Paddle

Paddler scrutineering will be held on Friday 1 August at Ascot Kayak Club between 3–7pm. Pre-Race scrutineering is compulsory for all entries within 200 kilometres of the Perth GPO. The Scrutineer is a ‘judge of fact’ and a protest may not be made against their decision. All craft, Personal Floatation Devices (PFD’s) and helmets will be checked for compliance with the specifications.

Late scrutineering is subject to approval of NADA. Interstate/overseas and entrants living outside the Perth GPO are not exempt from the above requirements—late scrutineering will be available on Friday 8 August from 12noon–6.30pm, and must be confirmed with NADA prior to 1 August.

Power Dinghy

Power dinghy scrutineering will occur at the Time Trial on Saturday 2 August from 7am (completed by 8.30am sharp).

Department of Transport (DoT) officials will check every power craft. They will be very strict on craft registrations, so ensure you have the CORRECT rego sticker on the port, rear side of your craft. DO NOT have a sticker that relates to another boat you may have. Your craft should have a HIN number. Be sure it is shown correctly. Our Volunteers will help you to put stickers on the correct spot at the scrutineering.

Compulsory participant safety briefing

A representative from each entry must read the compulsory safety briefing at scrutineering or online. Participants must sign their acknowledgement of the information provided.

Participation in the practice weekend is the responsibility of the participant and is undertaken at your own risk. Time on the river has been set aside for Power Craft to practice. Paddle craft are NOT to practice during the times reserved for power craft. Penalties will apply. We recommend checking out as much of the course as possible prior to practice weekend, accessing as many points as legally and safely possible.

NOTE: Only access the river from publicly accessible locations and do not enter private property without explicit permission from the landholder. Penalties may apply.

Specific points to check out are: Northam Weir, Dumbarton Bridge, Williamson Weir (Extracts), Duidgee Park, Toodyay (Rubbish Tip) Rapid, Leatherhead Rapid, Syds Rapid, and Bells Rapid.

• Participants must avoid travel in the upstream direction during practice.
• Upstream travel under Katrine Bridge is NOT permitted.
• Plan Ahead—remember, it gets dark quickly in the valley so leave yourself plenty of time.

Day one activities—Saturday 2 August

All support vehicles out of Bells by 10.15am

Day two activities—Sunday 3 August

Power craft may start upstream of Northam Weir, but no further upstream than the Peel Terrace traffic bridge. Power craft must at all times stay upstream of Posselts Ford.

Paddlers

Please ensure you know where power craft are over the weekend and avoid entering the course, where power are practicing. DoT will be monitoring the river throughout the weekend. Paddlers ARE permitted to be in the river in the areas that power craft ARE NOT, so please review the activities on the previous pages.

The Power Dinghy Racing Club (PDRC) will hold Avon Descent competitor time trial on Saturday 2 August. This will take place after scrutineering at Bells Reserve. Craft will launch from the bottom of Bells Rapids and travel downstream to Middle Swan Bridge—craft will go no further downstream.

Safety briefing will be held at 8.45am, with first boat away at 9.30am.

If you are not able to comply with all regulations at scrutineering, you will not be allowed to enter the time trial.

Friday 8 August

Northam Town Hall, Corner of Wellington and Gordon Streets, Northam

12noon–6:30pm (7:30pm–8:30pm by appointment only).

Access from Peel Terrace only. Parking at Bernard Park and entry up stairs. This does not include late scrutineering.

From 6:30pm registrations will close in order to allow attendance of the Northam Bilya Festival opening ceremony.

Someone from your team must attend Friday registration.

All helmets must be brought to registration for stickers and timing chips to be attached. Grid positions for Day 1 will be posted at registration. Participants will not be registered until their equipment has passed scrutineering and will not be permitted to start until registration is complete.

Once participants have registered, they must drop their craft off at the Start Marshalling Area, Broome Tce (opposite riverbank to Registrations).

• For relay teams, this is the starting person’s craft only.
• The start marshalling area will be open from 11am–7.30pm on Friday 8 August.
• The start marshalling area is near the main traffic bridge. Follow the instructions of the Start Marshall.
• Craft not in the start marshalling area by 7.30pm on Friday 8 August will not be permitted to start.

Be aware there will be fireworks in Northam on Friday 8 August from 8.30pm. There will be NO admittance in the pit area from 8pm. This will be strictly enforced by the Shire of Northam.

Event security will be present in the craft assembly area, however participants are encouraged to remove any loose or unsecured items which could be lost or fall out if craft have to be moved to allow for additional craft.

Day one start — Saturday 9 August 2025

Day 1 start is at Northam and the start order is as follows (subject to Race Director):

• Minijet start at 7.30am
• Power dinghy start at 8.10am
• Paddle craft start at 8:45am

Day two start — Sunday 10 August 2025

Day 2 start is at Cobbler Pool Campsite, West Toodyay:

• Paddle craft start at 7am in order of fastest first (regardless of Class).
• Power craft start at 12noon (subject to change by the Race Director).

All start times are dependent on weather and river conditions, and participants will be advised on the day.

Valley Road access

Each Paddle Team Entry is issued with one (1) Valley Access sticker. This allows access to the Valley Road on Day 2. Turn right when leaving Cobbler Pool (stage 5 & 6). Your Official Valley Access Sticker must be visible. No valley pass = no entry to Valley Road or changeover 1 on day 2. The Valley Road is a private road. All vehicles must always give way to emergency and official event vehicles and obey all directions of race officials. No stopping is permitted on the Valley Road except at designated changeover points. UNAUTHORISED STOPPING ON THE VALLEY ROAD MAY INCUR A 10 MINUTE TIME PENALTY TO YOUR TEAM.

Teams changeover

Checkered checkpoint flags indicate changeovers along the river. Teams may strategise how members paddle each section of the river but all team members must complete at least one leg each day.

Importantly, only one team member may be on the water at any time.

Tracking units

If GPS tracking units are used, units must be transferred between team members at changeover points.

The following stickers will be supplied to all participants and must be placed on the craft in accordance with the Rules. Sponsors stickers from previous Avon Descent events must be removed prior to the commencement of this year’s event.

ID Numbers

PADDLE CRAFT: Your official CRAFT Race ID Number sticker will be given to you at scrutineering. Your HELMET Race ID Number Sticker will be given to you at Friday registration along with your BlueChip UHF timing tag.

POWER CRAFT: Your official HELMET Race ID Number Sticker and BlueChip UHF timing tag will be given to you at Friday registrations.

ID stickers and timing devices

HELMET STICKERS: Participants must have their helmets clear for both the timing chips and race ID number—please ensure any old numbers are removed. Any participants with a carbon helmet must apply a foam spacer between the helmet and the timing chip. Please see the BlueChip timing team at registration if you need the spacer.

TIMING CHIP STICKERS: The timing device is a sticker which is Ultra High Frequency. There are two stickers for individual participants, teams of two and teams of four. Double or triple paddle teams and power craft teams will receive 1x set of timing device stickers which must be worn by the front paddler or power craft driver. Stickers must be placed one on each side of the helmet so be sure to bring all helmets to registration.

RACE ID NUMBER: The sticker is to be applied over the top of the timing chip on the helmet. The timing chip must be applied straight and without folding, crinkling or bending. It must also not be stuck over any screws or metal plates on the outside of the helmet. Timing stickers must remain on the helmet for the duration of the event.

Vehicle stickers and passes

• Ensure you have received all your passes. Stickers will not be re-issued, so keep them safe.
• No Valley Access Sticker = No Entry to Valley Road Day 2 or Changeover # 1 at Stronghills.
• All Participants—Support Crew Sticker on front windscreen of support vehicle.
• Teams Participants Only—Valley Access Sticker placed adjacent to your Support Crew sticker. One Pass per Team.
• Ensure your support crew have their Passes to gain access to Williamson Weir (Extracts), Avon Valley National Park and Bells Reserve on event day.
• Entry fees may be payable (proceeds to local community groups).
• National Park gates close at 5pm and no dogs are permitted.

Support Crew Sticker: Display on front windscreen clearly visible to officials.

Support Crew Passes provide access to parking areas along the river including Bells Rapids and Cobbler Pool. Parking, bus and entry fees may still apply at some locations, as these are managed by volunteer community groups.

Valley Sticker (Relay teams only): Display adjacent to Support Crew sticker on front windscreen. No sticker = NO ENTRY to Valley Road or Changeover 1 on Day 2.

Standard campsite entry: can be purchased at the gate ($30pp) or online via the Avon Descent registration platform for $20pp +GST and booking fee (under 12yrs admitted free). Wristbands MUST be worn at all times around the campsite.

Please note: no passes will be re-allocated under any circumstances. Please ensure you do not misplace any of these items.

Please read the following important information regarding the checkpoints:

• Ti Trees and Walyunga are now safety checkpoints.
• Upper Swan Checkpoint has been reinstated.
• Cut-Off time at Middle Swan Bridge is 3.30pm for Paddle Craft—4.30pm for Power Craft.
• Cobbler Pool (day 1) and Bayswater (day 2) finish line cut-off time is 5pm for all competitors.

If support crews decide to enter Walyunga National Park, parking fees may be payable.

What you need to know

• Checkpoints will be identified by a large, checkered flag with the word ‘Checkpoint’ in green.
• Participants passing Checkpoints should call out their Race Identification Number to ensure they are accurately recorded. Responsibility rests with participants.
• Participants must follow the directions of Checkpoint Officials.
• Penalties apply to those who disobey or ignore directions of Checkpoint Officials. See Event Rules.

Selecting your checkpoints

Your stops depend on your goals! Liaise with other paddlers to combine support resources. If you’re a more experienced participant, you will probably choose fewer stops than a novice. However when anyone stops, it will be brief and you will want a quick refill of water and food ready to eat, i.e. bananas already peeled!

If you’re a novice, you might opt for more support stops. Support can be holistic—you may need psychological support just as much as food and drink.

Make sure support crews are familiar with a map of the area and the actual roads themselves—a good option is to review the course using an online map resource (like Google Maps) several times before the event weekend.

Support crew should allow plenty of time to get to designated stops during the race, as traffic can be tedious. We strongly recommend two cars leap-frogging positions. Plan equipment to be carried to the water’s edge… a spare paddle is useless back in the car park!

Important: all support crew must wear a life jacket when entering the water otherwise their team/competitor risks penalty or disqualification.

Any craft that does not complete a Day 1 cut off time will not be permitted to start on Day 2. The following cut-off times shall apply (subject to change by the Race Director).

Power craft

Paddle craft

Day one—Cobbler Pool, West Toodyay

The first 52km stretch will come to an end at the Cobbler Pool Campsite, West Toodyay. Participants will battle the Ti Trees and reach the finish line, greeted by sponsors, VIPs, spectators, support crew and fellow participants. Once crossing the finish line, participants will exit through the finish chute and put their craft into the Pit Area ready for Day 2.

Day two—Riverside Gardens, Bayswater

Day 2 will see participants tackle 72kms of challenging river, with the final 30km a flat water sprint to the Finish Line at City of Bayswater’s Riverside Gardens. Spectator and paddle support crew parking will be via Leake street and Bellevue street, while power craft support crew access is via Milne Street. Please follow directional signage and follow parking marshal directions. Only vehicles with ‘Support Crew’ stickers attached to the top front driver’s side of the windscreen will be permitted to park here.

Paddle craft pick up information

Retrieval of craft will occur from the boat/craft holding area which will be fenced off from the public. To reduce congestion, 2x support crew will be permitted to assist with retrieval of their participant’s craft from the holding area and take it to their vehicle.

Power craft pick up information

Power craft will be extracted from the Scout Hall ramp, with parking and express pick up via Milne street.

Support crew and spectators

Riverside Gardens—Spectators to access via Leake Street Bayswater, follow directional signage, and follow directions of marshalls.

The paddler support crew parking area will be in the main spectator parking area. Power support crews will be via Milne street. Please follow the signs and directions of staff to the allocated parking area. Strictly ONE vehicle per entry is permitted, with the Support Crew sticker clearly visible.

Post-race scrutineering

All top finishing craft may be scrutineered following the event and prior to presentations. This will be conducted at the finish line. The top three place getters of the 10hp Classes (9 motors) will be scrutineered at the finish line.

Get fit!—make sure you’re fit enough to participate in the Avon Descent. Maintain your training routine as high fitness levels reduce the risk of injury.

Be prepared—assess the weather and river conditions and prepare yourself accordingly. Do not take risks and if in doubt, do not do it.

Prevent hypothermia—be aware of the warning signs (shivering, muscle weakness, abdominal cramps, lethargy, hallucinations, aggressive behaviour and euphoria). Change into dry/warm clothes immediately following racing or training. Seek medical help if symptoms persist.

Drink plenty of fluids—thirst is not a good indicator of hydration. Cool water is a good fluid replacement drink.

Fuel up—keep your energy levels up by eating high carbohydrate and low fat foods before, during and after the race.

Clothing/ Safety equipment

Buoyancy vests and helmets are essential. Helmets must comply with the CE EN 1385 standard, be of a rigid type and designed to give protection to the forehead and temple areas. Wet boots with hard soles or sand shoes, sneakers or gym boots are ideal. Adequate foot protection is essential both in the water and on the bank in the event of a capsize.

Remember to wear weather appropriate clothing. Thermal clothing (tops and bottoms) and a CAG (windproof/waterproof top) are also recommended. Protect yourself against sunburn and windburn on all exposed areas.

General public access to river not permitted

Please ensure your support crew, friends and family are aware that they (and the general public) are not permitted on the water, along the event course, during the Avon Descent. Our Emergency Services and volunteer rescue and recovery must be focused on event participants and do not need the distraction.

Access to the river and private property

Only access the river from publicly accessible locations. We are generously provided permission to run the event by making use of private land and must ensure local landholder wishes are respected at all times.

Support Crews, or spectators of competitors, who access private land without landowner permission, risk their competitors being penalised or disqualified from this year’s event and / or future years participation.

The campsite for participants and support crews is located at Cobbler Pool, West Toodyay, at the end of Day 1/start of Day 2. Basic infrastructure is in place. The campsite is available for camping both Friday and Saturday nights, however some facilities may only be in place on the Saturday.

The Campsite is managed and site allocations will be on a first in/first served basis. Please be familiar with the campsite rules and the environmental policy on the website avondescent.com.au under the Cobbler Pool Campsite area. Under no circumstances are dogs or any other pets allowed at the campsite. NADA recommends the use of reusable or recyclable containers for food, beverage and other consumable products at Cobbler Pool to minimise the environmental impact of the event. Competitors, support crews and spectators are requested to take any rubbish with them as limited paid rubbish removal services are provided.

Campsite fees

Cobbler Pool Overnight Wristbands: (available for $20pp +fees online or $30 at the gate). This will allow for up to 2 nights camping at the Cobbler Pool site. Campsite Wristbands MUST be worn at all times around the campsite. Children under 12 will be admitted free of charge.

Catering

Some food vendors may be on site Saturday afternoon to ensure you’re reinvigorated at the end of Day 1 and ready to tackle Day 2.

Firewood

Campers are prohibited from collecting firewood from natural vegetation. Firewood may be provided for sale in bags at the campsite but campers will be encouraged to use alternative fuels, e.g. gas, diesel fuel heaters.

Campsite restrictions & code of conduct

NADA organisers and Campsite Management reserve the right to immediately remove any person behaving in a disorderly or intoxicated manner from the Cobbler Pool Campsite. The use of glass is limited to designated areas.

NOTE: Entry to the campsite is at your own risk. No liability for damage or loss of personal items or equipment will be accepted by the event organisers or their agents.

All Important safety information will be provided to participants during the compulsory safety briefing at scrutineering and on the Avon Descent website.

Flags

Flags will be displayed along the length of the river. Due to changes in water level, locations of various flags may change on the day. It is in the participant’s interest to be fully aware of flag colours and meanings.

Red Flag >> STOP. Do not proceed beyond this point.

Black Flag >> DISQUALIFICATION. Leave the water immediately.

Orange & white >> CAUTION. Obstruction ahead. Caution to be used in area.

Stages—the course is divided into nine stages:

Wild water — grade difficulty

Notes *“Pressure areas” refer to water piling up against a rock or other obstacle. Weirs are not classified as wild water and as such are not evaluated. They are either easily navigable or (very) dangerous. WARNING — Although the more dangerous spots are marked, the river can change at any time and must be approached on the basis that it is dangerous at all times and at all points along the length.

Withdrawn Craft – Day 1

Should you be withdrawn from the race, competitors will be taken to the roadside and Support Crew contact is attempted. Should you not get in contact with your Support Crew, craft and competitors will be taken to Cobbler Pool. Withdrawn competitors should approach a checkpoint official to have their withdrawal recorded.

Withdrawn Craft – Day 2

Should you withdraw from the race on day 2 down to Bells Rapids, head to the left bank.  You and your craft will be taken to the grassed area just to the north of the East Swan Fire Station near the corner of Camargue Drive and Cathedral Avenue near the Equestrian Centre in Brigadoon. Withdrawn competitors must contact the nearest ADSU or Checkpoint official to have it recorded.