The Pilgrimage – The Ord River Marathon

The Pilgrimage – The Ord River Marathon

"How we came to be on a dragon boat paddling down the Ord River in the Kimberleys, is a bit of a long story."

These were Michelle Hanton’s, now famous, words at the start of the Ord Marathon in the 2004 June Long Weekend Australian Story Episode, In the Pink. This episode told the Dragons Abreast Story in Australia and it covered all aspects of living life with breast cancer. It helped raise the awareness and benefits of Dragons Abreast Australia, and the number of new Dragons Abreast clubs and paddlers grew quickly across Australia. For the Ord Marathon Organisers, the Kununarra Dragon Boat Club, the show also exposed their great event to Australia and the World.

Joanne and Jo Stanton at the Start (Jo was the Marathon Registrar and also helped with the coordination of the Flowers for the Lily Lake Flowers on the Water Ceremony) - Sun 13 Jun 2010
Geoff, Lindsay Gassman and Joanne - Lindsay lead a great team that not only organised, but also paddled the Marathon - Lily Lake/Kununarra - Sun 13 Jun 2010
The Ord River Marathon is 55km Dragon Boat paddle down the Ord River from the Lake Arygle Dam Wall to the Lily Lake in Kununarra. The paddlers weave their way along the Ord River through one the oldest landscapes in the world. Anyone who has travelled the Ord will tell you about the beautiful dominant colours of the orange weathered gorges, the unique green vegetation and the blue sky that comes with the beginning of the "dry season".

Jenny's Paddle - Colours of the Ord: The Orange, Blues and Greens - Ord River - Sun 13 Jun 2010
For all who have paddled the Ord River Marathon, I am sure there "is a bit of a long story" and for many in the Dragons Abreast Community, the Ord River Marathon has become a kind of "pilgrimage" and a must do at some stage in their paddling career.

Fast forwarding six years to the 2010 June Long Weekend, Joanne and I would find ourselves undertaking the Ord River Marathon as part of the Penrith based Pendragons Dragons Abreast Team – "The Spirit of Friendship".

For Jenny, Joanne and myself the Ord River Marathon was something we always wanted to do. Jenny and I had travelled across the Kimberley’s in May 2001 (Jenny and Joanne had only just started dragon boat paddling) and we spent a few days in Kununarra, which included travelling down the Ord River, along the same course of the Ord River Marathon, on the "Triple J" Tour Boat (the main support boat for the Marathon, as we would find out this year).

Jenny on the Trip J Tour Boat - Ord River - 19 May 2001
So in 2004 when Jenny had co-featured in the Australian Story Episode with Michelle and various others, the Ord River was very familiar and the Ord Marathon was an event we set as a goal. Indeed for me, it was one of the reasons I started paddling.

In the Pink - Australian Story - Mon 14 Jun 2004
In the Pink - Australian Story - Mon 14 Jun 2004
Every time the opportunity presented itself to paddle the Ord River Marathon, we were always busy on some other paddling campaign and we would always say, hopefully next time. Unfortunately, Jenny passed away on the 30 June 2009.

When Joanne and I were invited by the Pendragons Dragons Abreast Team to paddle the Ord Marathon with them on Sunday of the June Long Weekend this year, we felt very privileged and a great sense of honour. Like many DA clubs, the Australian Story Episode was the catalyst for the creation of their club and the reason a number of their members started paddling.

The Spirit of Friendship - Morning Tea Break at end of the first leg - Ord River - Sun 13 Jun 2010
There were many special moments for all of us who paddled that day and we all felt a great sense of pride in completing the 4 legs of the Marathon in good time, having started at 7:30am and finishing around 4:30pm.

Morning Tea Break at the end of the First Leg - Ord River - Sun 13 Jun 2010
Joanne has used Jenny’s paddle since Jenny’s passing and for the 3rd and longest flatwater leg (15km) of the Marathon, each of the paddlers in our boat paddled with Jenny’s paddle for approximately 1 km – this seemed to help make this our strongest leg.

As we entered the Lily Lake all the Dragon Boats came together so that we would finish together. A few meters from the finish, in front of a large crowd, all six Dragon Boats rafted up and the two Dragons Abreast Crews spread some flowers across the Lily Lake, and Joanne and I scattered some of Jenny’s Ashes.

Jenny - Remembering Jenny - Ivanhoe Village Caravan Resort/Kununarra - Sun 13 Jun 2010
Congratulations to everyone who paddled their dream and added another memorable page to their life story. Also a huge thank you for everyone involved in running this great event and to the Pendragons Dragons Abreast 'Spirit of Friendship' Team for giving us the opportunity to paddle this event in Jenny’s Honour and Memory.

[Note: This article was originally published in the July 2010 Issue of Dragons Abreast Australia's Magazine In the Loop (pdf)]

The Spirit of Friendship - Back (l-r) Geoff Eldridge, Louise Blockley, Debbie Roberts, Lynne Barrass, Barb Williams, Joy Mutimer, Jan Giles, John Caldwell, Jan Caldwell, Front (l-r) Joanne Peterson, Rita Redden, Gillian Brown, Sharon Mathieson, Julie Willis - Lily Lake/Kununarra - Sun 13 Jun 2010
Joanne and Geoff - Kununarra - Sun 13 Jun 2010
Jenny overlooking Kununarra - Lookout/Kununarra - 16 May 2001