Bundaberg Dragons Abreast

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General Contact tel: 1300 889 566 or queensland@dragonsabreast.com.au (Regional Representative) and bundaberg@dragonsabreast.com.au

Our home is at the Bundaberg Sailing Club, on the Burnett River. Paddling times: in Summer we paddle on Wednesday afternoons, and in winter we paddle on Saturday afternoons at 3pm. Al year round we paddle on Sunday mornings at 8.30am

As we are also member of the Bundy Dragons, we all paddle with both teams. They have purple so it blends in with the pink. We all have our monthly meetings on a Sunday after paddling, followed by a BBQ lunch, John doubles up as the cook.

Relay for life was in Bundaberg on 18th April We did the surviours walk with our paddlers, it was our first time as we have only been going not quite a year.

The banner was made local and donated. Anne Holmes and her husband Brian holding the banner  she is our co-ordinator, Brian is our sweep in training.

Vale Anne Heather Holmes Dragons Abreast Bundaberg 20th June 1958~ 31st July 2009 Age 51 years Anne Holmes was a very energetic, vibrant, well loved and respected member of the Dragons Abreast and Bundaberg Dragon Boat Club. She was Co-ordinator of Dragons Abreast and Vice President of the BDBC. From the inauguration of  DA and BDBC, Anne took hold of paddling with both hands, proving this was one of her fortes. read more about Anne

As we walked around for the second time we changed places Bev Cross on the left was this voice to start up Dragons Abreast, and the other lady Donnie is our Secretary. It was a lovely day and we hope we got the message out there, Brian and Anne are walking behind.

please see photo album for more photographs.

Buddhist Nun, the Venerable Namdag, performed a beautiful blessing ceremony before the launch of Dragons Abreast Bundaberg’s new dragon boat `Linda’ at the Bundaberg Sailing Club on Sunday 5 October. The boat was donated by Tom and Joan Head, Directors of local personnel business Challenge21 Pty Ltd., in memory of Joan’s mother, Linda who died of breast cancer.

Local breast cancer survivor paddlers, including Pat Orvad, Lynne McKinnon, Bev Cross, Carolyn Saffron, Joann Warburton, Pam Meredith, Anne Holmes, Helen Heidenreich and Rhonda Stafford sprinkled blessed rose petals in the boat, then paddled out and cast them into the river, to spread the blessings across the sea.

The Dragons Abreast team is part of the Bundaberg Dragon Boat Club whose members train Sundays at 7.30am and Wednesdays at 4.30pm at the Sailing Club. New members are very welcome to help our current 14 survivors fill up the boat!.

An extract from Ven. Namdag’s blessing:

“We bless this dragon boat and all who use or see it. May the joys and pleasure which they bring be treasured by all. As it glides through the water may it bless the water and all the animals in the water and may those who use it respect the water for its life giving qualities. We ask all who are here to protect the environment so that, we and the animals, can not only survive but thrive.”

Ven. Namdag sprinkles blessed petals in the new boat

Petals and paddles

Jo Parry shows how to hold a paddle the right way, while Blair Gamble sweeps “Linda” on her very first outing on the beautiful Burnett River.

Newsletter November 2008 (pdf version)

 

Bundaberg Dragons Abreast began paddling in June 2008 and formalized the group with DAA in January 2009. Our group is called Bundy Pink Bears, our logo is a big cuddly bear wearing a pink top and holding a Dragons Abreast Paddle.

Dragons Abreast Bundaberg was started when a local Rotarian, Don Robinson, who organizes the local Multicultural Festival, invited Dragon Boats to the festival. Don thought it such a great attraction he set out to get a local club going, he approached a Breast Cancer Survivor group and Bundaberg Dragon Boat Club was formed with the Committee and members largely Breast Cancer Survivors.

Soon followed the separate identity of Dragons Abreast Bundaberg, it had been a long time dream and goal of a member and past coordinator, Bev Cross, a tireless worker with Breast Cancer suffers and survivors, to have a Dragons Abreast team in Bundaberg, so the reality of the club has completed her dream.

Dragons Abreast Bundaberg were blessed when a couple from the same Rotary Club, Tom and Joan Head, donated from their company Challenge 21 a boat named Linda, in memory of Joan’s mother who passed away from breast cancer, their generosity then extended to holding a fundraising evening at their home to raise the money for a trailer. We are forever grateful to them for their generosity to Dragons Abreast.  

We are about showing the support and camaraderie a group like Dragons Abreast can give to each other that have walked the same road. It can build confidence and shows there is quality of life and active participation in sport despite a diagnosis of breast cancer. Our club is small, very supportive and always encouraging new members, currently we are organizing a member drive targeting Women’s groups in Bundaberg to make them aware of the camaraderie and fun in the sun they can enjoy with Dragon Boating.  Socially we gather on a regular basis enjoying outings to dinner after our bi-monthly meetings, some Sunday mornings after training we go  for coffee.

Other outings have included a night at the local amateur theatre to see the locals perform, organizing a group to Jazz in the Vineyard,  it’s not just about boating, the social side of our club is getting into full swing as well.

Our group paddle as a Dragons Abreast team, some of us train with the sporting team as well, so we enjoy the best of Dragon Boating. Our team members have competed in both Dragons Abreast and sporting regattas from Cooloola to Sydney, one day some of our members hope to make teams to travel overseas to compete.

Our club honoured the wish of our first coordinator, Anne Holmes, when we held our inaugural fundraising paddle from our training spot to the city centre, approx 15kms, in October 2009, with all paddlers sponsored great support was received from Bundaberg Dragon Boat members and the wider community to create a very successful day. This has become our major fundraiser for the group and is going from strength to strength from 1 boat in 2009 to 2 in 2010, who knows we might need to borrow a boat for 3 in 2011.

We bus to the start line on a bus generously supplied by our local Catholic High School “Shalom College” so our cars are at the finish.  With yachts in the background, perfect weather (we have been lucky) and tides in our favour we paddle off. Paddling down the river is amazing as you certainly get a different perspective of the area from the boat with beautiful scenery and passing boats cheering us on. Media coverage was good, lots of fun was had, and money raised certainly puts the group in a much better position to pass on funds to DAA. The day ends with lunch at a local restaurant on the river, a great day is had by all who participate, family and friends who cheer us in at the finish join us for lunch. Everyone is already looking forward to the next Bundy Pink Bear Paddle and who knows the Pink Bear might even paddle to make it more fun and More Money for DAA.

All paddlers are welcome to join in our paddle down the river in October the date appears on our website by end of March. To secure a seat and get your sponsorship form contact us @ bundaberg@dragonsabreast.com.au

If you would like to try Dragon Boating with our Club:-

Paddling is held on Sundays:-

Cost:- $15.00 for 3 introductory sessions

Time:- 7.45am for sign in and instructions

Place:-  Bundaberg Sailing Club Strathdee Road Port Bundaberg

Wear:- Sunsafe clothes & footwear (not thongs) you don’t mind getting wet, apply sunscreen

Bring:- Hat, water bottle, towel & sunscreen

Hope to see you soon to join in the fun of Dragons Abreast Bundaberg.

 

 

This page last updated: February 18, 2011