Mum and son row whole length of River Murray in four months
A mother-and-son duo from Sydney have passed through the Murraylands on their 2550-kilometre journey.
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Anja Wever and Cy Wever-Jetis, a mother and son duo from Sydney, have spent the last four months traveling the length of the mighty Murray River.
Along the way they've camped at towns like Waikerie, Morgan, Blanchetown, Swan Reach and Murray Bridge, and on Friday night they rested at Tailem Bend Rowing Club.
It's hard to think that, with the recent frosty nights along the water and hands numb from low temperatures, their journey started in 40-degree heat in late February.
Not only are the pair rowing/kayaking the whole length of the river, they started with a 345-kilometre hike from Mount Kosciuszko, trailing the trickling stream of the River Murray.
This was the most challenging part, both physically and mentally, Ms Wever said: "We were shouting at each other, we had all sorts of flying sticks."
"We were hungry all the time, and the water sources were scarce because of the drought."
The pair hiked all the way to Hume Dam in New South Wales, and this is where the rowing/kayaking stint began.
Ms Wever is a full-time competitive rower with years of experience, but Mr Wever-Jetis had only started kayaking a month before embarking on the trip.
"I had a a lot of naysayers and 'you're crazy' but if you tell me I can't do something, I'll do it," Ms Wever said.
"That's how I'm driven, I really like a challenge."
It was also about inspiring other middle aged women and her children, telling them that "when you put your mind to something you can achieve it".
The pair took all their camping equipment with them, and stocked up with food in main townships along the way.
In the beginning it took the duo time to jell and create a dynamic, but within the past month they've both worked to adapt to each other's different experiences.
"We tried to stick together and then I'd be annoyed that (mum) wouldn't wait for me or vice versa, but it's gotten easier in the last month," Mr Wever-Jetis said.
"You're learning about yourself as well, finding out what type of person you are when you do something like this ... you do a lot of self reflecting, spending six hours on the water in silence.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance ... and it's also nice to spend time with my mum."
As they approached the final three days of the trip, they had mixed feelings: they were thankful to be able to get off the water, but sad at the end of an amazing opportunity.
"I know that when I look back, I'll think what an amazing time we've had and wonder whether I appreciated it enough in the moment," Ms Wever said.
She made it her mission to visit every single rowing club along the stretch of the river, and the hospitality of country people didn't go unnoticed.
From offering hot showers, storing the boats, to strangers offering food and water or even a can of WD40, they saw it all.
In fact they even rescued a distressed goat, which followed them along an island until Ms Wever caved and the goat hitched a ride on her son's kayak to safety.
"It was surreal, you'd never get that in the city.. country people are amazing ... it's sort of reinvigorated my trust in people," she said.
On Sunday the Wevers were due to reach their final destination, the Murray Mouth, and the end of a four-month journey.
For others wanting to do something similar, Mr Wever-Jetis said there was no pressure to go the whole way: "It's not so black and white, a lot of people do sections of the river."
"We do it for the experience and for ourselves not anyone else," he said.
The journey was as much about personal growth as it was about the destination.
"Sometimes you just have to go against the grain to do something extraordinary," Ms Wever said.
- More information: Visit www.weversrow.com, or their Instagram or Facebook pages.
