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I start a newsletter wondering what I can put in it but then it seems to get bigger as the days go by. It seems to keep raining, but not quite enough to fill the Avon, however there is still time.
- Who's Out There
- Progressive Racing Group
- Marathon
Dinner
- Walyunga Wild Water Race
- A Day on the Canning Stock Route -14th July 1990
- A Whale of a Day
- Birds Along The Way
- Coming Events
I don't often see the white feathers of a black swan unless they are flying or having a bath..
Phil & Jane King. Jane has been working too much so it's
good to see her back in a boat enjoying a few hours on the river.
Phil loves the sprint season.
Garry Clarke having a late morning paddle.
World Sprint Championships in Auronzo,
Italy. Photo Paddle Australia.
WAs Mitch Tamblin in action at the championships. Photo Paddle Australia.
Dougal Glaisher, 23, who paddled 2,000 miles in 40 days,
smashing the record for kayaking around Britain and beating the previous record by 27 days! Click on the link in our stories for more information on this incredible achievement.
Progressive Racing Group No matter the weather PRG paddlers are always here.
The faster paddlers take off.
In 1979 Steve and I, as a pair of singles came second in the Avon Descent. It was a low year. Back then every paddler had to paddle with someone else so it was important to pick someone your equal.
In 1980 the water levels weren't that high. We came third. In
1978 though the water level was good.
You never know what is in store until the day.
Another low year with John Breed.
Lets hope we have a little more rain this year.
You never know it could be high water again. Photo John
O'Sullivan.
You can tell that Marathon paddlers are rich by the decor! This
eating establishment even provided kayaks to look at.
Lily Farrell, Erica McKnight and I answered a few questions about the marathon season. Photos Nicky Taylor.
Volunteers who helped out during the marathon season all got certificates. 51 people helped out.
Leanne Hampson with the Les Rimmer Trophy. Les was her
Dad! Winners of the Les Rimmer Trophy went to the most successful club: Ascot Kayak Club: It was accepted by Stephan Weyers, Izzy Florisson, Scarlett Florisson, Ella Farrell, Lilly Farrell, Leanne Hampson, Orlando Fonseca, Jack Wright, and Jonathan Clarke - Some of Ascot's younger guns!
Walyunga Wild Water Sprints
Walyunga Wild Water Race #4 It turned out being such a glorious morning which is always appreciated when we have a bit of hanging around to do before and between events. We were at Walyunga National Park to paddle two individual 600 metre rapid races and one team event in Wild Water Kayaks, Wavehoppers and other sundry class boats, which included some skis. There were 46 races. 33 in Wild Water type Kayaks and 13 Sundry Craft. The idea is to paddle down the rapids as fast as you can. Then walk your kayak back up to the start for another run. Being more of a marathon paddler I must admit I like a longer race, although the young sprinters love shorter races, but a day amongst the hills, trees, whitewater and the chance to chatter is always pleasing and good for
the soul. The rapids weren’t too difficult, grade 2, so it was just right for the less experienced, the juniors and still testing and good fun for the more
experienced paddlers. When the races were over Wendy, Ross and Mel had some tasty hot soup and buns waiting for us. Another good reason to take part.
Michael Gorie. Michael is new to Wild Water but it doesn't show.
Crossing the finish line a little bit different.
The winning team - Luke, Harry and Wayne.
All finished. Thanks to Kris & Steph Smith, the timers, Bruce McWhirter, Bec & Scott Florisson and other committee members for putting on a good mornings racing. Results, Male: 1st Harry Langley,
2nd Luke Dooley, 3rd Wayne Martin. Female: 1st Nina Mueller 2nd, Sharon Cobley, 3rd Steph Bedden.
As part of my one year Around Australia 24,000km walk, run, cycle and kayak the Canning Stock Route was a part of the journey. I had just paddled 800kms from Augusta to Geraldton and cycled 810kms from Geraldton to
Wiluna, but the 16,00km Canning Stock Route walk was probably going to be a lot more difficult due to a knee injury I had before taking off and this would be the first time that I had an opportunity to put it under any real strain. July 14th 1990. 33 Years a go to the Day. A Day in the Life of TB
Near Well 16.
Walking the Canning Stock Route, 16,00kms.
July 14th. Near Well 16. The sunrise was stunning. The clouds
engulfed the red glow, spreading mackerel red shades across the sky. It was one of the finest mornings to walk. I soon passed the turn off to Well 16. John and Tim checked it and found foul water. I walked over the first sand dune with ragged stumps of spinifex and followed the huge hoof marks of a camel. The tracks were fresh but again I didn’t set eyes on the beast. It was the best time of the day to walk; cool, still and colourful. John and Tim caught me up after 90 minutes walking alone. The roar of the engine shattered my peace and thoughts of the past. Durba Hills loomed in the distance, getting closer every minute. I looked forward to our arrival there. Five vehicles from Victoria passed me. I was alone walking a narrow track in the desert miles from nowhere yet two vehicles passed without a even a word when they
passed. I soon neared the cliffs and hills and at the top of a corner cliff on the south western spur, a stone cairn was piled high like a giant cone looking over the semi-desolate country. It was a monument two metres high, built by Canning in 1906 and impossible to miss. I walked on over a stony area towards Biella Gorge turn off, 7 kms away. Here I accepted a detour ride with Tim and John into the gorge for lunch. The creek was lined by super white ghost gums that glowed before the ochre cliffs. We took a walk to check out the dried-up stream bed and the rock paintings in the gorge. We returned to the turn off and I started walking again. I met people in three cars, one from the Hunter Valley Canoe Club. We talked for a short time about the club and about Ian Gardner, a very good Down River paddler that I had known.
I walked on, parallel to the cliffs and then beside the road I found a chair, possibly fallen off a passing truck. I was happy with my find, because mine had broken only a couple of days earlier.
My spirits were high which made me sing. My feet were also feeling better as the track was much softer as I had left most of the corrugations behind, which were brutal on my foot arches. Less corrugations and softer sand helped the pain underfoot to subside. However, I had some blisters developing on my heels so I had to be careful not to let them get any worse. I met another convoy from Geraldton, they bought one of my Kimberley magazines and one guy donated $20.00. They were an excitable group. I caught up with Tim and John about 3.15pm at a turn off into Killagurra Springs. We drove in and checked the scene but the camp site wasn’t up to scratch so we decided to go to Durba Springs. As we moved through a narrow gap between the cliffs of Durba Springs,
we came across a grassed camp site surrounded by beautiful towering red cliffs and dotted with river red gums and date palms. It was a fantastic campsite. It was hard to believe that we were out in the desert. We took photos of the chair that I had found and about 50 beer cans and rubbish that I had collected that day. (The photo was later published in Australian Geographic’s Canning Stock Route book.) After I had washed my hair from the springs it felt soft and bouncy, just like the shampoo ads
on the TV. I sat back and wrote and rested.
As I walked the Canning Stock Route I picked up cans and rubbish.
I picked up 50 beer cans and rubbish that day. I picked up hundreds by the time
I finished the walk.
It was just amazing walking through the desert especially in the early morning and late evening.
Before walking, cycling and paddling around Australia for a year, I have done five 3 month expeditions paddling around the Kimberley Coast and I wrote about those trips in my Kimberley Challenge magazine. I sold these magazines as I went around Australia and sold a lot on the Canning Stock Route.
A Whale of a Day Well, if you want to see some whales you just have to go kayaking at Cheynes beach near Albany. We saw quite a few – all Southern Rights, just lolling about quietly in the shallows. The close encounter whale came to us. We knew it was somewhere nearby but hadn’t spotted it for a while. It ended up doing a couple of curious passes beneath our kayaks before we moved away. (I’ll try to upload a video soon, but I’ve already had a few unsuccessful attempts so will
stick with pictures for this post.) A memorable paddle and some nice fish and chips afterwards. Chris, Colin, Ian, Nigel
You can't get much closer than this. Photo Chris
Fry.
Chris lowers his GoPro in the water .
Chris Fry Photo Brodie Soanes
Hundreds of Little Black Cormorants feeding near Ascot Kayak Club.
They move on a little further.
11.30pm last Friday. The moon rising through the trees
and the heavy mist coming off the river. |
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