All together at last for a paddle to Bruny Island

26th Sept, 2009

It was a stroke of luck that we managed to have such good conditions for this paddle as the following day the conditions were off the show!

The three of us meet at 6:50 am and were on the water just after 7:00 am for a paddle to Bruny Island. We had no specific point on the island set as our turning point, so we just kept paddling for an hour and a half. In that time we managed to comfortably reach Bull Bay, which is on the north eastern side of the island. Along the way we saw some seals playing out in the entrance to Storm Bay, and we observed a Sea Eagle who was apparently not welcome amongst the Sea Gulls.

The Eco Bezhigs performed very well, with our average speed for the trip just under 9kms/hr.

A word from one of our key sponsors, Snow Gum - Hobart

Keith Scott and the crew at Snowgum are proud to help out 1000kms4kids and look forward to supporting us for future endevours that we take!!!

Keith has managed Snowgum for over 3 years and is married to Rosy and have 2 great kids with a third on the way. While the family and Snowgum keep him busy, he enjoys the odd paddle of his own with the kids.

For over 34 years Snowgum’s gear has been the essential traveller's companion - from the Alps of the Himalaya to the Deserts of Somalia, across the Outback, up the Amazon and paddling around Tasmania - visiting every corner of the planet. As they travelled, Snowgum’s products evolved.
Today, you're as likely to see the Snowgum brand label on Sydney Harbour daytrippers, London Tube commuters or visitor’s enjoying the Piazzas of Rome as on serious trekkers in Nepal or Machu Picchu – Snowgum’s range of Lifestyle Climate Control Clothing is constantly growing to meet the demands of active lifestyles everywhere. As well as the Snowgum brand, they stock other leading brands such as Icebreaker, Merrell, Teva, One Planet, Eagle Creek, Aku, STS and Mission kayaks.

Snowgum Hobart can be found at 104 Elizabeth St Hobart and can be contacted on 6234 7877 and are open 6 days. Pop in and say hi to Keith and the crew and they will endevour to help you out with any of your adventure needs at a very competitive price. Also ask about the Snowgum Club for further discounts and deals!

A word from one of our key sponsors in Mission Kayaks

Mission denotes not just the best experience on the water, but the journey to, the kitting up, the adventure along the way and the joy, achievement and/or solitude found at the journey’s end. It is both the journey and the destination. Mission planned, enjoyed and accomplished. It’s an incredibly strong name, suggesting the zest and zeal that paddlers share, regardless of their chosen type of water. But it has a softer and more meditative quality that counterbalances its initial sense of energy and motion. Its sibilant hushed double ‘s’ evokes a quiet peace, the kayak stilled, the ‘pilgrim’ awed by the beauty and tranquillity of the setting he or she has found, or the moment of unnameable joy at the end of a wild ride.

1000kms4kids welcomes another bronze sponsor in The Coffee Break

The Coffee Break, located in the Eastlands Shopping Centre, is a family operated business that has been trading in the same location for 25 years. Currently being run by Carly and Sally – Carly is the daughter of the original owner – The Coffee Break has grown to become much more than just a coffee shop, now providing a fantastic restaurant service to both the local community and shoppers in the Eastlands complex.

Between them they Kylie and Sally have four children and so like many of our other sponsors were very happy to support our efforts to raise money for two very important charities that are doing such great work for Tasmanian Kids in need.

The Coffee Break is open 7 days a week. Monday to Thursday you can enjoy breakfast from 7 am, with all day dinning continuing until 6 pm. Fridays The Coffee Break serves dinner and are open until 9 pm. On the weekends you can enjoy a coffee and snack or one of their delicious main meals from 7 am to 4 pm.

So if you need a coffee break that is also a breakfast, lunch or dinner break, you need The Coffee Break!

Day one of the real thing simulated

16th September

65kms, loads of seals and perfect conditions, resulting in an average speed of just over 8kms / hr. This was a great day out... commencing as usual from Blackmans Bay beach, with the guys having a nice stop over at Verona Sands, before they pushed on to Southport.

A good day on the water was topped off with a very pleasant over night stay at Southport, with wives and kids also enjoying all that Southport has to offer, before returning home the next day.

1000kms4kids is pleased to welcome LegsnBreasts as a bronze sponsor

LegsnBreasts owner Ted Giannis and his wife Hayley, along with their four children are great supporters of good causes, and we are very grateful that they have seen our event as one they are happy to be involved in.

The name LegsnBreasts is synonymous with great tasting chicken, but as anyone who has enjoyed a meal from one of the nine outlets around the greater Hobart area would know, they are a great place to go for a delicious and complete meal solution. You can choose from a wide range of both steamed and baked vegetables to accompany your chicken, you can also choose from a delicious range of burger meals, then there are the salads and tasty deserts to compliment your meal. All freshly prepared while you wait and at wallet friendly prices.

For a complete list of LegsnBreasts locations and contact phone number, just go to www.legsnbreasts.com.au.

As with all the businesses who are helping us to achieve our goal of raising $100,000 for Tasmanian Kids in need, we would ask that you show your support for those generous businesses that are so kindly helping us to make this years event possible.

Backmans Bay to Peppermint Bay

13th September

Charles and Ben are joined on the lawns at Peppermint Bay by Charles kids as they get ready to head back after lunch.

This was the first training run that simulates a two stage day with Charles and Ben covering a good solid 50 kms all up. Once again the conditions were a mixed bag of reasonably calm water and choppy water in the more exposed areas.

The paddle was interesting with quiet a large number of seal showing interest in the brightly coloured kayaks as they made their way down through the channel.

A very nice lunch was had a Peppermint Bay, as the guys enjoyed a well earned break they were joined for lunch by their families. The kids enjoyed the facilities at Peppermint Bay almost as much as the food ... this place is a must stop over on the first day of the big paddle.

The next training run down the channel will push Ben and Charles even more as they plan to spend Wednesday morning paddling from Blackmans Bay to Southport – some 70 kms! Hopefully they will get some good weather and some good photos to share?

East Coast waters proving very testing!!!

12 September

Chris has been busy putting the orange boat through its passes in some very testing conditions. The latest ocean paddle consisted of a roughly 20 kms round trip, from Burns Bay on St Helens Point around past Binalong Bay and part way around the picturesque Bay of Fires. It was a very clear and sunny day, which meant lots of beautiful scenery, but what made the trip challenging was the very strong head wind and nasty chop that was encountered as Humbug Point was rounded and continued to the end of the paddle.

While initially the wind and chop made forward progress very slow, once the half way mark was reached and the wind and waves were behind the return journey was a very speedy affair indeed! With the boat continually latched onto waves and shot along at a cracking pass... what a hoot!!!

That was the morning paddle, but the day was not over as Chris and wife Janette headed off after lunch for a much more leisurely paddle in the upper reaches of the Scamander River.

Beginning the paddle at a very nice spot called Trout Creek – where a boat ramp provides a good launching point – the paddle took them to the very up most reaches of the 'left arm' of the river. Approximately 15 kms was covered all up, with a rest and a picnic lunch about half way up, enjoyed on the grassy banks (although we could have done without the mosies!!!). The kayaks moved along at a good pass through the beautiful meandering waterways, passing lush green fields, an orchard and rocky hills that rise up at impossible angles from the rivers edge. Hidden from the wind the water is so smooth you feel as if you are paddling on silk, then there is the amazing sight of those rugged hills reflected in almost perfect mirror image ... just breath taking.

Talk about a day of contrasting kayaking experiences. Sadly the duffer didn't think to take a camera to capture the amazing natural wonders that he spent several relaxing hours gliding through... maybe next time?

1000kms4kids welcomes the beach restaurant aboard as our 7th bronze sponsor

For the past seven years Andrew and Alison Gerstkamp have been busy carving out a well deserved reputation for providing dinning excellence, which dinners can enjoy the fruits of while drinking in the spectacular views across Storm Bay.

The beach restaurant is open 7 days, providing all day dinning. Andrew in his role as head chef is meticulous in sourcing everything he put on your plate from local producers and suppliers, ensuring you experience a culinary journey with a distinctly Tasmania influence.

Catering for large functions and weddings is a speciality with the restaurant purpose built to facilitate private functions in the upstairs area, which is complete with its own bar and even more wide spread views of the bay.

Each paddler in this years can personally recommend the quality and consistency of the food and service, as we each have frequented this Blackmans Bay icon many times.

You can make a reservation (and we suggest you do, as these guys get full very quickly), on (03) 6229 7600. This truly unique cafe, restaurant and bar can be found on Ocean Esplanade, Blackmans Bay. To quote the beach restaurant's own website ... "where else but 'the beach'?".

New kayaks go out to 'sea' Betsey....

Friday 12 September, 2009

On a sunny and somewhat blustery day Charles and Ben prepared for their longest training session to date, a five hour paddle from Blackmans Bay Beach to Betsey Island. On the way they pass by their previous longest marker, the Iron Pot Lighthouse.

The conditions for the paddle were challenging at times, with winds gusting up to 50 kms from the North. The boats handled the choppy conditions well, with an average speed of 7 km / hr achieved overall.

Betsey Island was an impressive site, with cliffs reaching right down to the water line around much of its coastline. As Ben had been out the the island previously he knew of a good spot to make landfall ...........

1000kms4kids is thrilled to welcome Tackle Us as a bronze level sponsor

Tackle Us are the only specialist fishing supplies store south of Hobart. Catering for fresh and saltwater fishing and stock a huge range of rods, reels, lures and fishing equipment.

In addition to their comprehensive range of off the shelf rods and reels Tackle Us also have available a fully customised rod building service and rod and reel repairs.

Tackle Us also sell: cray pots and rings, ice boxes, fly fishing gear, fish smokers, waders, sunglasses, floundering gear, fishing apparel, ropes and buoys and much much, more.

We would ask that you show your support for Tackle Us, just as they have shown their support for 1000kms4kids. Make them your first choice for all your fishing equipment requirements. You can find them at Shop 11, Kingston Plaza, Kingston Tas 7050.

P: +61 3 6227 2400 F: +61 3 6229 2411

1000kms4kids welcomes Charlotte Peterswald for Property's Dion Flanagan as a bronze sponsor

We are delighted to have the support of Dion Flanagan of Charlotte Perterswald for our 2010 event.

Dion is not only a very successful property consultant, he is also a dedicated family man. Dion and wife Dana were married in 2001, Dana is a working mum employed as the Practice Manager for Prime Dental in Sandy Bay. Together they have two young children Anahi born in 2004 and Mason born in 2008.

Dion has a special place in his heart for the sea, having been a member of the Royal Australian Navy for ten years. These days he still loves to get out on the water when ever he can, but in a much smaller boat.

Charlotte Peterswald has a well deserved reputation as leaders in the Tasmanian property market, please show your support for them as one of our sponsors, whether you are selling or buying a property in the greater Hobart region, you can trust that the consultants and staff at Charlotte Peterswald will make you feel right at home.

Eco Bezhig is GO!

We have now acquired the Mission Eco Bezhig kayaks that will be used for the event and several test paddles have shown that the boats will be very capable of doing the job we require of them.

These premium quality kayaks come in three colour schemes, solid yellow, bright orange to red, and yellow to bright fluro-green. We liked the look of the boats so much we couldn't decided on just one colour so we now have all three.

As soon as we get a good day and all the kayaks together in the one spot, a photo of these great looking boats will be posted on the blog.

The first Eco Bezhig, Snowgum supplied us with has already been out on the water some six times. The first trip was a paddle from Blackmans Bay to Bruny Island and back, both Ben and Charles had a paddle of the boat and agreed that it handled the conditions very well. They also found that it has a nice pace across the water, with an average speed of around 8kms/hr (11 kms.hr with the current and around 6 kms/hr against a tidal flow and nasty head wind).

Other paddles in the new boat included a couple of trips across Storm Bay in quiet choppy / windy conditions, as well as a paddle from Blackmans Bay beach up to Taroona. On each occasion the boat performed exceptionally well in fairly challenging conditions. With it's ability to surf waves very easily when running with the wind, a nice bonus.

Charles has decided that he likes the green boat, hitting the water for the first time on Sunday the 6th of September, he put the boat through it's paces with a paddle across Storm Bay and up the Derwent River.

Chris has taken the orange boat up to St Helens. It had it's first outing in the open sea on Tuesday the 8th of September, with a paddle from Binalong Bay, up to Cosy Corner and back - not a particularly long paddle, but the conditions on the day did present some challenges in the form of quiet large swell, with a nasty wind chop. In-fact the conditions would have made paddling in many kayaks a pretty horrible experience, but thanks to the well thought out design of the Eco Bezhig, the paddle while very wet (in the main due to almost continuous heavy rain) was a very enjoyable one.

Ben is on holidays for a few weeks and is looking forward to getting a lot of sea-miles in. We are sure he will have many hours of enjoyable paddling -- just hope the rain goes away!

1000kms4kids welcomes another bronze sponsor in Beachfront 32

Beachfront 32 was established on the foreshore at Kingston Beach in 2005 by brothers Mark and Brett Sawford. In 2006 Mark and Brett carried out extensive renovations and now they are the proud proprietors of a fantastic up-market seafood cafe and take away. The renovations are on going, and soon the cafe will boast full bar facilities for evening diners to relax and enjoy over the up coming hot summer nights.

You can find this dinning treasure at 32 Osbourne Espanade, Kingston Beach, or call them on 6229 4891. They are open 7 day a week, from 8am - 8pm for all your eat in or take away requirements.

Beachfront 32 will be the location for the start of our mass paddle on Sunday the 3rd of January. So we invite all you keen kayak paddlers out there, to come down and support both Beachfront 32 and Tasmanian Kids in need.

The mass paddle will be from Kingston Beach to Long Beach, Sandy Bay. We would ask that all participants gather at the southern end of Kingston Beach, between 7.30 and 8.00 am, registration will be either directly in-front of Beachfront 32 or alternatively on the beach directly opposite. The paddle is at this stage set to begin no later than 9.00 am. It is expected that all paddlers will complete the distance by midday.

This is not a race, but you are free to do the trip at what ever pace you feel comfortable with. Entry will be by way of a donation to the two children's charities we are supporting.