As we walk past the boathouse in Bedford, turning down a little path just off to the side, we see a brightly coloured stack of kayaks and canoes.
Standing beside the boats are two bright faced and cheery lads who introduce themselves as Sam and Callum – two whitewater and kayak instructors from Canoe Trail who are here to provide us with a canoe and a map: everything we need for a weekend adventure on the River Great Ouse.
After a warm welcome, we get fitted with lifejackets and given a run down on the river ahead.
Just as we’re about to haul our bags into the canoe, Sam offers to transport our bags to the campsite that we’re paddling to tonight, which is an offer we’re more than happy to take him up on.
We’re briefed on the weirs ahead and to watch out for the sometimes surly fishermen that prowl the banks, before lifting the canoe into the water.
Callum shows the best way to get into a canoe: find the centre, stand over it using your hands as support, and slowly sit down. Our first attempt was as graceful as a newborn giraffe figuring out how to walk.
Once we’ve figured out how to get in, our next challenge is to paddle and steer the canoe. But with a few tips in mind, we’re filled with confidence, and we set off downstream to our destination, Matchstick Woods, where we’ll be camping for the night. As we continue paddling, leaving Bedford behind us, the surroundings become serene.
Birds are singing, the wind is playing gently in the willows, and the sound of our paddles softly slicing the water relaxes our minds.
As luck would have it, clouds began to gather, and a chill swept upstream followed by a gentle drizzle.
Even though my husband and I are from South Africa, we’ve learnt to adapt to English weather and so we came prepared with waterproof jackets, trousers, and my new Keen Hyperport H2 sandals, which were perfect water shoes, providing plenty of security and grip when standing knee-deep in water.
We continue to paddle down the river, passing bankside pubs and rowers practicing their sport along the way. Before long, we reach a small dock.
Ahead, we’ve spotted a weir, so now’s the time to test our portaging skills. Standing up and stepping out on to the slippery dock, I hold the canoe for my partner to get out.
Neither of us fall in the water: first challenge complete.
Next, we both grab the handles on either ends of the canoe and start carrying it over the bank into a little stream that flows back into the river.
Before we place our canoe back into the tranquil brook brimming with waterlilies and a waddle of ducks, we decide to consult our map and have a snack.
It was very clear at this point that we only had one direction to go and there was no reason for error, so we decide to take it easy and enjoy the ride.
After we explore the weir, we put the canoe back in the water, and manage to get back in the boat with a little more grace than our first attempt.
With that, we’ve successfully navigated the weir, and we settle back into the relaxed pace of downstream river paddling.
Soon, it’s like we’re transported into another world. With the raindrops sprinkling on the surface of the river and trees and shrubs cascading down from the riverbanks to frame the river that winds away before us, it feels like we’ve stumbled upon a slice of bliss that our daily lives have been lacking for a long time.
We drift past cranes stoically waiting for a meal, swans gracefully trooping past us, and ethereal webs spun in the willows by ermine moths, which create silk webbing for their caterpillars to pupate within.
Just then, the sun breaks through the clouds, illuminating the raindrops suspended in the silk like Christmas lights.
However, this dreamlike scene is broken by an approaching weir, and we scramble out of the canoe for another portage. Although it’s a longer portage than before, we’re basically experts at this point, and we’re back in the water in no time.
The next section of the river is dotted with beautiful little cabins on the banks, and we consult the map to discover that we’re close to the small stream that will lead us to Matchstick Woods.
We leave the Great Ouse behind and paddle up the stream, the water getting shallower and the pebbles on the bottom visible through the clear water.
Ahead is a little wooden dock, charmingly jutting out from the idyllic bank. I almost expect a boy in overalls to be fishing off the end off it with a spear of straw hanging from his mouth.
In any case, that’s our sign for the campsite.
We hop out of the canoe onto the dock, and then lift it out of the water. Turning from the river, we walk a short distance before emerging into a beautiful opening surrounded by trees.
We feel like we’re secluded from everyone, until we remember that Sam has delivered our bags which are sitting in a little wooden box to protect them from the elements, which although it slightly breaks the illusion of complete solace, we figure it’s better that than having to carry all our gear over the weirs.
We set up our MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack 2-Person tent. Let me tell you, I LOVE how easy this tent is to set up: it only takes the two of us a couple of minutes to pitch.
We were hoping to just pitch the inner mesh section of the tent so we could gaze at the stars from our sleeping bags, but we’ve seen the forecast and decide that we should probably pitch the outer fly as well, so we don’t wake up soaking wet in the middle of the night.
There’s more than enough room inside for our mats and gear, and we hang our wet socks on the clothesline inside the tent.
After inflating our mats, we unpack our ultralight Cumulus Aerial 180 sleeping bags that we’re testing for the night to let the down un-compress.
One of the great things about this sleeping bag is that it features just a single layer of ultralight fabric at the bottom, which saves weight and pack space, and since the majority of insulation from the ground comes from our sleeping mats, it doesn’t impact our warmth.
With our camp set up and the sun still shining, we get the canoe back in the water to explore the river some more. We paddle back up through the stream and join the main river again, deciding to continue downstream to see what we can find.
Very conveniently, we stumble across a place just by the riverside called Danish Camp, a café and sometimes bar which happens to be open.
It’s a beautiful Scandinavian-style log cabin with a deck that looks out over the water, so we get out of the canoe and carry it up the bank (highly appreciating the Keen Hyperports and their impeccable traction) so it doesn’t float away and head over for a drink, sitting on the deck and watching a gaggle of Canadian geese noisily inspect our canoe.
After a drink, we decide that it’s probably high time to get back to our camp before it gets dark.
Having mastered getting in and out of a canoe, we’re faced with our first real upstream paddle of the trip. But we’re warmed up and have been honing our paddling skills all day, so we effortlessly cruise back to Matchstick Woods and return to camp.
Sam has gone above and beyond and he has also delivered some logs for us to make a fire with, and we’re soon drying our feet on the crackling flames.
It might sound weird, but after a day of walking in water, I was eager to put my Skechers D’Lux Journey trainers on. They’re incredibly soft and supportive and honestly, that’s exactly the type of support I need in my life after a long day of exploring.
As the fire is warming us up on the outside, we decide to break out our Primus stove for a nice cup of coffee, to warm us up on the inside.
For camping recently we’ve been using the Primetech pot set, which comes with two pots that nestle together and are super lightweight, and coupled with the quick boil time, it’s been an impressive cook set.
As we’re extolling the virtues of our cookware we notice an unpleasant burning smell, and looking over at the fire, we realise my husband has done it again.
He’s left his brand-new Darn Tough socks I’d just bought for him too close to the fire, and they’ve ignited in a pitiful sock-effigy display.
After an exhausted, disheartened giggle, we decided to just enjoy a meal and try to take our minds off the tragedy. I think the universe knew we needed some cheering up too and sent Splash, the neighbouring camper’s Cockapoo to cheer us up, much to his owner’s dismay. He was a lovely dog and great source of entertainment.
For dinner we made a recipe I’d found on the Primus website: bacon and tomato pasta with mixed beans, although we left the beans out.
I’m a handy cook at home but using a camping stove is a completely different experience, so I find that having tried and tested recipes that I know cook well on my camping stove and pots really does make meal planning while adventuring so much easier.
As darkness falls over our camp we sit and watch the last of our fire burn out with another cup of coffee.
We head to our tent for a well-deserved sleep only briefly waking up to hear a group of campers singing The Cranberries – a surprisingly pleasant lullaby. With a nice breeze flowing through the tent and the temperature mild, I initially opted to sleep on top of my Cumulus sleeping bag.
But as the night deepened, the temperature significantly dropped and I was very happy to wiggle into the Aerial 180, which proved to be cosy, and most importantly, impressively warm for something that weighs just 300g and packs down smaller than my Nalgene bottle.
We wake up the next morning feeling very well rested and to my surprise my Keen sandals had completely dried overnight. Although they were about to get wet again, it’s always nice to start the day with a dry pair of shoes.
We quickly boil some water on the Primus for a coffee, before getting breakfast ready. Whilst I’m frying up some bacon we had another visit from Splash, although it was obvious that he was more interested in our breakfast than us.
After he feasted on a flyaway piece of bacon he disappeared back into the woods, and we started to break camp.
For our journey back to Bedford, we decided to take everything with us in our canoe, and so we filled our backpacks with our gear and rubbish and started packing our canoe.
Once the boat was loaded, we set course back to our original location. It was a beautiful day and with the sun shining, the water looked like a mirror, perfectly reflecting the sky and trees.
It was again beautiful and serene, although with an added sense of danger, as this time the banks were filled with fishermen.
Unbeknownst to us, it was the first day for fishing season and we were conscious to avoid getting in their way. Dodging their lines, we steadily made our way back, enjoying the same views and the extra challenge of paddling upstream.
We got to our first weir and very quickly realised that carrying our canoe with our added gear made life a little harder, but we did not mind one bit as the weather was simply stunning.
Eventually we reach our original launch location in Bedford, having only taken 40 minutes longer to cover the same distance as yesterday with our added weight and against the current.
Upon arriving, we’re met by the team from Canoe Trail again, who congratulate us for our successful paddle (and for returning the canoe in one piece).
The park next to the River Great Ouse is packed with visitors in their Sunday best, and we felt a little out of place walking through the crowds with the scent of the river on us – but after 2 days of being river rats and wild camping, there is nothing that can really bring you down.
Getting back to the car, it was very clear that the time with water had done something to our spirts. We felt at peace and recharged.
We felt like we had travelled to a remote location even though we had only been a few miles up and down the Great Ouse from Bedford this entire time.
Having the right gear for the trip had definitely added to our experience, having an excellent and portable tent, the right shoes for the conditions, a comfortable sleeping set up and reliable cooking gear.
And best of all was the support from Canoe Trail and the adventure they had organised for us, which had been one of the most memorable weekend trips we had done in a while.
It just goes to show that you can have a brilliant weekend of exploring and getting back in touch with nature without having to travel far or emptying the piggy bank.
You can discover the River Great Ouse for yourself, along with some of the UK’s best paddling destinations, with Canoe Trail. Find out more here.