Tag: flatwater trips 2006

A 100km charity paddle down the Brisbane River from Wivenhoe Dam to West End

Details are available at Qld Canoeing (http://www.canoe.org.au/?Page=8333)

The club had two entries – a relay team (TK2) and a solo effort (K1). The point was not to race, but to participate. Each day was divided into shorter sections ranging from 8.5 km to 13 km. Relay team members paddled two legs per day.

Day 1 (Sat 7th Oct): Wivenhoe Spillway to Kholo Lagoon
Day 2 (Sun 8th Oct): Kookaburra Park, Karana Downs to Orleigh Park,
West End

Purpose:

• Raise funds and help kids with cancer (Camp Quality).
• Enjoy a surprisingly beautiful river.
• Have fun.

Time: October 7th & 8th (Sat & Sun)
Duration: 1 or 2 days
Paddle type: Flatwater
Distances: Full (100 km)
Location: Brisbane river (many parts upstream are quite beautiful)
Contact: Flatwater representative
Cost: $100 per person (up to $75 of this may be from sponsorship)

Report
The race was well organised and ran smoothly. The TK2 relay team progressed well, surviving the infamous logjam. However, the K1 boat encountered gravel runs soon after starting, and had serious rudder problems for the rest of the day. A different K1 kayak was used on day 2 (thanks support crew!).

A few months earlier a club kayaking trip ran into two fields of water hyacinth that blocked the river. The first took over an hour and a huge team effort to paddle through. Boats were carried around the second. Everyone who was on that earlier trip appreciated the work of the Wivenhoe Dam staff who successfully cleared these blockages prior to the race.

Day one finished with a relaxing afternoon swim and our campsite was set up. The BV100 organisers and supporting groups arranged live music (who were pretty good), generous amounts of hot food, and a large bonfire.

On day two, a skirt was used to prevent boat wakes from flooding the low set TK2 kayak. Luckily the wake-boarders were not as bad as the previous year. Despite this, the large M.V. Mirimar cruise boat (on its way to Lone Pine Koala sanctuary) and the City Cat ferry combined bow waves to bring the low riding TK2 to grief during the final leg. It recovered and finished. The afternoon awards session had many prizes, with a strong emphasis on fun and fundraising rather than competition, reflecting the fun character of the BV100.

Looking forward to next year…