(As per 1 Shot's standing orders...)
Hey, Ho......we went; to camp at a site at Dilham, N Norfolk.
We went on the Tuesday of the forecast storms and rain, but watching the forecasts carefully thought to risk it for the proverbial hard tack..........
The site was as ever in the week nice and quiet and we set camp with the Dutch Esvo tent and tarp: a first with this, and missing showers.
Wednesday, the weather looked too windy for canoeing, so went to Winterton for a walk along the miles of beach and where one of the biggest nesting colonies of Little Terns are. This had been a successful year for nests at this site...others up the coast had been abandoned.
Thursday, with the weather seemingly a little more benign, we paddled from (for those that know these waters?) Dillham via Tylers cut, into the canal which is a far from a canal as possible, it is a quiet wooded stream, closed to cruisers. Here we saw a kingfisher and a small jack pike, and buzzards aplenty. Returning back down to the River Ant and some cruisers, and to the Stalham and Sutton streams, and round the island to Tylers cut again and back to start point. About 10-12 miles of wooded and lush waterways, most closed to stinkpots.
As soon as boat was loaded and we were in the car for the 1 mile return to the tent, the heavens opened with localised flash flooding....but the tent and awning remained bone dry. However a grey squirrel (I know because he made an appearance whist having a coffee later..
) made holes in the mesh door of our larder.......never mind bears, lion or hyaena......we have SQUIRRELS!!
Friday was another long paddle from Ludham Bridge, full of stinkpots passing through a narrow bridge, none of which stopped a local ol boy catching some stunning Bream.........
Anyway down the Ant to the Bure, which was like a motorway with the stinkpots, continual traffic, but they provided some surfing opportunities for the canoe, and often our paddling would enable us to keep up with many boats, but we popped into South Walsham Broad, which at the bottom has a large lake cut off from the cruisers, and was a water area surrounded by woods, serene and a breeding centre for Great Created Grebes which had many silver and black headed young in the area. A coffee break was had on a the broads staithe, using the Swedish army trangia....
Onwards back out into the traffic and then into Malthouse Broad where we stopped for a picnic lunch of sorts, again with the trangia.
By the time we got back it was another 12-15 mile beautiful paddle.
Somewhere on the the Ant, the water was ruffled curiously, with bubbles for a second or two. Was it a vole? Or an otter????
What happened on this idyllic quiet campsite Friday night was another matter. One reason why I try not to be camping at weekends..............
Tent: Esvo Vervat 4 with Spreen 4x4 polycotton tarp
Canoe: custom SilverBirch Broadland 15 in Duralite with ash trim
Ooo and my better half!!
