Aoraki Dragon Boat
Association (Inc)
Christchurch, NZ

Christchurch city venues

Kerr's Reach

Porritt Park in Dallington is home to Canterbury's rowing community for a good reason. The Avon River is about 45 metres wide along this reach, and runs straight for about a kilometer. The two-storey "Riverside" clubrooms at the southern end afford a commanding view across and down the river, with broad embankments on each side (including Locksley Ave) for public viewing.

So Kerr's Reach is ideal for Dragon Boat racing, making it easy to set a course of nearly any distance; the Internationally run 200 or 250m "splash and dash", the middle distance 500m, a full 1,000m course or even our old 320m distance.

Riverside facilities are top-knotch, with a floating dock for easy and safe crew loading.

Upstairs is the Riverside Pool Club (run by Russell and Cathy) which provides bar facilities, snacks, a poolroom, toilets etc.

The stretch of water is also ideal for training runs, with a broad turning circle at the southern end (past the finish line). However Dragon Boat crews must remain vigilant for other water users, particularly (rear-facing) scullers.

2000m Course

Another option for racing at Kerr's reach is the 2km course.

Aoraki run this at events such as the "Ice Breaker" in December.

Typically, 4 to 6 teams load up at the pontoons. The slowest qualifier is started at time t=0. Next boat is started 30 seconds later. Third slowest starts 30 seconds after that etc. All boats keep right for 1,000 m then turn left around a marker buoy (approx opposite Breezes Rd). Return to the finish line in front of the pontoons. Elapsed race time determines the winner (not 'first past the post').

An alternative is to have a "three-turn race", still starting from the pontoon, up around the first buoy (at 500m), back to the pontoon and around another buoy, up again to the 500m then back to finish at the pontoons.

The original concept was for crews to load at Kerr's Reach pontoons, then head downstream to the first bridge - "Burwood Bridge" where Avondale Road crosses New Brighton Rd. (see pic to the right)

Race starter lines the sweeps up on the west side of the bridge for the start.