Yarra River ‘Source to Sea’ Challenge.

Media Release / 04.09.2008

Yarra River ‘Source to Sea’ challenge to highlight river health and land issues during Landcare Week (1-7 September)

Accompanied by experienced paddler/s adventure racer Jarad Kohlar, Chris Ord will undertake the 215km journey from headwaters located beyond the town in which he grew up, Warburton, all the way to the mouth of the Yarra River, finishing at Williamstown. The journey is expected to take just under six days,the fastest know source to sea on the Yarra.

The catchment area of the Yarra River and its tributaries stretches over 4,000 square kilometres, with more than two million people living within its boundaries.

“Growing up, we were lucky enough to have the Yarra River as a playground to swim in and float lilos down,” says Chris. “The health of the river is something that was literally in our faces.”

Not all of Chris’ memories of the Yarra are positive, however. “I remember as a teenager doing a triathlon in the city and having to swim under the Princes Bridge next to Flinders Street Station and becoming pretty ill afterwards because it was so polluted. That never happened back upstream.”

Now working for Landcare Australia, Chris says he always wanted to track the river’s complete course from top to bottom, and figured that Landcare Week was an appropriate time to fulfill his dream while raising questions surrounding the river’s health.