Kayaking

Action-packed, adrenalin-pumping white-water adventures or gentler, carefree river paddling in the wilderness. Whatever your preference, kayaking with MUMC caters for a wide range of canoeing/kayaking destinations and experience levels. With a general emphasis on white-water touring, our trips provide great opportunities to experience great thrills and spills into some extreme white-water rapids, while journeying through magnificent and scenic wilderness areas. The club also participates frequently in Canoe Polo, play-boating, slalom, down-river, extreme races and pool-based kayaking.

Destinations

A prominent feature of Kayaking with MUMC is the variety of experience levels that are catered for. Beginner trips are run frequently through the year, especially in the period after the start of the academic year, and are open to people with no experience required. These trips are often run in areas such as the upper Yarra River, the Goulburn River in central Victoria or to the beach.

A beginner's trip on the Goulburn River. mac brunckhorst

Intermediate trips are then run to fun and beautiful rivers such as the King, the Mitchell and the Jamieson rivers, all found in central to eastern Victoria. We also find ourselves in the local (and very clean) play-spot of Gardiners Creek and further afield at the Penrith White-water Stadium in Sydney, or down to the surf coast or west coast for some small boat action.

A full scope of increasingly more difficult trips are also run, through to advanced Grade V (or more difficult) rapids in remote areas. Recent examples include:

• A two-week epic adventure down the remote and treacherous Franklin River in Tasmania
• Teva Lea and Cataract Extreme Races in Tasmania in 2004 and 2005
• Summer paddling west coast creeks in New Zealand
• Far North Queensland paddling the spectacular wet season rivers
• African trips to the White Nile in Uganda and the Zambezi in Zambia
• Late spring trips to NSW to paddle the Indi, Thredbo, Snowy and Geehi rivers
• Numerous assaults on the wild Mitta-Mitta, Kiewa and Cobungra Rivers nestled deep in the northern Victorian ranges.

Occasionally you will also find us attempting some Grade VII rapids in difficult and remote areas such as the Clyde, the Blue Duck, the Jindabyne Hotel, the Mahinapua Pub or at the take out of a nice cold Victorian river.

Duration

A half day trip to the beach can quickly turn into an epic with MUMC kayakers, or a five day trip down the Snowy River can turn into a two day roller coaster if the water goes high. The message: return times are our best guess, based on years of experience, but we can never be sure.

We have lots of day trips, plenty of weekends away (sometimes driving up to 1,200 kms in one weekend) and a few long weekends, extended week, month long trips to exotic and distant destinations such as New Zealand, Tasmania, Penrith, NSW Snowy Mountains, Far North Queensland or along the beach.

Kayaking at the beach during drier seasons. mac brunckhorst

Styles

Mostly our trips are car camping based! Yay for bringing the pillow, the Esky and the deck-chair. We drive to the put in, shuffle the cars around, get to take out, pfaf around some more with cars, then drive our way to the pub and camp, or home. From day trips to month-long NZ trips, it is the way forward. None of that old-skool carry-everything-on-the-back/with you.

OK, occasionally we do find ourselves removing rear pillars from boats, stuff them full of clothes, spirits, food and camping gear, to spend up to 10 days on a river. The extended trips are a wonderful experience and the more experienced paddlers have plenty of options here. even in the warm months of summer!

Are you ready?

Okay, you've got some old shoes and think you are up from some intense, heart-pounding fun in some extreme white-water rapids, or just want to give canoeing a bit of a go, MUMC Kayaking is a great place to get involved.

Generic rapids, neither here nor there. mac brunckhorst

Just come find someone talking boofing, hucking, rolling, stroking, portaging, nailing or throwing down, or talking about someone else swimming, and say hi! You may find one of us in the Clubrooms, else try the Clyde on Tuesday nights. If all else fails, just sign up for a trip and get along to the trip meeting—how easy!