70
Another travel diary we loved was
Teresa Yonge’s, who last summer
took off on a solo adventure down
the Waveney river. You can read
some of her trip highlights below!
Words and photographs by Teresa Yonge
Day 2:
t over the
t low lying mis
e
w
nd
a
e
is
nr
stunning su
I woke up to a
absorb
t I took time to
a
th
ill
st
nd
a
quiet, calm
river. It was so
. I was in
e sun came up
th
s
a
r
a
pe
p
a
h the mist dis
it all and watc
heaven.
fallen
e across many
m
a
c
I
ir
e
W
ne
through Hoxo
After passing
ss the
e lay right acro
e
tr
e
g
hu
ne
ting my way. O
eath
trees obstruc
y canoe undern
m
d
e
id
u
g
I
t
ed over it whils
river so I climb
lling fast and
peared, trave
p
a
y
nl
e
d
d
su
of lads
me. A group
l for
s very gratefu
a
w
I
.
e
e
tr
e
to find me in th
came to a halt
rtage and it
ith a tricky po
w
r
ve
ri
e
th
n
her dow
rs are
their help furt
ul how paddle
rf
e
nd
o
w
is
It
le.
work for a whi
g
became team
traveler paddlin
lo
so
a
y
rl
la
u
rtic
to help out, pa
always happy
illingford
le tunnelled B
b
u
o
d
e
th
t
a
was
My first stop
rfect
tonight! A pe
d
e
d
e
ne
s
a
w
tion. No tent
Guaging Sta
y and the
across the sk
rs
a
st
l
fu
ti
u
a
e
ith b
nights sleep w
ay.
a few feet aw
st
ju
st
pa
g
in
r rush
sound of wate
After spending the night camping bes
ide the river (with
special permission from a family run pub
in Homersfield)
I set off on my last day of paddling. I
had about 11
miles left before reaching Bungay so
I got up early and
was on the river by 8am. It was another
beautiful sunny
day so I paddled on.
I came across an extraordinary site,
a large grounded
aeroplane. I had arrived at Flixton Air
Museum, not
what I was expecting in the middle of
the countryside
or farmland.
The paddle towards Bungay town is very
pretty. The
water becomes shallow in parts during
the summer
months and going through the quaint
riverside houses
I was surprised to come across a herd
of calves all
standing in a row by the edge of the rive
r.
After passing under the A143 you com
e to what is
known as the Bungay Loop. The loop
goes around the
Outney Common, popular with walkers,
picnickers and
some who even enjoy swimming in the
river. The loop
is really beautiful, with the common on
the inside and
farmland, lush trees and woods on the
outside.
A perfect ending and location after my
four days on
what I call the Kingfisher River, the
beautiful unspoilt
and rather wild Waveney.
ct and I
ther was perfe
a
e
w
e
th
r
e
m
last sum
Late August
sting river,
own this intere
d
n
o
o
rn
e
ft
a
the mid
set off during
s I set
nd Suffolk. A
a
lk
o
rf
o
N
f
o
e border
which is on th
vigate,
t easier to na
o
g
nd
a
p
u
d
on opene
off the river so
o by
watching me g
s
w
o
c
h
it
w
gh farmland
passing throu
and I
beautiful blue
a
s
a
w
y
sk
razing. The
whilst gently g
thing I
ay - with every
w
y
m
n
o
e
b
nd happy to
was content a
e.
Canadian cano
n
e
p
o
t
o
fo
d up in my 13
needed loade
plar trees
ddled past po
pa
I
y,
o
nj
e
nd
to see a
There was lots
s tremble
m. Their leave
e
th
e
se
u
yo
ar before
that you can he
ves act like
dge of the lea
e
t
a
fl
e
id
w
e
e wind, th
ves
and rustle in th
cause the lea
ill
w
e
ez
re
b
allest
il, even the sm
a miniature sa
e sound.
em that uniqu
th
e
iv
g
nd
a
,
to move
Day 3:
wn.
into the unkno
Day 1:
71