Poling & Paddling, [This is Canoeing] BELLINGER RIVER, Australia

This is canoeing: The small Bellinger watershed, on the north coast of NSW, hosts a beautiful gravel-bed river that is suitable for a variety of canoeing day-trips. There is 70-km of accessible river, upstream of Bellingen. The steepest parts of the river--thus the most rapids--are above Thora, accessed by Darkwood Rd. Because of the number of low-level bridges along Darkwood Rd, there are plenty of options for paddling.

Between Thora and Gordonville Crossing (8-km), there is only one rapid (Grade 2) and lots of gravel races and pools. There are shallow sections that warrant the use of a pole.

Between Gordonville and Bellingen (11.5 km), there is only one rapid (Grade 1), and longer pools separate the gravel races. The tidal limit is at Bellingen bridge, or thereabouts.

The river can rise high very quickly, because the Dorrigo Escarpment that flanks the Bellinger promotes orographic rainfall. Check the river level at Thora here: http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDN60141.html

Category:

Education

Tags:

• canoe
• canoeing
• Bellingen
• Bellinger River
• paddling
• Mad River
• Freedom Solo
• poling
• Mad River Canoe
• Australia
• Grade 2
• Class 2
• rapids
• whitewater
• Land Rover
• Discovery
• water crossing
• storm damage
• flood damage
• flood
• flood debris
• the canoe movie
• this is canoeing
• Dorrigo
• Thora
• Darkwood

[hashticles]

I didn't have the camera running when I came across that rapid--I had no idea it was coming up and it took me by surprise!

[cdbragg]

Would love to see footage of the Thora Aurora (the Grade 2 Rapid at Rosewood River). It's where I came off my sit on top kayak pretty badly - great fun though!