Fluid Dynamics

Having never paddle on the Canning River before and since this Sunday the Bevan Dashwood Race was to be held this Sunday- I decided to do a bit of reconnaisence and paddle the race section.

I loaded up the Wavehopper and set off….time to start training for the Avon anyway !!

The Bevan Dashwood “Dash” is a annual race held to raise funds for the WA junior slalom team.

This race is an old favourite – the upper reaches of the Canning make for a twisty-turny course with tree lined banks and much birdlife. There’s a portage at Kent Street Weir. It’s easy to get lost if you haven’t done this course before so photocopy the street directory of the relevant pages and do a practice run. The floating (rather pretty) “weed” you see may slow you down, but it’s harmless. The following paragraph comes from a February, 1999, edition of Canoe WA, the canoeing association’s former magazine: 

“According to a scientist at the Water and Rivers Commission it (the “weed”) is a harmless floating fern called azola which helps to keep the blue-green algae at bay (competes for the nutrients). Currents and the wind cause it to collect in certain places. You can paddle through it; it’s not toxic and will wash off your boat.”

Who is Bevan Dashwood? He’s one of that group of pioneering canoeists who started it all in Western Australia in the mid sixties. And he’s still paddling! He started up Darling Range Canoe Club whose home waters are this section of the Canning River.  He has made an important contribution to canoeing, in particular, slalom, and is a life-time member of the state canoeing association.

The Canning River regional park is really an oasis in the urban suburb of Perth, WA. With 13km of tidal waterway and wetlands surrounded by swamp, wetlands and parks. Definitely the best way to appreciate and see this area is by canoe or kayak.

I started at Riverton Bridge which has a purpose built canoe entry point and car park. It is so good to be away from the power boats which I have to paddle with in East Fremantle and to have smooth quiet water, with no wind and waves.

I paddled up stream to Kent Street Weir which is a compulsory portage on race day, then further on to Hester Park. After this section the river is pretty weedy and difficult to paddle in.

Its a 13km round trip which took me about 2 hours, I did make 2 fairly big detours by choosing the wrong channel.

One of the amazing parts of this section of river is the birdlife which is just amazing and being in a kakay lets you get really nice and close to them.

I also saw a nice large turtle (Teripin) and some huge goldfish (apparently released in the river and are quiet a big problem to native fish species)

Some of the birds I saw included

Spoonbillsm White faced Heron, Balck Swan, Moorhen, Swamphen, Black Duck and lots of Cormarants and Darts, plus a few Pelicans.

Here’s a few pictures.

Amazing place right in the middle of a big city.

Smooth and Calm