Bidgee Dragons, Heather, Jude, Sylvia, Inge and Sue are about to set off to participate in this year's famous Ord River Dragon Boating Marathon.

Organised by the Kununurra Dragon Boat Club, the 55 kilometre event along the Ord River from Lake Argyle to Kununurra in far northern Western Australia, is a test of endurance on a grand scale. While paddling steadily in time with each other, the biggest challenge faced by paddlers is to keep themselves and each other motivated when the going gets tough.

However, inspired by the experiences of Bidgee Dragons members who participated in the 2014 marathon, this year’s five paddlers are looking forward to seeing the spectacular East Kimberly landscape, the plentiful freshwater of the mighty Ord River and experiencing the camaraderie of all the teams entered to keep them going to the end.

Along with regular regional and state regattas, the Ord River Dragon Boat Marathon is just one of the many dragon boating events which provide Bidgee Dragons with opportunities for interstate and international travel and participation. Bidgee Dragons participated this year in the Masters Games in Queensland and the Wellington International Dragon Boat Regatta in New Zealand and are planning to travel to Italy in 2018 for dragon boating events in Venice and Florence.