Ovens River - Markwood to Wangaratta January 2021

on

 Pioneer Bridges Rest Area to Ovens Billabong Bushland Reserve

One night on the Ovens River 

autumn hammock camping One night on the Ovens River mid-summer The Ovens River set within a foodies paradise and within views of the Victorian High Country sounds pretty appetising Our plan was simple one and well worn kayak path Start at the Pioneer Bridges Rest Area Markwood paddle about half way Tarrawingee to set up camp Paddle the second half into Wangaratta the following day We hit the water mid-afternoon on a very warm day thinking we'd knock these 12 km's over quickly enough Within the first kilometre it was clear that the going was to be slow Over the course of the first day we encountered numerous obstacles and riffles all to very frequent intervals and it felt at times we spent more time negotiating something them than paddling It was quite possibly a third of our time was spent other than paddling Our boat is a fiberglass one which meant a little care was needed over the riffles Throw into that mix numerous trees both submerged and above the surface making the Ovens River a slow beast At times we were climbing onto tree limbs in order to get the boat over an obstacle Day One had one portage of about 50 metres over river pebbles which added about 30 minutes to the trip alone More energy was spent navigating around snags dragging the boat over shallow riffles and unwedging from submerged timber than actual paddling We took 5 hours to do the 12 km's The water level at Rocky Point was 0.65 metres I wonder what the ideal level is certainly not 0.65 metres The Ovens River J5 Streamside Reserve in Tarrawingee is where we camped It's a natural setting with no facilities provided other than one old timber and concrete picnic table with beach seats and a fire pit near a dirt boat ramp There's some very curious possums living there and learned that if we ever return camphor is on the list as a possum deterrent The second day Tarrawingee to Wangaratta was more picturesque than the first day and there was a few more riffles we were able to float over Still it was slow going Caution going under the bridge at Tarrawingee as there numerous rocks just waiting to gouge a boat We chose to line the boat through the rocks After four long hours of grinding away we decided to finish earlier than planned We called it quits at the Ovens River Billabong Reserve west of the Hume Freeway We caught a local taxi back to Markwood leaving the boat unattended where we had finished. We left the boat hidden in long grass a fair way from the river Doug from Wangaratta Taxi's arrived quickly after our call and promptly delivered us back to Markwood and we quickly got ourselves back to the boat all within 40 minutes There were plenty of campers/caravan along the river for our entire journey and we passed quite a few people fishing Two guys in a tinnie said they had caught 2 Murray Cod I won't give away their location but it was roughly between Markwood and Tarrawingee I think we passed a 40 cm cod about a kilometre before the Hume Freeway overpass in Wangaratta East The Ovens River had it's fair share of beauty and Markwood is a short drive from Wangaratta (13 minutes to be precise) The Pioneer Bridges Rest Area is a great casual free campground set in a planting of large exotic trees which provide some shade There's a beach area with swim water and a toilet long drop to make it a little bit civilised too kayak camping canoe camping

A two day paddle on the Ovens River in the Ovens Valley. The start was at the Pioneer Bridges Rest Area, Markwood. Camp was planned for the Ovens River Streamside Reserve J5, Tarrawingee before finishing in Wangaratta.

camping Bevo tarrawingee ovens streamside reserve pioneer bridges canoe ovens river billabong reserve markwood ovens river wangaratta kayak, hammock camping One night on the Ovens River mid-summer The Ovens River set within a foodies paradise and within views of the Victorian High Country sounds pretty appetising Our plan was simple one and well worn kayak path Start at the Pioneer Bridges Rest Area Markwood paddle about half way Tarrawingee to set up camp Paddle the second half into Wangaratta the following day We hit the water mid-afternoon on a very warm day thinking we'd knock these 12 km's over quickly enough Within the first kilometre it was clear that the going was to be slow Over the course of the first day we encountered numerous obstacles and riffles all to very frequent intervals and it felt at times we spent more time negotiating something them than paddling It was quite possibly a third of our time was spent other than paddling Our boat is a fiberglass one which meant a little care was needed over the riffles Throw into that mix numerous trees both submerged and above the surface making the Ovens River a slow beast At times we were climbing onto tree limbs in order to get the boat over an obstacle Day One had one portage of about 50 metres over river pebbles which added about 30 minutes to the trip alone More energy was spent navigating around snags dragging the boat over shallow riffles and unwedging from submerged timber than actual paddling We took 5 hours to do the 12 km's The water level at Rocky Point was 0.65 metres I wonder what the ideal level is certainly not 0.65 metres The Ovens River J5 Streamside Reserve in Tarrawingee is where we camped It's a natural setting with no facilities provided other than one old timber and concrete picnic table with beach seats and a fire pit near a dirt boat ramp There's some very curious possums living there and learned that if we ever return camphor is on the list as a possum deterrent The second day Tarrawingee to Wangaratta was more picturesque than the first day and there was a few more riffles we were able to float over Still it was slow going Caution going under the bridge at Tarrawingee as there numerous rocks just waiting to gouge a boat We chose to line the boat through the rocks After four long hours of grinding away we decided to finish earlier than planned We called it quits at the Ovens River Billabong Reserve west of the Hume Freeway We caught a local taxi back to Markwood leaving the boat unattended where we had finished. We left the boat hidden in long grass a fair way from the river Doug from Wangaratta Taxi's arrived quickly after our call and promptly delivered us back to Markwood and we quickly got ourselves back to the boat all within 40 minutes There were plenty of campers/caravan along the river for our entire journey and we passed quite a few people fishing Two guys in a tinnie said they had caught 2 Murray Cod I won't give away their location but it was roughly between Markwood and Tarrawingee I think we passed a 40 cm cod about a kilometre before the Hume Freeway overpass in Wangaratta East The Ovens River had it's fair share of beauty and Markwood is a short drive from Wangaratta (13 minutes to be precise) The Pioneer Bridges Rest Area is a great casual free campground set in a planting of large exotic trees which provide some shade There's a beach area with swim water and a toilet long drop to make it a little bit civilised too kayak camping canoe camping
Paddling under the Markwood-Everton Road Bridge - pylons of old bridge visible

We hit the water mid-afternoon on a very warm Sunday. Thinking we'd knock the first 12 km's over quickly enough, we were wrong. We started just upstream of the Markwood-Everton Road bridge at a sandy beach area within the rest area. Within the first kilometre it was clear that the going was to be slow. Over the course of the first day we encountered numerous obstacles and riffles requiring exiting the boat. They were at all too frequent intervals and it felt at times we spent more time out of the boat than in it. We had one portage of about 50 metres which added about 30 minutes to the trip alone. We took 5 hours to do the 12 km's. The water level at Rocky Point was 0.65 metres.

The Ovens River J5 Streamside Reserve in Tarrawingee is where we camped. It's hard to miss this place. It's the just before the first bridge you encounter after Markwood. It's a natural bush setting with one old timber/concrete picnic table with bench seats and a fire pit near a dirt boat ramp. The water level under the bridge was low, so care was needed due to the jagged rocks.

The second day was more picturesque than the first day and there were a few riffles we were able to float over. Still it was slow going. 

camping Bevo tarrawingee ovens streamside reserve pioneer bridges canoe ovens river billabong reserve markwood ovens river wangaratta kayak, hammock camping One night on the Ovens River mid-summer The Ovens River set within a foodies paradise and within views of the Victorian High Country sounds pretty appetising Our plan was simple one and well worn kayak path Start at the Pioneer Bridges Rest Area Markwood paddle about half way Tarrawingee to set up camp Paddle the second half into Wangaratta the following day We hit the water mid-afternoon on a very warm day thinking we'd knock these 12 km's over quickly enough Within the first kilometre it was clear that the going was to be slow Over the course of the first day we encountered numerous obstacles and riffles all to very frequent intervals and it felt at times we spent more time negotiating something them than paddling It was quite possibly a third of our time was spent other than paddling Our boat is a fiberglass one which meant a little care was needed over the riffles Throw into that mix numerous trees both submerged and above the surface making the Ovens River a slow beast At times we were climbing onto tree limbs in order to get the boat over an obstacle Day One had one portage of about 50 metres over river pebbles which added about 30 minutes to the trip alone More energy was spent navigating around snags dragging the boat over shallow riffles and unwedging from submerged timber than actual paddling We took 5 hours to do the 12 km's The water level at Rocky Point was 0.65 metres I wonder what the ideal level is certainly not 0.65 metres The Ovens River J5 Streamside Reserve in Tarrawingee is where we camped It's a natural setting with no facilities provided other than one old timber and concrete picnic table with beach seats and a fire pit near a dirt boat ramp There's some very curious possums living there and learned that if we ever return camphor is on the list as a possum deterrent The second day Tarrawingee to Wangaratta was more picturesque than the first day and there was a few more riffles we were able to float over Still it was slow going Caution going under the bridge at Tarrawingee as there numerous rocks just waiting to gouge a boat We chose to line the boat through the rocks After four long hours of grinding away we decided to finish earlier than planned We called it quits at the Ovens River Billabong Reserve west of the Hume Freeway We caught a local taxi back to Markwood leaving the boat unattended where we had finished. We left the boat hidden in long grass a fair way from the river Doug from Wangaratta Taxi's arrived quickly after our call and promptly delivered us back to Markwood and we quickly got ourselves back to the boat all within 40 minutes There were plenty of campers/caravan along the river for our entire journey and we passed quite a few people fishing Two guys in a tinnie said they had caught 2 Murray Cod I won't give away their location but it was roughly between Markwood and Tarrawingee I think we passed a 40 cm cod about a kilometre before the Hume Freeway overpass in Wangaratta East The Ovens River had it's fair share of beauty and Markwood is a short drive from Wangaratta (13 minutes to be precise) The Pioneer Bridges Rest Area is a great casual free campground set in a planting of large exotic trees which provide some shade There's a beach area with swim water and a toilet long drop to make it a little bit civilised too kayak camping canoe camping
Start of day two - Upstream from the Tarrawingee Bridge 

camping Bevo tarrawingee ovens streamside reserve pioneer bridges canoe ovens river billabong reserve markwood ovens river wangaratta kayak, hammock camping One night on the Ovens River mid-summer The Ovens River set within a foodies paradise and within views of the Victorian High Country sounds pretty appetising Our plan was simple one and well worn kayak path Start at the Pioneer Bridges Rest Area Markwood paddle about half way Tarrawingee to set up camp Paddle the second half into Wangaratta the following day We hit the water mid-afternoon on a very warm day thinking we'd knock these 12 km's over quickly enough Within the first kilometre it was clear that the going was to be slow Over the course of the first day we encountered numerous obstacles and riffles all to very frequent intervals and it felt at times we spent more time negotiating something them than paddling It was quite possibly a third of our time was spent other than paddling Our boat is a fiberglass one which meant a little care was needed over the riffles Throw into that mix numerous trees both submerged and above the surface making the Ovens River a slow beast At times we were climbing onto tree limbs in order to get the boat over an obstacle Day One had one portage of about 50 metres over river pebbles which added about 30 minutes to the trip alone More energy was spent navigating around snags dragging the boat over shallow riffles and unwedging from submerged timber than actual paddling We took 5 hours to do the 12 km's The water level at Rocky Point was 0.65 metres I wonder what the ideal level is certainly not 0.65 metres The Ovens River J5 Streamside Reserve in Tarrawingee is where we camped It's a natural setting with no facilities provided other than one old timber and concrete picnic table with beach seats and a fire pit near a dirt boat ramp There's some very curious possums living there and learned that if we ever return camphor is on the list as a possum deterrent The second day Tarrawingee to Wangaratta was more picturesque than the first day and there was a few more riffles we were able to float over Still it was slow going Caution going under the bridge at Tarrawingee as there numerous rocks just waiting to gouge a boat We chose to line the boat through the rocks After four long hours of grinding away we decided to finish earlier than planned We called it quits at the Ovens River Billabong Reserve west of the Hume Freeway We caught a local taxi back to Markwood leaving the boat unattended where we had finished. We left the boat hidden in long grass a fair way from the river Doug from Wangaratta Taxi's arrived quickly after our call and promptly delivered us back to Markwood and we quickly got ourselves back to the boat all within 40 minutes There were plenty of campers/caravan along the river for our entire journey and we passed quite a few people fishing Two guys in a tinnie said they had caught 2 Murray Cod I won't give away their location but it was roughly between Markwood and Tarrawingee I think we passed a 40 cm cod about a kilometre before the Hume Freeway overpass in Wangaratta East The Ovens River had it's fair share of beauty and Markwood is a short drive from Wangaratta (13 minutes to be precise) The Pioneer Bridges Rest Area is a great casual free campground set in a planting of large exotic trees which provide some shade There's a beach area with swim water and a toilet long drop to make it a little bit civilised too kayak camping canoe camping
Somewhere between Tarrawingee and Wangaratta

After four long hours of grinding away we arrived at the Ovens River Billabong Reserve west of the Hume Freeway, Wangaratta. This was the end point for this trip. We used a local taxi as a shuttle back to Markwood leaving the boat unattended (hidden in long grass). The shuttle back to Markwood and return to the boat took all of 40 minutes. 

There were plenty of campers along the river for our entire journey and we also passed quite a few people fishing. Two guys in a tinnie said they had caught two Murray Cod's.

The Ovens River had it's fair share of beauty and Markwood is a short drive from Wangaratta (13 minutes to be precise). The Pioneer Bridges Rest Area is a great free campground set amongst large exotic shade trees. There's a sandy beach area with swimmable water and a toilet (long drop). Autumn would be an ideal time subject to water levels. The Autumn leaves overhanging the river would be spectacular.

Our boat sustained numerous scratches and several stress cracks were heard during the trip! Even though it's a fiberglass boat, it isn't totally fragile. Some repairs will be carried out before he hits the water again.

 This was our first attempt at hammock camping. After one night we were sold on hammocks and certainly recommend it. It was so comfortable. Our setup had two hammocks under a 4 x 4 metre tarp (diamond shape) and it wasn't hard finding a cluster of trees which enabled it. First time camping without a stiff back.

camping Bevo tarrawingee ovens streamside reserve pioneer bridges canoe ovens river billabong reserve markwood ovens river wangaratta kayak,
Two hammocks (one obscured) and all our gear under the one tarp










Location: Ovens River, Victoria, Australia