2/11/01 To all new paddlers,
This can't wait till next week - Snowgum are having a Come 'n Try Day this Sunday, 11th November. It's for those who are unsure what to buy - so they can 'try before they buy'. Be at Matilda Bay, Crawley, near the Dinghy Club, between 10am and 2pm . For more enquiries contact Snowgum 9321 5259.
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Something borrowed
During the 2001 Descent someone borrowed a paddle from David Simpson and has forgotten to return it - It was a black carbon paddle with blue painted ends and a Waikiki Village shopping Centre sticker on it. David would love to get it back, so email him if you can help:
<mailto:David.Simpson@sepl.com.au>David.Simpson@sepl.com.au
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Blackwood Marathon Results
My link to the results did not work in the last email so I'm having another attempt:
<http://www.mccays.com.au/theevent>http://www.mccays.com.au/theevent

7/11/01 Demo Day- "Perception" Craft - Mandurah
Mandurah Sportz is organizing a Perception Demo Day on the Mandurah forezhore, weztern zide on Zaturday, 10th November. Juzt turn up between 11am and 3 pm . 

Check out and try out the newest sea kayak from Perception, the 'Ecobehig', 5.2m and weighs only 25kg. Full range of their boats will be available to try - sit-on-tops, estuary boats and more, plus accessories.
For more detailz contact Wayne or Jenny on 9582 9995 or 0419 885 710.
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white water blah blah
The latest news and interesting chat for white water paddlers can be found at the Boatertalk website (though you will have to sift through the local American content).
http://www.boatertalk.com
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4WD and Adventure Show
Kayak - Demos 9th, 10th and 11th November
Mainpeak Paddlesports will be at the 4WD and Adventure show next weekend 9th Nov to 11th Nov. There will be lots of craft available for Demo. Including sit-on-tops and sea kayaks. Drop in and see us right on the river at McCallum Park.
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BAY 2 BEACH Challenge Sat 10th Nov
Mainpeak Paddlesports sponsored
This race starts at the Mosman Park boat ramp (Johnston St), finishes at Cottesloe Beach and is organised by Canoewa. Whilst not for novices, it is definitely a must for those with some experience. The 17km race kicks off at 11am (briefing at 10:30). Entry forms from Mainpeak.
The event is open to sea kayaks, surf skis and outrigger canoes and will be a great spectator event.
Spectators: Follow the race on your bike around the river and then up the coast
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Reminder - Snowgum Come 'n Try
Sunday, 11th November. 'try before you buy'. Matilda Bay, Crawley, near the Dinghy Club, between 10am and 2pm . For more enquiries contact Snowgum 9321 5259.
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Slalom Paddlers
There are two slalom kayak moulds for sale on the Bulletin Board of my website: http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe

15/11/01 Collie River Paddling
The Water Corporation has announced that irrigation has been under way for a couple of weeks now. The rate at present (458 megalitres) equates to about 1.17 cm at the gauging station - high due to the hot weather. The usual summer pattern is for the highest releases during the week, dropping off Friday, but increasing again Sunday for the farmers on early Monday am. I often put the expected weekend release on my netsite - click on <http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe>Water Levels on the home page.
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Nationals for Slalom & Wildwater
2002 Australian Age Slalom & Wildwater Championships, and the 2001 Australian Schools Slalom &
Wildwater Championships are to be held at Nymboida Canoe Centre, NSW, in January 2002.

If you would like all the the information and/or entry form from NSW Canoeing Inc for this event just email Margaret Jeffery <mailto:artgraph@iinet.net.au>artgraph@iinet.net.au . She will send you an attachment with all you need to know.
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Boogie at the Beach - Event Reminder
Tom from Rivergods says  there will be a RIOT Boogie at the coming RIOT playboat demo day - it's an ultra light plastic kayak designed for surf with a playboat deck on a wave ski hull and three fins. Starts 9.00 am at Isolaters, the end of Pearse St, Cottesloe on Sunday 25th November. All are welcome to come 'n try or just join in the fun 'n antics with your own boat. For more details contact Tom at Rivergods ph 9259 0749 or at <mailto:rivergod@ca.com.au>rivergod@ca.com.au

Tom is selling off several second hand RIOT playboats - check out the list on the Bulletin Board of my site.
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And don't forget - Island to Island Race, Swan River, Sunday, 18th November, from Ascot Inn jetty, Epsom Avenue, Ascot.
Registration - 8:30 am
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All white water paddlers should read the story on the death of a kayaker on the lower Cobungra River in Victoria (Grade 4), included in this week's news from Australian Canoeing. Go to: http://www.canoe.org.au/story.asp?Item=170

21/11/01 "The Helix"
Playboat maestros (and those who would like to be) should look at this amazing site: <http://www.stevefisher.net>http://www.stevefisher.net and check out the new move - The Helix- there's instruction as well as a movie, also some great paddling pics (including Victoria Falls, Zambesi River).
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Surf's Up
Thanks to Robyn Harris and Iain McGown who sent in some pics of kayak surfing (they make it look easy!) http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe/binnsurf.html
Reminder: there is a Surf Demo Day this Sat 9am at Cottesloe, end of Pearse Street (RIOT Kayaks).
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Collie River
Newcomers to white water kayaking - paddling the Collie River is a must! Find out what terrors await you in the series of pics on my website - with thanks again to Iain McGown & others: <http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe/collpics.html>http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe/collpics.html
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From our paddling mate, Fitzy
" I'm back! I started work yesterday on a 4 hour day, for the next 4 weeks. My recovery so far has been excellent- it was a credit to my fitness and the excellent skill of my surgeon. I am cycling to work and am now back into Avon training for next year. Regards, Fitzy " (a.k.a. Peter Fitzgerald)
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Results
of last Sunday's Island to Island Marathon can be seen on Ascot Kayak Club's website:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ascotkay/mara/Marathon%202001/Marathon%202%202001.htm

Also, Ascot are also playing local host to an Australia-wide, simultaneous 24 hour marathon to see which relay team of six can perform the most laps of a 5Km course in the 24-hours. Starts -8:30am Saturday morning with non-stop paddling until 8:30am Sunday morning. Go to the Ascot Kayak Club jetty if you want to see how they're going (and give them some support!). Want to join in? It may be too late, but contact Peter Martin to find out: <mailto:petermar@iinet.net.au>petermar@iinet.net.au

29/11/01 Collie River
Don't expect to paddle at Collie this Sunday, 2nd December, as Water Corporation will be doing work on the dam. Water will be turned off at 7am. There will be some water on Saturday (too early to say exactly how much), between 200 - 300 megalitres flow, which is paddleable, between 0.7m and 0.9m at the gauging station. Most weekends thru the summer I will put the expected release on my website - click through from the front page <http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe/index.html>WA River Levels.
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Start Training Now!
2002 World Masters' Games are to be held in Melbourne, 5th - 13th October. This is good news for sprint, marathon and canoe polo paddlers as their events are included in this international meet. Check out their website:  <http://www.2002worldmasters.org>www.2002worldmasters.org
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Heh heh heh
You will have lotsa laughs reading John Mulcahy's "Tale of Two Paddlers" - an account of his first Avon attempt - which he's just sent in. (Pics to go with it are yet to be uploaded). Click on "Paddlers' Yarns" on the front page of my website or <http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe/avstJMM.html>here
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New On the <http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe/newsfl.html>Bulletin Board . . .
There's an assortment of second hand plastic boats for sale by the Scripture Union for those on a small budget. (If you need repairs <http://www.iinet.net.au/~rokhor/canoe/iangarth.html>Ian Garthwaite is good to contact). Also Andrew Linton is keen to have some space in his shed, so check out the Edge (DR boat) that he's selling for an absentee paddler.
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Nostalgic Visit to Former Wild Water Course
Harvey Dam is now unrecognisable with a huge new dam wall under construction - a 'site' worth seeing. The road has been re-routed almost to the Stirling Dam turnoff. The signpost here to the "Wild Water Course" is bent and points downwards as if hinting at what awaits the old Harvey paddler.

Arriving at the beauty spot which once was the white water paddler's "summer playground" I see the top pools are filled in with rock and sand and levelled off. The river bed is dry. Construction access roads have obliterated most of the tracks we used when lugging our boats back to the top of the course. Here and there I can see some evidence of its past life - slalom wires stretched over the river, a ramp or two, a bridge and steps leading nowhere.

The irrigation water that was once released from Stirling Dam and stored in the old Harvey Dam (and used by paddlers on its way down!) is now piped to the southern suburbs of Perth.