Category: Rowing Camps

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2022 Rowing Camp Nagambie

We headed up to Nagambie for a welcome return to our annual rowing camp for the weekend of 8 October. Big thanks to Leigh & Chris for trailering.


There were a handful of eager beavers that made it up early enough Friday to have a row, before RRC took over Nagambie brewery for dinner under SVs carefully laid booking plans.

Despite selective efforts to the contrary, we were on-water for the first session by 730 Saturday morning. The first of four sessions, men’s squad clocked up 42 km’s in a pair of sessions on the Goulburn followed by a pair of afternoon sessions on the course.

Saturevening was for the box biters, by all reports Keith’s normally unquestioned dominance under steady stream of threats, with Lily photographed wearing the crown. Saturnight was for cabin 46’s holistic approach to the weekend.

Sunday saw a solid 10km session for 8am, amelioration of the remaining evidence, and a final mixed crews laugh of a dash down the course.

Enormous thanks to Ally, who with Emil and Millie organised accommodation, comms, survey and lots more: Kathy organised finances. Kirsty and Sue-Virginia organised food and William Haynes manned the BBQ: Richie, Helen, Tim F and Anthea A provided salads. Safety planning was done by Alex Reid, Kathy M, Kim, Christine, boats organised by Kim and Andrew C was a tinnie driver.  Volunteer coaches and coxes were Derek, Stuart, Anthea, Kathy, and paid coaches were Will, Sep, Roy, Alex and Lucci.


link to album

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RRC Head Season Training Camp 2019

Thoughts of a ‘never camper’
This was my first rowing camp. This was my first brush with a camping experience of any kind, period. I rocked up with a mind full of newbie questions: what’s it going to be like? ‘how remote is Nagambie if I forget something’? As a result, I packed like I was preparing for an apocalypse – gear for every weather condition and snacks for every hunger level. Also, someone please explain ‘box biting’?
Getting to Nagambie
The drive to Nagambie the one of the most beautiful experiences. I carpooled with the Hardys (Sarah and Matt) who knew the roads we were travelling so well. The conversation was lively, lolly supply generous and the drive itself was a super unwinding experience with views of endless canola fields and at one point, alpacas!
The first thing that strikes you on reaching the cabins is the spectacular view of lake.

I spent a good half hour on my cabin deck just taking it all in. The weather was surprisingly sunny and bright for most of the weekend, and a glimpse of the summer to come. That evening, we got ready for our first row, which for me was a quad. This row helped me get a feel of the lake with its many buoys and weeds.

We ended the day with a drink at the pub followed by a box-biting demonstration from the reigning champion himself, Keith, back in the cabins.
Rowing Hard
Saturday started super early with a view of a gorgeous sunrise from the cabin deck.

The first session of the day was a quad again but this time, we went up the Goulbourn river with Kathy coxing us (thanks a ton!). We had a shaky start to begin with, mostly because our crew hadn’t rowed together and we all brought our unique styles. But we kept at it with our cox and Michael coaching us from the ‘tinny’ through the second and third sessions that day. All the hard work was made worth it by the carrot cake at lunch (I still get dreams of it). The last row of the day was a highlight because it was my first time in a single skull. Though, the looks of trepidation on Barry and Michael’s faces while I almost tipped the boat getting in were priceless. I had a constant mental record of “hands together”, “oars feathered”, “DON’T FALL IN”!
Saturday night BBQ left me in a food coma. I unapologetically went for a second round, it was that good. Then came box biting. I would still like to know the origins of the tradition; if you know, stop and share. We had 2 rounds of everyone trying until it came down to the final round. Of course Keith won, but I think we also spotted an emerging talent in Pippa who gave him some tough competition. The general strategy seems to be picking the highest edge of the box. Until next camp, my strategy is going to be practicing Yoga to maintain develop the balance and flexibility!
All the coaching and practice from Saturday came to head on our Sunday rows. By now, a few of us from DS had been working as a consistent crew. If Saturday was shaky, Sunday was strong and sturdy. I count them as one of the best rows I’ve had. We had a moment going up the river when we held the boat still to just take in sounds of the birds and look at the giant pelicans. A far cry from the urban sounds and sights of Melbourne.
Can’t thank everyone who organised, coached and coxed for the weekend enough.

All in all, here are my somewhat helpful ‘pro tips’ for first-time campers:

  • Bring snacks, lots of them
  • Don’t skip the cake
  • Bring Beer (or your poison of choice), you’ll need it after a hard day’s row
  • Nearest good coffee is at a café called Foxhole, but be prepared for a 20-minute wait (resulting in a missed session on water!)
  • About 50% of people at boat loading/unloading are as clueless as you but acting super purposeful. You’re not alone!

Its been a few weeks since Camp now, and I can feel the change in my technique. Looking forward to next year.
Saloni Dikshit

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Save the date – RRC training camp – 13-15 September 2019

RRC’s Spring Training camp date has been locked in over the weekend of 13-15 September 2019 at Nagambie.
Consistent with last year we have booked accommodation at the Nagambie Leisure Park on the nights of 13 and 14 September. For those attending we will have on water sessions on 14 and 15 September on both the regatta course and river. If you can get the day off work on 13 September, there will be the opportunity for some additional casual sessions also.
Full details to follow soon. Lock the date in your diary – it’s a great reason to start your Winter training now !!!

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Spring Camp 2017

Rowing camp can instil a dreading fear in the best of us and I hesitantly left Melbourne on Friday evening with a h’anger and exhaustion that manifests after a hectic week in work. Challenged with the insight that I was likely to be rowing in a pair, I ensured to pack my goggles, banana hammock and trusty life-jacket…and planned for imminent hypothermia.
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Much to my delight however, I arrived to a toasty cabin 42. Considering my previous experience of camp accommodation was a mouldy mosquito-laden bunked shed in (very) rural New Zealand, I’d fallen into 5 star camp conditions! I was sharing with a potential dream-team for box-biting; Rens, Cam, Keith, James and his partner Lizzie. We quickly commenced a (sober) practice session of box-biting in anticipation for Saturday night and enjoyed Richmond’s thumping of “so-long Geelong”.
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We awoke to an awe inspiring view; with a peaking sun, clear skies and silky smooth waters. W.B. Yeats’ would have been proud, so we quickly (slowly) took off to arrive at 6.15am for camp initiation.
We were welcomed by a tenacious Tim and dangerous Dennis, who informed that rowing in pairs would form the morning session. Much to my own and Allan’s delight, we managed to stay afloat and zig-zag our way down the 2km course.
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The mid-morning session consisted of a 7.2km row down the Goulburn to the forbidden fruit; a vineyard. Unfortunately the docking spot beside the sacred ground was occupied, and a merry Masters crew waved us past from the shoreline. Maybe next year…
Other crews were busy at work too, with over 50 of Richmond’s finest rowers weaving their wave down the Goulburn and Nagambie lakes park.
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The long row did not go un-noticed though and we were rewarded by the “the roll that had it all”. Never in my wildest dreams did I envisage a roll so packed with wonderful surprises; beetroot, the finest cheddar cheese and crunchy ‘slaw… DELICIOUS.
The afternoon was sprint session of speedy proportions as we continued to knit as a 8 man crew. Stroked by “Usain” Allan Randall, we worked our way through a pyramid piece which fizzled the mind to the point of “just row, don’t think”. We left the water optimistic of our potential as a crew.
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Next to the good stuff; the barbeque and box-biting… The food committee outdid themselves with ample supplies of coleslaw, potato salads, vegan options and bbq-classics. Rens was in dream land and gloried in a food coma induced by his first Australian barbeque experience.
Box-biting was hilarious from the outset. Coopers Ale kindly supplied a box worthy of all our saliva and the chief umpire Dave was on hand to meticulously shave off 3.75 cubic centimetres from the box per round. Box-biting legends, Barry and Dave whispered invaluable tips on how to overcome the beastly box. “Avoid the soggy bit”, “aim for the opposite side”, “get caught beyond the catch” and choose the “right side to bite” still echo in my ears.
Much to my dismay, I bowed out during round three. The competition was far from over at that point though, as 4 heroes of the box entered a new realm of awesome. They really did demonstrate how to bite a box. Allan surprised us all in his flexibility skill-set and demonstrated the importance of active wear. Tina, 1 year on from delivering her first born was on hand to serve up sizzling single leg squats. Meanwhile, Keith and Edwina were at lager heads to become champion; stooping to new levels and re-writing the box-biting history books for good measure. There were shouts for the sport to be endowed as an Olympic event, as it went to the wire and 12 nail (and box) biting rounds. It led to a new box-biting record of 8cm from the floor to crown a winner. Keith rose above his bronze placed finish from last year and ousted Edwina off her biting throne to claim victory for a revering cabin 42.
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The final day consisted of 2 further exhausting rows.
I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge set by the pair and can see the carryover back into the 8. I’m hoping my wrestling match with the oar is over and I’ll be more graceful in avoiding over-muscling the blade in such a sensitive boat.
What a winning weekend for Richmond Rowing Club! Huge thanks again to all the organising committee, coaches and participants.
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I’m tapping out for now (or not). Looking forward to seeing all of the now familiar faces in training over the coming season. Let’s go Tigers!
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John Carey and James Attenborough

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Camp 2016

Thursday night: The trip didn’t seem like it was getting off on the right foot when we left Melbourne on a cold, rainy night for the 2 hour dark drive up to Nagambie. After an exhausting week at work we arrived at the campsite and already we had encountered our first challenge, a boom gate. Thanks to organisation queen Kathy’s email “most” of us got through without a hitch – others needed to wake up the locals only to be reminded that the code had already been sent out. A couple of U-turns later we found our cabins and settled in for the night.
Day 1: Early morning wake-up call. It seemed each cabin had a morning person and ours was Edwina. Leaping out of her bed at 5:30 AM and annoying those who wanted an extra 10 minutes (or 2 hours!) snooze. Yash wasn’t quite coping but a coffee delivered to bed fixed her up soon enough.
Again the weather didn’t seem to be ideal, cold, rainy, and muddy we set out for the day. Down to the lake at 6:15 to rig the boats, a quick meet & greet and then straight on to the water. Given that 2 hours is about the most any of us beginners have rowed in a day we were in for some hurt. We had a massive 6 hours ahead of us and despite the enthusiasm, it wasn’t easy! (How do the regular members keep up their energy?!) One of the most enjoyable parts of the day was the barbeque, which we were all excited about! Over some delicious BBQ the DS heard some great stories and advice form rowing veterans, mainly Rob.

bbqThe BBQ crew

Fed and somewhat rested it was then time for the box biting challenge to begin. For those who couldn’t stay out to watch, Dave was live on facebook, moving around the cabins to make sure nobody missed out (rumour has it that he was locked out of his own cabin!!). It came down to a battle to the death between Alan & Edwina but it was a win for the girls and the DS!
Day 2: Another early start, another coffee for Yash, two morning rows and some new experiences for us all. Yash had her first go at being a coxswain for RRC. Following a “slight” disastrous coxing experience in another club, she considered it a win by not sinking the boat. Well done
Edwina had her first go in a double with Jen. She thought she was killing it until she realised Jen had been balancing the boat the entire time. It’s okay Edwina, we think you killed it. Then we went to the pub for the AFL grand finale. Most patrons supported the Dogs, but for Yash and Edwina even watching the game was a new experience. The most heartbreaking moment of the day was watching Kathy’s face of disappointment at the Swan’s defeat, her fault for following a team from Sydney I guess (just kidding). After a long afternoon of eating & drinking, most of us were ready for an early night.
Day 3: This was probably the most difficult morning start. Packing up the cabins before the first row wasn’t what we had in mind after 2 days of rowing. But all good things must come to an end. The killer sunrise made us hopeful but the wind made it difficult, the water was choppy and there were a few grumpy seats in boats.

sunriseDay 3: Killer sunrise!!

The fatigue and empty headedness showed as we all let go of our oars when Rebecca told us to throw up our arms for a photo, we didn’t realise she was joking…..For the last session the other crews raced each other but DS were struggling to keep the balance of the boat amongst all the waves. By the end of it we weren’t sure which had more water in it, the lake or our boat.

hands-in-the-airPut your hand in the air like you don’t care!! Not a good idea.

With all the fun over it was time to pay our dues, as if our muscles hadn’t suffered enough over the last few days. De-rigging, boat loading, car-packing and back to Melbourne for re-rigging, boat unloading and car unpacking as well as washing the boats & oars. At least the sun was shining?
We don’t know about everyone else, but I was asleep by 8 that night and looking forward to sleep past 5:30 AM. What a weekend! Thanks for everyone who organised the weekend – especially Kathy, Tim, Barry & the coaches but also to all the other members for including and supporting us. We not only had a great time but bonded well as a team despite a lack of sleep and a bunch of blisters. We are sure all of the DS feel the same way, sore, glad, grateful and keen to go again – we had such a great weekend!
-Edwina & Yash
 

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Sprint training camp is here

Tomorrow you will need to be at the club by 8am and anticipate finish at 4:30pm
Sunday, at the club for 8:30am and anticipated finish around 3pm
Camp is on the Yarra.
There are multiple breaks through the day.
What to bring?
Camp is self-catered. Southbank is an excellent option for snacks and lunches if you don’t bring your own.
Bring your usual rowing kit and wear your racing RRC Zootie/kit as often as possible.
Spare socks and sunscreen.
We have around 60 Tigers attending the RRC camp this weekend. We’re looking forward to having some good rows with ‘speed’ by the end of day two.
Just putting the final touches on crews.
We’re looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Rochelle
Also please be aware City of Melbourne is holding the Midsumma Festival in Alexandra Gardens and so parking and access may be difficult, especially on Sunday. Set up will be from the 15th-21st January.

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Camp session plans

Take a look at the below schedule for camp to see just what our coaches have in store for you this weekend!
[wpfilebase tag=fileurl path=’2014 RRC Nagambi Camp 01.xlsx’ linktext=’2014 RRC Nagambie Camp Plan’ /]
 
There are many variables to consider when trying to plan for a weekend with more than 40 rowers so please be prepared to be flexible. This guide is to give you an idea of what to expect and times you will be required at the regatta centre (remember it’s a 5-10min walk from the cabins to the boats).

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Only a few days until camp….

I hope everyone is looking forward to a fun filled weekend at Nagambie, the coaches and committee have been hard at work planning everything, please let the secretary know if you have not received an email detailing your cabin and travel arrangements.
For those who have not been on a Richmond training camp before or who have not been to Nagambie make sure you take a look at the briefing document that has been together detailing what you need to bring.
Also don’t forget that for an away camp to happen we need to get the boats derigged, on the trailer and up to Nagambie, so Thursday’s nights normal training session will be boat loading at the clubhouse. If you want boats to row please try to attend and bring your spanners 🙂

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Last reminder to sign up to spring training camp

It’s been great to see the club colours out in such numbers on the river over the last few weeks. We

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had 38 training this morning and 26 of those having some fun with a quick burst of club races to round out the morning.

Don’t forget there’s much more training and fun

to be had at our Spring Camp in Nagambie on 12-14th September. If you haven’t already signed up to attend, complete the survey and organise payment of $240 ASAP. See the previous blog for all the details because we need to finalise numbers.

Please transfer the money into RRC’s Bank Account
BSB: 633-000
Account No: 117078238
Reference: camp and your name

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Only 7 Weeks till Spring Camp at Nagambie (12 – 14 September 2014)

Dawn at Ngambie training camp 2013
Dawn at Nagambie training camp 2013

Now that the days are getting longer, I bet you’re thinking about getting back into training on the Yarra, if you haven’t already done so – well done to the 32 rowers who were out this morning!
No doubt you’re now keenly anticipating Spring Camp at Nagambie –  a weekend of lots of rowing interspersed with social activities.
Sign up for Spring Camp now
 
Pay by 8th August 2014 (we have to pay to secure the cabins) – email the Treasurer, [email protected] if you need to pay in instalments
SUMMARY DETAILS
Who:     All Club members are invited; those competing in the Head racing season are expected to attend
When:  Friday 12/9 evening arrival at Nagambie through to Sunday 14/9 late afternoon boat unloading at the club (Thursday night boat loading)
Where: Nagambie Lakes Leisure Park accommodation and the Nagambie Peninsula Rowing course and Goulburn River for on water activities
What:    On-water training sessions – 3 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday plus social activities
Why:      Improve your rowing/coxing skills; get ready for Head racing; have fun and make some new rowing friends
Continue reading “Only 7 Weeks till Spring Camp at Nagambie (12 – 14 September 2014)”