Tarbert, Argyll

 We assembled the K2 beside the sea in Tarbert, on Kintrye, before paddling south for few days to remind ourselves how sea kayaking worked!

Very nice to be back on the sea again

 

Winter campout

 We needed a night out, so paddled a few miles upstream and put up our favourite basha.....

 

Wye and Forest of Dean

Beautiful week canoeing and cycling down the River Wye to Tintern Abbey, taking advantage of a gap in the covid lock down restrictions.

This photo shows our current favourite "basha"... It sleeps 2 comfortably and packs down into the size of a large grapefruit.

View of Tintern Abbey.

 

Pennywort patrol

We had a report of some Floating Pennywort on the upper Cam in February, but a fallen tree and then the introduction of coronavirus restrictions made it difficult to get out to check

Thankfully, when we were able to do a Pennywort Patrol, all was clear. It was blissful to be back on the river.

You can read about the Pennywort eradication project on the Cam Valley Forum website here , and this blog here and here

Shelford to Cambridge

Lovely paddle and campout from Shelford to Cambridge, just a few days before coronavirus restrictions started

On the way, we cleared a few remaining tangles of tree branches, that had reappeared since Cambridge Canoe Club's working party on the stretch past Trumpington Country Park

Its now a very nice paddle

Big Trip

For a couple of months end 2019, we had our "BigTrip" down under to see Tom's brother, Bill in Tasmania.

 Bill lent us his little van and a couple of bikes, so we did a wonderful circuit of Tasmania (dodging wild weather) camping out much of the time. Australian style wild camping is a bit more organised than we're used to, but still very nice!

 We managed to hire a sit-on kayak to explore some of the Pieman River on the edge of the Tarkine wilderness area of NW Tasmania. 

  Much of this beautiful wilderness area is being destroyed by open cast mining and logging.

 Save the Tarkine are campaining to get it world heritage protection and deserve supporting

Menai Straits

We were able to keep the Cambridge Canoe Club kayaks for a few more days. There were Force 5 winds out in the bay by Puffin Island.....

 but it was beautifully sheltered in the Menai Straits ...