Yarra Cleanup

Danella leads the troops.

Lots of this stuff around, plastic in trees.

Nice views and some companionship while picking up the rubbish.

Golf ball about to be mined.

"The big stuff" an old hose, dead batteries, and old cushions full of silt all went on a big gate.

Lots of golf balls. Danella is running a workshop to work out what to do with them in February.

Robbish I collected

Danella and Des on the way out,

and back to cars and bikes.

 Hi, today I attended a very enjoyable cleanup the Yarra day organised locally by Danella who happens to be a force of nature. Went for a swim (maybe 600m or so) at Deep Rock in the Yarra afterwards with Danella and her mates which was very nice and sociable. We saw a wallaby, others saw other creatures which I didn't, I am possibly slightly blind without my glasses! 

This mob's activities can be followed on the instagram thingy, here is the link, https://www.instagram.com/birrarungcleanup/ 

Update Jan 27 2023

I did a bit of googling about golf ball pollution (see this link) and found that its a thing. The article I linked to is about ocean pollution, and we are talking river pollution here, but there's some relevant information there.

Some golf balls ending up as large scale sculpture. More on this next time!

 

I have now done my own citizen science project and can confirm that

Yes, golf balls do sink in fresh water and

Because their diameter is 42.5mm, their radius is 21,25mm which means

Their volume was calculated at 40.2 cm3, but I reckon its bit less because of the dimples, say 39cm3 and I weighed them at

185g for 4 , or 46.25g each.

So yep, the calcs are in, they should sink!  The fresh water they displace will weigh about 39g because freshwater density is 1, while the salt water (density 1.025g/cm3 they displace will weigh about 39.975g so they will still sink even in the denser seawater. And most of that info is here in the wikipedia page so it was a waste of time working it out.

If you have stayed awake you are rewarded! This is looking away from the river at Deep Rock with my bike foreground and a hot air balloon landing background.

Next: The art day, click here.

Buckley's ride preview and training

 

The stats

Rubbish loaded in tailbox

My bike at Deep Rock. I went for a couple of swims here. I think they call it cross-training

Hi

As I have done several times in the last few years. I have signed up for the Audax Buckley's ride which is Round the Bay (Port Phillip Bay) in a Day in Bike Network Parlance.  Last year, my bike broke in the rear frame, but I have finished 2 separate 200k audax rides since then, one to Portsea and return, and one to Anglesea from Werribee and return.

I have been training on the hilly Kew Boulevarde, and consider myself quite well prepared. I am using my Garmin as a basic speedo, trying to keep over 10 kph up the hills, and recording trip length and speed when I can.

Today I was inspired to pick up rubbish by some local cleaner uppers, some of whom swim at Deep Rock, on the nearby Yarra River. I have deducted a minute from today's time for every piece of rubbish I picked up!

The weather is shaping up to be warm for the ride, that is 32 degrees, and in my training I have only just stopped my face from burning by frequent application of sunscreen. I plan to use a buff for the actual ride, I think that's much more robust as sun and dehydration protection. Wish me luck! 

For part 2, click here

Activities on the day before the ride, with Pete and Pete, I.......

fixed bikes like this Giant Liv for refugees at Wecycle.

 

Steve Nurse