Georges River Adventure Paddle
By Wayne Wanders
Off to Cattle Duffers Reserve for another adventure paddle.
Check in early and get the maps. Quick calculation and work out that there is
no way that i can do all check points in the 3 hours - nothing new in that! OK
now come thes "fun" part - to work out which checkpoints to go for - which is
made hard by the starting point being in the middle of the course.
Without knowing the points yet, guess that the highest points will be around the
run and the two end points in the paddle.
Based on the weather forecast and not doing much running training lately due
to the heat, decide I want to do the run first thing while still fresh and then
worry about the paddle later relying on being on the water to keep cool.
After deciding this, which way to paddle! Looked at the map and tides and
worked out more paddle checkpoints downstream and the bonus of paddling
back with the tide at the end.
Plan set - head up river, do the run, collect close by checkpoints and then head
downriver to the furthest checkpoint and return.
Now for the race itself, beach start this time, luckily I am on the upriver side of
the bunch and the points card is on the next beach up river, quickly get the
points card and paddle off to the start of the run. Being early (even before the
course marshall who minds the boats) makes it a bit harder to find the
checkpoint. Any way put on the running shoes and head up the track to first of
the run check points - Follow the faster runners (well maybe those who all run
the up the hill v's me who runs a bit, walks a bit runs a bit .....) to the first run
check point.
On the way to the next run checkpoint one of the runners follows someone off
into the bush thinking they are following them to the next checkpoint, only to find
out that person needs a toliet stop - bit embarrasing hey!
Anyway, find the next run checkpoints (Even find Gary's Srubby gum - new
species of tree). Can see where the kayak is from checkpoint 10 and decide,
bugger running up the hill on the track and back down the other side - just climb
down the side of the embankment and bush bash accross.
Back at the kayak, off go the runners and back on with the paddle booties.
Cross the river pick up checkpoint 6 and then head downriver. Find that i am the
only person on this strategy, so there are no boats in front to follow - damm
have to find all the check points myself.
Anyway pick up all check points on the north side of the river on the way. Get
to the bottom checkpoint ahead of schedule. Bit interesting trying to stamp the
control card while holding the kayak off the rocks as boats fly past the "No
Wash Zone" sign - Lot of boat owners who can not read - is reading in the boat
licence test?
Turn around and start to enjoy the tide helping back - pick up the check points
on the south side of the river and head up Mill Creek when it has the best of the
tide. Even then it is still very shallow in places. Anyway, get through, collect
the points and head back to the finish with about 10 minutes to spare - think
maybe I should have gone for checkpoints past 6 - but too late now.
Anyway, out of the kayak and hand in the control card.
Now to the worst part of it all - clean the kayak. Funny how much mud there is
around mangroves and how it sticks to the kayak and you.
While cleaning the kayak watch for others I know to finish - see a number of
people who went up river last got caught by the tide and a fail to finish in the 3
hours and got hit by the time penalties.
Cleaning done, sit back with a sausage sandwich and a cold drink for the
presentation. Find my strategy actually worked this time (maybe the running
training helped too) and got in the prizes.
Overall, another excellent event organised by Max Adventure - looking forward
to the next one.
Keep them coming.
Wayne Wanders
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