Merimbula Water Dragons participated in their annual Mallacoota Marathon recently.
Organisers said about 90 people and four dragons were involved in the day proved to be a marathon to coordinate on the day.
Dragon boaters came from as far afield as Melbourne and Albury, as well as local towns, to take part in the 15km plus paddle from Gipsy Point to Mallacoota.
The paddle started with a number of novelty events where items had to be found on the water or close to the water’s edge which would then reveal further clues.
One of the liveliest events was the scramble to get as many coloured balls into each dragon boast corresponding to the colours on the boat.
However, one of the highlights was seeing the Victorian national parks helicopter, siren sounding, flying low over the nearby bush ready to drop “bombs” that would start fires in some of the remote bush areas as part of the hazard reduction process.
The paddlers roamed past massive plumes of smoke.
The paddle finished with races to the jetty at Mallacoota watched by enthusiastic visitors. Sweeps were checked for their style and ability throughout the day with “secret agents” aboard each dragon boat who later reported on their progress over dinner.
The event is a major fundraiser for the Merimbula Water Dragons who had in excess of 20 raffle prizes as part of the evening events.
If you would like to try dragon boat paddling, turn up for a Sunday morning session at Top Lake, Merimbula 9am for 9.30am start or contact Mary Balmain on 0448 825 785.
