The Avon Descent

[samvara]

Am very happy with how things went, would do some things differently, am kinda enthused about the idea of kayaking all of a sudden.

**May not have got all the bridges right on day two: was faithfully following K+J who were navigating

Friday: Drive to Work; drive to Gym; drive to cricketk’s; shower and express love for manly shower gels; pack more gear in car then drive to zebra363’s. Eat Cricket’s first ever cream based pasta (Mmm) and icecream with chocolate sauce (DoubleMmm). Sleep.

Saturday: Wake early; dress up as pirates; dance about and take photos.

Drive to Northam; watch juffles and NonLJPerson get into paddling gear; take photos. Race starts; juffles and NLJP paddle away; buy hotdogs.

Drive juffles’s car to Katrine bridge down the wrong side of the road; split up; wait for paddlers while cricketk drives car to correct side of river. Wave at paddlers and admire funky kayak decorations including rubber ducks, sheep and B1&B2 outfits; wave at juffles; wave at NLJP.

Drive to Dunbarton Bridge; admire juffles’s sore elbow; wave at NLJP.

Drive to Extracts Weir; miss juffles; admire maniacs going OVER the weir rather than carrying kayak around (later discover juffles was one of these people); wave at NLJP and admire Officials teasing him about cut-off times.

Drive to Toodyay, miss juffles again, wave at NLJP.

Drive to Julimar bridge; provide juffles with painkillers, admire now working elbow; tease juffles about chasing girls and showing off; decide one car not working, wave at NLJP.

Drive to Northam, collect 2nd car.

Drive to Cobblers Pool and find Support Camping location (not as easy as it sounds, have one car with Support sticker on it and one mystery car, need ‘blue card’ and ‘wristbands.’ Convince staff that we need the biggest camping spot they have whilst maintaining faith in juffles to have organised everything previously; faith justified.) Set up tents; fetch paddlers from river; make food; make fire; sit and rest. Campsite infected with bogans; night punctuated by fireworks going off, both vertically and horizontally; setting of fire to things including one ute (accident); burnouts and donuts; also much loud music.

Sunday: Get up shortly after six; V. cold, everything shrouded in mist; admire (deep, deep admiration) juffles getting back in to wet paddling gear. NLJP withdraws from race.

Drive to Posselts Ford and the Super Chute; admire juffles not falling out - many people did; take photos.

Drive back to campsite; break down wet tents.

Drive to Toodjay; eat breakfast and chat to NLJP who is very funny.

Drive to Bells rapids; park and catch bus in; admire vast amount of rapids; share ‘media rock’ with guys with cameras; admire juffles not falling out again (aww no fun); show off camera to JJJ man and have V. quick talk about lenses. Give juffles more water and food; catch bus back to car – use Support status to get on first bus despite utter lack of correct identification.

Drive to Upper Swan Bridge; admire first of the power boats coming through – Whee! Admire juffles still paddling and shout witty, encouraging things.

Drive to West Swan Road; repeat.

Drive to Bridge Street; repeat.

Drive to Katanning Park; repeat; admire one very tired paddler still doing weary smiles; shout encouraging noises.

Drive to Garret Road Bridge Finish Line; fail to have correct Support Crew ID but clever disguise (covered in red dust and car stuffed full of camping gear) gains admittance; retrieve exhausted juffles complete with shiny medal; provide dry pants and hot chocolate.

Drive to juffles’s home and order pizza; unpack; collapse; mumble things to each other; pat Wendy.

Drive cricketk home.

Drive self home; email work; explain not getting up tomorrow morning; sleep.

Pictures! There are short movies too but they will have to be viewed in person.

Comments

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

Wow, lots of driving involved! Paddling might be easier!

Thanks for sharing the photos.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

I think K and I were just as tired on the first day...

I had too!

Juffie will beat me ;-(