Paddle on the Macleay 2014 will be part of the River Festival in Kempsey on 20 September.
Only a few more days to go and the excitement is growing. Many paddlers have expressed their interest to join the event. Dragonboats are going to meet the paddlers. Marine Rescue will be on the river to ensure the participants’ safety. The weather forecast is good. We are ready. Let’s make a splash!
Click on the image to enlarge
Last year, SOMR organised ‘Paddle on the Macleay’ to celebrate the beauty of the river and to raise awareness of potential water contamination in the catchment. On a sunny day late in September, more than 100 people enjoyed the paddle from Pee Dee Station to Bellbrook. Calls to repeat the event were heard immediately afterwards. This year, SOMR is hosting the Paddle on the Macleay 2014 in conjunction with the River Festival in Kempsey on Saturday 20 September.
Due to the lack of rain, the river levels in the Upper Macleay are too low to navigate so this time we will launch our canoes from Nelsons Wharf behind Kempsey Airport. We will time our arrival “en masse” at Riverside Park to coincide with the opening of the Festival around 12.30. It’s a 9 Km course which should take no longer than three hours.
This is a rare, if not unique opportunity to enjoy the river in the company of fellow paddlers, and to participate in the River Festival from the perspective of the river.
Registrations forms and $5 fee per boat will be taken at the access gate near Nelsons Wharf from 8.00 to 8.45 am, after which the gate will be closed. Safety instructions will be given before launching the boats at 9am.
Paddle on the Macleay is not a race, but all boats should have finished the course by 12.30. Drivers will be available to take you back to your car at Nelsons Wharf.
You’ll need to bring your own boat and buoyancy vest. Tea and biscuits (for a gold coin) will be provided at a point near the end of the course where we will muster before reaching the River Festival area.
Attached is the registration & waiver form and a map. Please fill it in before arriving at the gate. For further information ph 6562 4486
SOMR will have an information stall at the Festival.
Paddlers getting ready at Pee Dee Station to Paddle on the Macleay 2013