WICEN NSW Prepares for the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic

For more than four decades, the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic has combined an extraordinary paddling challenge with fundraising for medical research. Behind the paddlers is another long-running tradition: amateur radio operators helping keep the event moving safely through the night.

As reported by Richard Murnane VK2SKY in the latest WIA National News, WICEN NSW is preparing for one of its biggest annual operational exercises, providing safety communications along the Hawkesbury River. Richard reports that WICEN has supported the Classic since at least 1985, and possibly earlier.

The 2026 event will be held over 24 and 25 October, with paddlers travelling overnight along the Hawkesbury from Windsor towards Mooney Mooney. The event organisers describe this year's main course as a 100 km overnight paddle, with shorter 30 km and 60 km options also available. The Classic raises funds for medical research, particularly through its long association with the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation.

That fundraising has produced some remarkable results. The Classic has raised more than $4.5 million for Arrow over its long association with the foundation. Among the research it has supported was a Hawkesbury Canoe Classic PhD Scholarship awarded to researcher Ritika Saxena. Her work contributed to research into producing blood stem cells in the laboratory, with the scholarship specifically acknowledged as supporting that research. PaddleNSW
From Voice to Packet, APRS, DMR, Winlink and PoC

The Hawkesbury is also something of a living laboratory for emergency communications. Richard VK2SKY reports that WICEN's communications have evolved over the decades from passing canoe numbers checkpoint-to-checkpoint by voice, through packet radio, APRS tracking, DMR and Winlink.

This year another technology is joining the communications toolbox: PoC, or Push-to-Talk over Cellular, radios. WICEN NSW will be evaluating how well they perform in the challenging RF environment surrounding the Hawkesbury River.

And that is precisely why events such as the Classic remain valuable to emergency communications groups. Technology that behaves beautifully on a workbench or in suburbia can develop an entirely different personality when confronted with valleys, river bends, difficult terrain, marginal coverage, darkness and tired operators.

The Classic gives WICEN members an opportunity to operate off-grid under demanding conditions for up to 24 hours, testing people, equipment, procedures and different communications technologies in a real operational environment. Those skills can subsequently be applied when amateur radio operators are called upon to support genuine emergencies.

New Operators Welcome

There are still opportunities for amateurs to become involved. WICEN NSW has positions available at checkpoints along the river and new participants can be paired with experienced WICEN members, providing an excellent introduction to practical emergency and event communications.

To volunteer, contact WICEN NSW Operations at wicen.ops@vrarescue.org.

Similar WICEN groups around Australia provide communications support for community and endurance events, giving radio amateurs an opportunity to develop practical field-operating skills while providing a valuable community service.

Credit: Richard Murnane VK2SKY, WICEN NSW, from the WIA National News Broadcast.

Hawkesbury Canoe Classic official website - Link

WICEN NSW on Facebook - Link

VK4 Emergency Communications Groups.io - Link

Page Last Updated: Wednesday, 30 Sep 2026 at 21:33 hours by Justin Giles-clark

Click Here To Return To Previous Page