Annual Awa clean-up by Kayak Club

The Whanganui Kayak Club, affiliated to Canoe Racing NZ undertook its annual Awa Clean-up on March 14.

As spokesperson Stephen Lace says, “This is something that the members love doing, there is such a buzz of satisfaction from beginning to end, with such a great feeling to have removed so much waste from our Awa.

One of the lads told me that it was not uncommon for him to pull three plastic bottles from the river when out training, which the members do formally 4 to 6 days of every week.”

This year’s event was sponsored by the Whanganui River Enhancement Charitable Trust, Waste Management NZ and Beaurepaires.

This was the second year that the club has done a formal clean-up and members received many compliments from passers-by and curious glances from the tourists, who now stay overnight in the car park area in front of the club’s Anzac Parade Multisport Clubrooms.

Canadian Canoes are used for access and stability with members walking along the riverbank properly equipped to hunt down some of the bottles that are often seen but not practically accessible during a normal walk or kayaking session. Parents usually supply two power boats as support vessels to take away the large bags of rubbish.

One big project that we would love to see happen but which would require the right heavy equipment such as a barge, would be an exercise to remove spoil such as the unsightly bricks from the river silt.

The organiser this year was Toby Brooke.

River City Press 2/4/20