Miscellaneous pictures

In no particular order, here are some more pictures, from Seja, one of the first aid volunteers who also helped out with land crewing & paddling for the dragon boat.

The first photo is a typical checkpoint after Day 1 - no beach.

These pictures give a much better idea of the harshness of the light, and thence the heat. The outrigger here is the boat I think we'll do it in next time; a LOT easier to paddle & a lot lighter. Dragonboats are really ceremonial; OC's evolved to sail across oceans.

After it's over, time to go home. That's 350 kilo's worth of boat we've just put onto that trailer, in Swan Hill. The look you can't see on everyone's face is relief.

Being an ex Red Cross event, one of the traditions is Red day, on race day 4. I'm sitting on the boat to keep it attached to the shore as it gets loaded up from the other end. This is at maybe the 2nd checkpoint of the day? The crowd behind are the holiday makers waiting to get their river back.

Race rules are to have lifejackets on board for all crew - after the 1st day people decided it was better to drown perhaps than suffocate certainly, so they now live piled up in the front.

The flowers are plastic. I'm shocked we didn't win the prize for best decorated boat; had there been one, we were a shoe-in.

Looking peaceful - from the finish line back up the river. Towards 4 PM, Swan Hill comes all over pastoral. Mind you, it's about 40 degrees in that picture.

Just coming out of a checkpoint on Day 1 - people still wearing lifejackets at this stage! Note the sandy banks. Note also the glare off the water - it's not just light, it's heat too.