Then, on the way back, a paddle around The Island (following the winding river channel) was simply one more irresistible temptation. :)
Sadly, the refuse that lines the river banks, especially from the Amy Searle bridge and out the river to the Southern Cross day park continues unabated. Lots of plastic bottles, food cartons and bags, apparently discarded by shore-side fishermen, as well as other refuse like old paint cans and larger plastic drums....
A couple of years ago, after plotting all of the Debris and Old Infrastructure on the river, I managed to get Great Brak River included in the international Coastal Clean-up initiative (thanks to the support of WESSA and Mossel Bay Municipality's Environmental Department), but it's only once a year and it really doesn't reach into the village. It's a crying shame, when this could be such a beautiful, pristine paddle, where not only are there fish flopping and birds flapping (or soaring), but also horses and cows grazing, and even the occasional monkey frolicking (up near the weir). I guess my project for this summer will be to get out there with the ol' garbage bags.... stay tuned!
Speaking of crying, maybe South Africa needs something like that of the "Keep America Beautiful (Crying Indian)" campaign which was launched in 1971, coinciding with the very first Earth Day, and ran throughout the 1970's (and, of course, crossing the 49th parallel into Canada). That iconic campaign made a huge impact that, fortunately, lasts to this day.