divide, above deep dry rain forested steep walled valleys and is the headwaters of the mighty Clarence River.
Only 175km and 31/2 hours in my old conventional Liteace from my place in Brisbane (including two thermos stops) lying east across the wild Queensland/New South Wales border from Stanthorpe, the area was panned for gold last century.
Fifteen years ago the young Ross’s with new babe settled here, modern eco-pioneers. The family want to share their rarely available ‘un’-civilised rugged river wilderness with other like-minded responsible sojourners. By minimising numbers, they ensure you experience what’s promised - just you and the pristine.
The brochure directions are spot-on, passing through Mt Lindesay’s bellbirds at the border tick gates, lush green high country surrounding quaint hamlets of Woodenbong and Urbenville on a bitumen road.
Forested, well formed dirt roads lead to the front gate, then 7km of rough (whew, the views) track, hugging the Tooloom Range ridge top, surprising a resting dingo and a gutsy steep descent to the river flats and the Lodge. Thus commenced our adventure - 30km back, in another era.
Lithe shapely Sharon, canoeist extraordinaire, heartily greets us at their self-built chalet, then waves us on to two fully equipped homely cabins sporting separate facilities for cabins and campers of wood-fired hot water systems, comfortable composting lavatories (a two seater at the cabins!) and solar lighting - and this is uncivilised?
Straight into the canoe programme. Steve, who designs solar power units, kits us for ‘novice training’, 1km upstream and decides that as I am ‘hand’-icapped, I sit between him and Phillip who will paddle and push the Canadian canoe.
Nearing the Lodge, Steve dishes out the capsize drill; ‘the drill you have to have’, ironing out any remote ideas we may have had about staying dry. Laughter and screams! After hot drinks and huge smoko we set off. with lunch in the watertight barrel for the 9km downstream paddle to Paddy’s Flat Bridge.
Well, the infant river is amazing! It sparkles, fragrantly clean and winding, full of playing turtles, big slow cod, mullet and perch - Steve does not allow fishing or shooting - swaying aquaplants and catfish nests plainly seen.
Imagine cruising down endless avenues of blazing crimson calistamons. Black water hens hidden by tall reed clumps that border the swiftly flowing stretches between rapids. Brilliant azure kingfishers dart before us. Cormorants, gulls, kites and eagles soar overhead.
Rapids! - about 20 sets, each dropping a metre and each different and exciting - come up fast; some shallow at this time of the year, and we’re stuck! Steve jumps out to push while Phil aims for the vee. I get my bottom massaged every time and we’re all laughing.
Lunch stop at Eaglehawk Flat with a boiling billy, swim and an interesting short bushwalk up the canopied gully to see rare cedars and old gold workings.
Energy restored, more exciting rapids;changing mountain vegetation above the steep gorge sides here. The Cataract River joins from a right hand gorge adding extra water to suddenly faster rapids.
The bridge looms across a wider, deeper river at todays journeys end. Now for some capsizing fun and Sharon waits to warm us with food and boiling billy. In high spirits we return to the Lodge for hot showers.
After dinner cooked on the open fireplace we share my specialty, damper with our hosts over bush poetry, yarning and joking around the campfire. They tell us about all the other things to explore tomorrow. Canoeing; snorkeling wearing a vest in the 1km long ‘home’ water stretch; easy to challenging bushwalks; 20km of 4WD tracks; bat caves; disused gold mining shafts and aqua ducts; fish spotlighting and 160 different birds to watch.
The piece-de-resistance came at the misty grey of dawn the next day, after we chose to sleep on the open deck under a gloriously starry night. Just in front we saw four platypus frolicking! A first for me, and directly across the river, rock wallabies galore on the cliffs.
In future, I’ll consider a 2-3 day canoe and camping trip or volunteer to clear lantana with Steve’s non chemical method.
To enquire how inexpensive a stay here is, phone 02 6665 1337 or write to C.R.W.L., Paddy’s Flat Road, Tabulam, N.S.W. 2469. Thanks Sharon and Steve for caring. We love you.
Article by by Carol Stratford
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