Kayakers/Mitta Mitta and surrounds

Submitted: Monday, Sep 06, 2010 at 18:24

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Steve

Planning a trip for April 2011 and have an 15ft estuary and two 19ft sea kayaks. Are there long enough pools in the Mitta for sea kayaks??? - don't want to wreck the fibre glass boats on rapids/rocks/shallows. also staying around Corryong/Colac and probably Nariel. Don't want hump the boats all that way and not use em.

advice appreciated - thanks in advance

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Reply By: chris_s - Monday, Sep 06, 2010 at 20:46

Monday, Sep 06, 2010 at 20:46

Good paddling down the Murray from Ingenbrong? border bridge to the Hume dam - some nice shingle rapids - quite deep and nothing that needs to be quickly negotiated around. All depends on water flow (good now) and how dry the summer/autumn is.
I don't know anything about the Mitta - the Dartmouth dam would be okay.

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Follow Up By: Duncanm - Monday, Sep 06, 2010 at 22:41

Monday, Sep 06, 2010 at 22:41

Some sections below the Dartmouth dam may be OK, maybe from Mitta Mitta township down but 19ft is very long, possible try from a place called Pigs Point (maybe around 10 to 15 KM up from the start of the Omeo hwy near Old Tallangatta) down into the Hume towards Tallangatta. Even in a two person canadian many by yrs it can be quite challenging if the river is up a bit high. My friend had his two man canadian wrapped around a tree and broken b/w old and new Tallangatta. The Mitta flows quite fast at times.

I would not be trying the upper Mitta at all near Glen Valley in a 19 footer. It may be worth a try from somewhere near Taylors Crossing down into the Dartmouth dam, but I have not done this section and not sure if there are any rapids. If you do this section you will then have a very long paddle around to the boat ramp. Plus it can get very rough on the Dart if the wind picks up. I have been in a 5.5 M Haines Hunter on the Dart in strong wind and it can get very rough trying to make your way back to the ramp.

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Follow Up By: Gnomey - Monday, Sep 06, 2010 at 23:51

Monday, Sep 06, 2010 at 23:51

Steve
Haven't kayaked the Mitta but I've fished a lot of it below and above the Dart. Duncanm has it right. April is not a high water month IME and 19ft is a bit too long IMHO.

Cheers
Mark

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Reply By: Steve - Tuesday, Sep 07, 2010 at 19:32

Tuesday, Sep 07, 2010 at 19:32

hmmm......might leave em behind. I'm used to the rough water being a sea/estuary paddler but the long yak isn't too nifty at quick changes of direction in tight, rocky spots in small rivers

Haines Hunter? I'll pilot you in any day but when it gets above 15 knots there's not much pleasure in it ;))

Was just hoping for a bit of nice scenery whilst paddling - and am not the biggest fan of lake paddling anyway so wasn't really looking at Dartmouth unless somebody can convince me. Always found it a bit too open and one-dimensional - at least the ocean gives a bit more variety and with rivers you always get a new view around the next bend but maybe the mitta is a bit too small/rocky.

AnswerID: 429622

Follow Up By: Duncanm - Tuesday, Sep 07, 2010 at 21:57

Tuesday, Sep 07, 2010 at 21:57

Hi again Steve,

Last xmas I did a trip in my boat from the Dart boat ramp up into the Mitta arm. We went approx 20 km up from the boat ramp. Once you get up into the arm itself it is very interesting as the sides close in a lot. The banks are very step in most cases and it was fun trying to spot any wild life etc. At that stage it was at about 25% or so. I note it is now at 38% (with out the recent rain) so you could get a bit further up.

Another option (if you have a 4wd) is to come in off the Omeo Corryong road and down the Eustaces gap tk to Eustaces camp area. From here you could paddle up into the Mitta arm. Depending on the lake level there are a few small islands (hill tops) and various inlets. But there are a lot of trees near the banks in places but I think would be easy enough to navigate through and would make it interesting

Parks Vic document

Happy exploring.

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