The Radical Change: Discovering Freedom

Above all else, one thing has been on my mind in the last month, gearing up towards one of the bigger challenges of the Radical Change. Six months ago, I cooked up a scheme with good friends of mine to raft the Mitta Mitta River, 60 km south-east of Albury. Fed by the snow plains of Falls Creek it is a raging torrent of power and beauty during the winter-spring months. Known in English as the Mitta Mitta, the name has been transported from the local Aboriginal name Mutta Mutta, meaning Thunder. How enticing does 'Thunder River sound?'

Knowing only that it was insane fun, I was entirely dependent on one of my friends description of the Mitta Mitta. He described it in simple terms; freezing cold, hazardous to health but an experience you would remember for the rest of your life. With that in mind, we assembled a crew of nine who started the ten hour trip early on Friday morning, eager and excited to get up there despite some interesting obstacles that got in our way.

'The Beast'

Armed with a HJ47 Troop Carrier, a borrowed bus and my own brothers Toyota we zig-zagged across the Victorian countryside making our way through Alexandria, past Buxton and their glorious burgers, taking a right at Wodonga and down into the Omeo Highway for a good 60 km through treacherous and muddy conditions. It was a good nine to ten hour drive and anyone who had the good fortune to be near the troop carrier was sporting a sore throat through yelling to make conversation.

The establishment that we stayed at was a haven away from home, capable of fitting many more than we brought. If you ever find yourself near the Mitta Mitta, take a look at Glen Wills. Affordable, homely and earned every bit of its title as a 'mountain retreat'. We cooked dinner and then took to the maps to approach how we would tackle the Mitta. Mark, (center) and Pieter, two good mates of ours and our guides for the trip discussed different routes we could take and if we wanted to do the length of the Mitta over one or two days, trying to take in as many rapids as possible.

Planning

We rose early the next morning, eager to get onto the river only to be greeted with the rarest of sights in Melbourne, snow. Less uncommon up in the Alpine, it was still a relatively novel sight and something we all enjoyed. Unfortunately, the sight of snow most likely meant a much colder Mitta Mitta. Furthermore, the river had risen six inches over night, only one short of the maximum 1.8 meters that is the height before things gets a little hectic and more dangerous out on the river.

Regardless, we decided to head out and kick things off at the start of the Mitta Mitta river, at a place just shy of Jokers Flat. We set up the rafts and whilst Pieter and his wife, Melita organized the shuttle Mark took us through the second safety demonstration of the trip after we pumped up the raft and got all our gear on (helmets & safety vest) and we were ready to hit the river.

'The Boys'

The first thing that you notice about the river is how cold it is. No matter how many times Mark and Pieter told us it would be cold, you could not anticipate how cold that river actually is until you actually get in your raft. Thankfully, the sun came out fairly quickly and warmed us but it was still freakin' cold. In the words of Mark however, 'Adrenalin is a great insulator'. Once you start to get going and see a few (even of the small) rapids, your heart gets pumping and the juices get flowing and it overtakes any experience of the cold.

We quickly moved through some of the smaller rapids, learning the ropes and how to maneuver the raft, with five in one and four in the other. One of the great things about the Mitta Mitta is that it essentially elevates in difficulty of the rapids, allowing you a bit of time to adjust before you get smashed in the rafts. We stopped for lunch, making our own wraps whilst deciding to smash out the entire length of the Mitta Mitta right up until Hinnamunjie bridge, the recognized stopping area. I can safely say that this was one of, if not the most enjoyable things that I have undertaken throughout the entirety of the Radical Change. If you have never done it, I can only implore you to get some mates together and find either an instructor or a company to take you because you will never forget it.

The entire trip was an amazing experience and the photos that are displayed barely do justice to the beauty that it is on sight, but the entire trip would not have happened without a specific few people who I want to thank. One of the things that has been stressed upon me, both from others and internally is that I want to thank the people who help me achieve my dreams because they are a special kind of mate.

First and foremost, I wanted to thank Mark Fairweather for not only making sure the trip happened, agonizing over the details which made the trip safe but also for making sure everyone had a fantastic time. I also want to thank Pieter, the most disciplined man I have ever met and someone who really inspired me to keep going with my change and keep impacting others. It really stood out to me personally, how many good relationships were formed with people, even those we had only met the day before, immediately followed by smashing out rapids and I think its something that made this one of the most enjoyable events I have ticked off my list. For that, I want to thank Abbey, Angus, Dean, Matty, Melita & Sammy. You all made it a fantastic trip. For me, the ride up there and back was brilliant because of the conversations that flowed, stuff that I absolutely love.

For everyone else, enjoy the photos and be assured that more rafting adventures are on the horizon. Want to join in?