THE wind up of the Bridgetown in the Winter Festival was held in River Park at the weekend.
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The traditional burning of the Snowman showed the ending of winter and heralded in the start of spring. A plastic duck race and a flood both contributed to the big weekend.
It was also a celebration for the excellent job carried out by the Bridgetown Greenbushes Business and Tourism Association as they came to the end of the Bridgetown in the Winter program of activities which had been spread over June, July and August,
The Association is to be congratulated for the number and diversification of the activities, which meant there was something to suit everybody in their program.
The final program held on the edge of the flooding river near the traffic bridge, was visited by an estimated 400 people, who cheered on their ducks as they swam down the river and enjoyed hot dogs, marshmallows, ice cream and apples on a string.
Performers “Short and Curly” provided live music before the crowds cheered and clapped as the Snowman, tethered in the middle of the river, suddenly burst into flames, lighting up the evening sky and declaring the end of winter.
Over 100 plastic baby ducks were unceremoniously thrown from their warm, comfortable cardboard box on Sunday, into the swirling rapids that, with the recent heavy rains, the River Blackwood had become.
Each little duck, with its race number embossed on its tiny body, knew that to survive in the raging torrent, they must swim for their lives to try to reach the safety of the finish line at the Bridgetown Traffic Bridge.
So with brave hearts they set off to try and avoid the trees and branches which had now become hidden in the flood. Each time they tried to get to the bank and take a rest, they found themselves pushed back into deeper water by people in kayaks and power boats.
Voices of hundreds of spectators shouted at them from the river bank, urging each of them on to greater effort.
Thankfully for the ducks, the current was so strong that the race was over in the record time of 13 minutes. They reached the calmer water near the bridge and found themselves being gently lifted from the icy water and returned to their comfortable, warm box, to await another race in 2015.
The adopted owners of the winning ducks were first place Kyle Wilson, second place was taken by “Till”, while third place went to Pam Shackleford. Ms Shackleford hails from Victoria, and said she was here to check up on the local racing duck talent.
With the recent rains, the Blackwood River broke its banks in several places over the weekend, covering the road which joins the River Park with the Brockman Highway, and making its way up the grassy banks, leaving trees and shrubs growing in the middle of the river. It was estimated the river rose by up to 120cm.