Enjoy the CDU Newsletter
Published: Wed, 11/02/16
521
2nd November 2016
Message Bank
By the time you receive this
Sandy will have finished her trip
*******************************
Sandy's Five and a Half Years
and 22,000km solo kayak journey
is finished
Can you imagine what it's going to feel like when you have
been paddling on and off for over 5 years and you come to
the end of the journey? Well Sandy Robson will soon find out
as on Wednesday she will reach Saibai Island, her destination
and be greeted by her father, Gordon and friendly locals.
This is the culmination of a 5 and a half year project retracing
the journey of Oskar Speck across the globe from Germany to
Australia.
I know from personal experience, when I paddled, walked and
cycled around Australia for a year I just wanted to keep going
as it had become a part of my life. After all the troubles
and struggles Sandy has had in PNG I think Sandy will be happy
to head home and relive the journey in her memories...until
the urge to do another expedition returns!
Saibai Island is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago,
located in the Torres Strait of Queensland, Australia. The
island is situated north of the Australian mainland and south
of the island of New Guinea.
Mud, glorious mud, I have made it across Kikori
delta, the mighty Bamu, the huge Fly River Delta, down a crocodile
infested channel that I should not have taken, through places
so muddy I could not walk, now safe, hot showered and preparing
to exit PNG. JUST 70km to the FINISH!!!
Can you imagine landing in this mud!
The support team
Carrying gear ashore
Home for the night
My TI contact Vic Mcgrath gave me some friendly
wise advice last night. He said that I should get good rest
as Daru can be a noisy & sometimes violent place at night.
So a ruckus started in the hotel corridor, the manager threatening
to call the police. Lots of raised voices and violent swearing.
When I dared to look out in the corridor the manager was accusing
me. 'Your support crew are causing problems'. I found two
of them, drunk so they can't stand up, yelling at each other.
I am terrified the hotel room gets trashed and I will have
to pay. I thought they were watching movies, nope. Very drunk.
Geez! What next PNG. MY HEAD IS EXPLODING. why me!!! This
is so screwed. Will this be funny later? I am so tired. I
am no longer Sandy Robson the kayaking adventurer, but that
bloody woman with the three drunk guys who are spoiling the
hotel stay for all our guests. Geez! I never in my life ever
want a support boat again. So much headaches.
The tide goes out, one third of this pic is
garbage on the sea-shore. Shame Daru! People coming here to
market, sleep on their canoes and dinghy's in the harbor.
Customs clearance
Looks like my Daru Days are Done, one more
sleep!
In Australian waters only one
hour to go
********************************
Moore River
Race 13th Nov
*********************
Pairs Enduro
Date Change
now 20th November
*********************
Training & Courses
Monday Night Training
is now at
Claughton Reserve,
Bayswater.
5.45pm
*******************
Saturday Morning Fitness Training
7.15am for a 7.30am start
Sandy Beach Reserve, West Road,
Bassendean
*******************
Saturday training is very popular. All welcome
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************************
V12 Demo
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Stories
Bevan Dashwood
Race
I'm not quite sure why
there are not more paddlers taking part in this race because
it is a great race course, the most scenic of all races that
has just about everything. It is run by the slalom committee
and again I decided to sponsor the race as the slalom committee
have done such a great job in keeping slalom a big part of
WA in the difficult circumstances that we don't have a lot
of water in WA and I applaud that. And to see so many WA juniors
and senior paddlers go to different Slalom Championships around
the world is a great testament to their dedication.
The day was perfect, a beautiful spring 30 degree day with
no wind that I could see or feel. Although there were only
35 paddlers in the main race and 14 juniors in the shorter
race that didn't dampen the competition especially in the
DR class which I was in. We were the first class to take off.
Beside me were four Liddles; Peter, Jane, Michael and Baillie.
Then there was James Irwin, Patrick Irwin and John Breed who
was just back from his four month holiday in Europe. Before
going away John would always beat me, but hopefully the holiday
has slowed him, but you never know with John. In fact all
the paddlers except for Patrick were either faster or equal
to me so it was going to be an interesting race. Bevan Dashwood
who the race is named after, although there, unfortunately
couldn't paddle due to a problem with his hand so we didn't
have the chance to beat him.
In my mind I could see that Peter and Michael would be streaks
ahead as soon as we took off and James, who is young and fit
with muscles rippling throughout his body would be close on
their heels as he had beaten all of us in the Upper Swan Tea
Tree Race. Then there were Baillie and Jane. Baillie has stepped
up her speed over the last year or two and she now usually
beats me in most races so that's means I will possibly have
5 paddlers ahead of me. Jane is also close to my speed but
she hasn't had the experience in a DR kayak so I was hoping
to beat her, but you never know.
The boards were taken out of the weir so water flowed through
without interruption. Usually the boards hold back the water
and it's impossible to paddle through unless there are big
rains and it runs over them. Although I'm not a regular to
the Kent Street weir I think it's the first time I have seen
the boards removed. Although we could paddle through the weir
we still had to portage as portaging is part of the race.
We were off and just as I thought Michael, Peter and James
shot off with Michael in the lead, James second and Peter
third. I doubted that I could match their sprint speed but
somehow I did and managed to get onto Pete's wash. What a
bonus. The only time I have beaten Pete in the last 2-3 years
has been in my DR kayak and if I beat him today he would either
have to fall out, or there would be a miracle. To stand any
sort of chance of keeping up with him today I had to stay
on his wash. That wasn't proving to be that easy though especially
when he got onto James's wash as the pace quickened further.
We weaved through the narrow channels with Michael still in
the lead and James on and off his wash. Several social padders
were along the way enjoying the 30 degree day. When we were
halfway to Shelley Bridge I was surprised that I was still
with the group but with every kilometre gained by wash hanging
I knew it would help with my overall time so I just kept plugging
in. There were times in the shallows when I lost Pete's wash
and to get back on I had to give a herculean effort which
was tiring. I was so happy to be up with them at Riverton
Bridge but a 100 metres or so before the turn at Shelley Bridge
Pete did a burn getting alongside James and leaving me to
fend for myself. How inconsiderate, what are friends for!!
I wasn't happy to have lost the wash but if I could do a better
turn I just might be able to get back on. The turn was okay
be they were still ahead, then I saw the nose of a purple
DR kayak which I thought was John Breed tight behind but it
turned out being Baillie. She must have been close behind
all that time and I thought we had lost the rest of the field.
The water was still shallow in places putting extra pressure
of my body that was working at its max. Nevertheless I had
to try and get back on to the wash so I made a huge effort
to chase James and managed to catch him. I was stuffed but
if I kept a good rhythm and brought down my heart rate I had
a chance of staying on his wash.
We hit the shallows again and again. It was like a farmer
had attached a plough to the back of my kayak and then when
we hit deeper water it was let loose and paddling was easier.
At the short cut channel Michael seemed to have developed
quite a lead but later he seemed to slow allowing the group
to bunch up again. I was pretty pleased to have paddled nearly
half the course and I was still up with the guys. Then I saw
the purple nose try to creep up beside me. Bugger it looked
as if Baillie still had a lot left in the tank, but it proved
too hard getting over my wash so she fell back again to try
again a few minutes later. By this time we were just about
back at the weir. Michael hit the sand first, followed by
Pete, James, me and then Baillie. There were only seconds
between us.
Unbeknown to the rest of us Michael had dead legs and found
it difficult to walk. I hit the beach 4th jumped out, lifted
my kayak on my shoulder and ran around the weir and to the
surprise of the others I was first in the water and off I
went. Peter was close behind and managed to get on my wash.
I couldn't believe my luck, had a miracle happened, but whatever
it was I now had to do the hard work and Pete could sit back.
Being a little slower than Pete I imagined he would be sitting
back and having a bit of a holiday, and be ready to pounce
at any time.
We were now meeting a few of the faster K1s and K2s who passed
us earlier. I heard the voice of Bronwyn Martin behind. She
started a grid behind us and was paddling a K1 and being a
lot faster than we were I couldn't understand why she wasn't
passing me. Maybe I was going faster than I thought. Then
the time came when Pete decided he had enough of a holiday
and started passing me taking Bronwyn with him. Having Bronwyn
next to Pete made it just that little bit more of a strain
keeping up as the wash from her kayak was upsetting my rhythm.
It makes it worse when you don't have a rudder to compensate
for the disturbances of a second wash.
Once under Nicholson Road Bridge it was only about 300 metres
to the turn buoy. Pete and Bronwyn had slipped a little ahead
but I made up on the turn and was in business again. I could
now see Baillie approaching the turn with James, Michael and
John close behind. Although they were a few hundred metres
behind I just had to keep the pressure on or they just might
catch me.
I was hoping Bronwyn would take off and leave Pete and I to
fight it out as she was faster than us but she didn't and
her wash was a pain. Go away Bronwyn! Every so often she would
try but then Pete would put a spurt on and keep up with her.
I was already straining and every spurt, and there were many,
took it out of me. So our speed seem to get faster the closer
we got to the finish. Pete said later we were doing 12kms
an hour which wasn't that bad for a DR kayak.
With every kilometre gone by I was just so happy to still
be up with them and when I got within a kilometre of the finish
I knew then I was going to get second place. Although I was
trying my best to beat Pete, the speed was really too fast
for me to pass him, but I was just happy to be so close to
him knowing he is a much stronger paddler.
On that second last turn before the finish Pete and Bronwyn
took off. I didn't have enough in the tank to keep up so I
ended up being 8 seconds behind. I was happy with that. I
was 1 minute 18 seconds in front in Baillie but considering
she didn't have any one to chase she did extremely well.
I forgot to say, it was a great feeling beating John.
The race was advertised as 12kms but Pete said it was close
to 13.7kms by his gps.
*****************************
Blackwood Marathon
Ben Dallin takes to the
water first after his runner came in first. Ben got the fastest
time in the kayak section. His team finished second.
************************
The 40th Hawkesbury
Canoe Classic
The Hawkesbury Canoe
Classic was held last weekend
The Hawkesbury Canoe
Classic is a fun paddle with a serious purpose. Each year
around 600 participants paddle 111 km overnight in the moonlight,
down the Hawkesbury River from Windsor to Brooklyn, to raise
money for charity.
Over the years the event has build into
a great community event, with paddlers, their landcrew and
hundreds of volunteers converging on the banks of the Hawkesbury
River at Windsor on the day of the event to enjoy the camaraderie
and spirit that the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic has built.
The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic has an
excellent safety record, with the long-term health of paddlers
over-riding any other considerations.
The first paddlers leave Windsor at
4:00pm on Saturday and pass 21 safety checkpoints during the
night. The fastest craft arrive at Brooklyn in less than 10
hours, but the average time is closer to 15 hours.
The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic has been
run since 1977 and is made possible by volunteers who put
in hundreds of hours of time throughout the year, landowners
who allow us the use of their land for the weekend and the
paddlers and their support crews.
The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic has raised
more than $4 million for medical research. The major beneficiary
for this year's event will be the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant
Foundation.
Paddlers get ready for
an 111km overnight paddle
History
The Classic turns 40 in 2016. Collectively
over the leadup 39 years' events, paddlers have travelled
over 1.5 million river kilometres.
In 1977, members of the NSW Outward
Bound Ex-Students Association organised a canoe race along
the river they had paddled during their OB course. Apart from
the challenge, the 111km race was going to help the community
by raising money for medical research.
That first race attracted 250 paddlers
and raised $8,500. At its peak the race has attracted more
than 600 paddlers and raises annually in excess of $350,000.
Over the years, records have been set
and broken time and again. The fastest time outright stands
at 7 hours 11 minutes and 7 seconds, set in 1985 by Garry
Byrne, Grant Hughes, Cameron Tunbridge and Brett Worth in
a K4.
John Harmer is the only paddler from
the original 250 starters in 1977 who has completed every
race since then. He assures everyone he will be on the starting
line for his 40th Classic this year. He is followed by Brian
Lyon with 36 finishes. Greg Thompson and Richard Barnes both
clocked up their 35th Classics last year.
The race was originally run overnight
to take advantage of the calmer weather conditions and the
lighter traffic on the river. It also allowed the slower paddlers
to make those last painful strokes in daylight. What the organisers
did not realise when they made this decision was that the
beauty and magic of paddling in moonlight would far outweigh
any of their practical reasons for running the event overnight.
The race is held annually on the last
weekend in October. The weather at this time of year is generally
more stable, with reasonably long daylight hours. Hundreds
of volunteers work hard throughout the night to help maintain
the excellent safety record that has been achieved by the
Hawkesbury Canoe Classic.
The Back Garden
Our front garden is the
river so the beauty is there without us having to do anything,
but the back garden needed some work.
This is how the back
garden looked from our sunroom last week before the work started.
Looking so much better
after a culmination of work by Jenny, myself and Craig Garden
Toil
Jenny set the plants,
I did the levelling and mulching and we got Craig, a paddler
and qualified horticulturist and landscaper to put the lawn
in.
If you need
some landscaping contact Craig Whittome from Garden Toil,
email cwhittome@bigpond.com or 0414 482 486
Nikki enjoying the new
turf
Taking shape
With the house and garden
just about complete surely its time for another expedition!
Race of the Week
Sprint Kayak
Regatta
dates for this season
Regatta 2 - Saturday 5th November - Bayswater
Regatta 3 - Saturday 3rd December - Champion Lakes
State Champs - 14th - 15th January - Champion Lakes
Regatta 4 - 26th February - Champion Lakes
*********************
Moore River
Race 13th Nov
*********************
Pairs Enduro
Date Change
now 20th November
*********************