Welcome to ETA Unknown

These are the travel and adventure musings of Alan as he contemplates what the future will bring.

I finished the longest river in the country, the Murray River from the source to sea in January 2021 (2,500 km). This was done directly after paddling the main sections of the Murrumbidgee River (1,200 km) along with the lower Tumut River and part of the Murray River, a combined paddle of 4,000 km over two months. I shifted my focus back to the Darling River.

In March 2020, a good rainfall event allowed me to paddle the upper Condamine River and remote Culgoa River before COVID rudely interrupted my trip down the river at Bourke. With another great rainfall in 2021, I was able to fully complete the uncompleted section on the Condamine and Balonne Rivers (900 km) and then continued onto the Darling River starting at Walgett. I completed the remaining sections of the Murray-Darling river system, including the entire Darling River (1,600 km) and the lower Murray River (800 km) to the ocean successfully completing the source to sea navigation of the country's longest continuous river system.

COVID border restrictions ruined any plans to make use of the great spring river flows, but after the restrictions were lifted I was able to paddle the Lachlan, Darling (again) and Great Darling Anabranch over the summer.

Both the Lachlan and Darling Anabranch were journeys into the unknown. Everyone that had tried the Lachlan had aborted their trips due to difficulties a long way before reaching the Great Cumbungi Swamp, and the Anabranch has only flowed 14 times in its natural state since 1890. I was likely to be the first person that has successfully navigated the Lachlan since it was first surveyed back in 1876 and I was probably the first person to paddle the Great Darling Anabranch in its natural state.

For friends and family, I have also updated and reposted our older travel blogs from SE Asia (2006) through to the Americas (2010/11).

Current Musing

In Progress

Macintyre, Barwon and Darling (2,562 km)

Paddling from the Macintyre River at Goondiwindi down to the River Murray at Wentworth.

The completed trip will be longer then the Murray and combines 286 km of the Macintyre, 730 km on the Barwon, and 1,547 km on the Darling.

I'll potentially tag on the the final leg on the Murray to reach the Great Southern Ocean, a combined total distance of 3,394 km.

Reflections on a river

Great Anabranch of the Darling River

Completed ‎13 ‎Mar ‎2022


The ancestral path of the Darling River.

Paddling both up and down the river that hadn't flowed since 2017.

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Small creek through a swamp

Lachlan River

Completed 4 Feb 2022


Paddling into the great unknown.

Three perfect weeks of paddling down to and through the Great Cumbungi Swamp.

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Sunset reflecting off a river

Darling River

Completed 11 Jun 2021


Magical paddle riding the flood to Menindee.

Decent flow in the lower section to Wentworth. Repeated in 2022.

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Author walking a firetrail carrying pack with paddles

Summit to Source to Sea

Completed 20 Jan 2021


Mt Kosciuszko to the Murray River source to the Southern Ocean near Goolwa, SA

Nearly 250 km of hiking in Mt Kosciuszko National Park and 2,500 km of paddling on the country's longest river when all was done.

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Koala on log drinking from the river

Murrumbidgee River

Completed 7 Dec 2020


Unsure of what to expect from one of Australia's longest rivers.

Fast running waters of the Tumut River down to the mighty Murray River.

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Kayak in flood water surrounded by trees.

Culgoa River

Completed 20 March 2020


Will I find a desert or inland-sea?

Likely the most isolated sections of either the Murray or Darling river systems.

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Explore

Miscellaneous kayaking trips

Building and Ferris wheel.

Brisbane River


The ultimate kayaking trip in SE Queensland.

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River surrounded by trees.

Oxley Creek


Fantastic wildlife watching opportunities.

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Bridge on a river

Bremer River


Quiet and tranquil kayaking trip for paddlers of all levels of ability.

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Old Travel Blogs

Desert with tent and two motorcycles

Traversing the Americas by motorcycles on the backroads

May 2010 till May 2011


Approximately 40,000 km from Seattle, Washington, USA to Buenos Aires, Argentina. We rode less than 500 km on any major freeways or highways, and over 20,000 km on dirt, gravel, sand or mud.

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Buddha head enclosed by the trunk of a tree

South East Asia on a shoestring budget

mid 2006


Our first OE (overseas experience) through most of SE Asia over a three month window.

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