Progress nil

Still too windy here. I would end up going backwards on the river. I have taken the opportunity to throw some varnish on the middle floor of the boat as it is getting a bit worn by my tramping the Murray mud across it.

I expect to get going again on Thursday. Yes, slow slow, but I intend to get there. The next leg is 300km up to Mildura. Some of it is out of phone coverage, and as "support" is a bit concerned about what is happening to me on the river, I have organised a satellite locator device which will report my location on a website every half hour. Thus, when out of phone contact,a) my location will be known and b) it will be easier to use UHF radio at scheduled times as "support" will be able to get closer to where I am (comms distance 10kms). I already carry an EPIRB but that is a "help, big drama, get me out" device and not a day to day tracker.

Sturt had none of this stuff, of course. Some convicts, some weapons and a big bag of confidence and determination.

Support team will be augmented by two more folk as my wife needs to duck away for a week or so. I should point out that there are people going down this river in Kayaks with no support team (but they do have the sat tracker, and somebody watching progress).

So, my sat tracker should arrive on Wednesday.

I am looking forward to going through the Euston lock, and getting on this next section which has a bit of current. The level of the water below the lock is about 43 metres above sea level, and the sea is 1100 river kms away. Not a lot of fall.

Cheers

Les