Back in the ’70s, long before Ian Keirnan and Kim McKay started Clean Up Australia Day, Elizabeth Crane used to help her father, John Russell organise his own regular clean ups of the Bellinger River.
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“Our family owned the caravan park at Repton and Dad would organise the fishermen, water skiers and other guests into teams to clean up the river. He would award prizes for the most rubbish and the most unusual piece of rubbish collected,” recalls Elizabeth.
On Saturday, as President of the Coffs Coast Dragon Boat Club, Elizabeth followed in her dad’s footsteps putting the club’s members to work to once again clean up the river as part of the March-long campaign.
The Coffs Coast Dragon Boat Club regularly participates in the Clean Up Campaign and on Saturday two dragon boats took to the water with some 14 paddlers armed with gloves, buckets and bags cleaning up along the shore line, in the mangroves and on the river bank.
The Bellinger River is the home of the Coffs Coast Club with many members being residents of the shire and others coming from as far as Valla in the south, Corindi in the north, Sawtell, Coffs Harbour and even Armidale.
“To do the clean up on this Saturday was particularly symbolic to me as it was 12 months ago on this day that my father passed away,” Elizabeth said.
“He wanted to keep the river and its surrounds pristine and we are now doing our bit to help. We are so fortunate to paddle in this beautiful environment. Our club wants to help our community by keeping it clean.”
The Coffs Coast Dragon Boat Club paddles every Saturday morning on the Bellinger River and welcomes new members. For more information– www.coffscoastdbc.com.au or 0418 953 882.
