ALC go Canoe Wild!
In early June 2023, whilst at the Canterbury meet, a group went on the nearby River Stour for a "Sunset Paddle" in open, Canadian Canoes.
The trip was organised by Canoe Wild and cost £35 each:
Arriving at Grove Ferry you can park your car, or leave your bike safely inside their garage, they will then take you in a minibus to Fordwich. There they fit you with life saving jackets, explain how to paddle and control the canoes before starting the trip.
It took about three hours to paddle back to Grove Ferry and the picture was taken about half way when we stopped for a short break.
It was a beautiful, peaceful experience and along the way we saw various wildlife including a marsh harrier, and, most amazingly, several beavers! The picture shown doesn't do it justice at all, we got to within about two metres of that beaver, before it jumped into the water. We could clearly see it swimming under the water before it popped up to take a look at us! There are only about 400 beavers in the whole of the UK so we were very lucky to see them.
The whole trip was a wonderful experience and recommended for anyone visiting the Canterbury area.