Dragons Abreast Central Coast

07/06/2026

🌏 The Story Behind the Boat — Week 2 of 5

How dragon boating became a global sport

For centuries, dragon boating was largely a traditional Chinese festival activity.

Then, in 1976, the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races brought the sport to the world's attention.

What followed was remarkable.

Teams returned home inspired to start their own clubs. National associations were formed. International competitions grew. What had once been a local cultural tradition began spreading across the globe.

Today, dragon boating is paddled in more than 60 countries by millions of people.

From Hong Kong harbour... to Budgewoi Lake. 🚣‍♀️💗

And that's where our story starts to intersect with something even bigger.

💗 Next week (3 of 5): The groundbreaking research that challenged long-held beliefs about breast cancer recovery and sparked the worldwide Dragons Abreast movement.

05/06/2026

🐉💗 This film looks well worth a watch.

Conquering Breast Cancer is screening in cinemas this month and features stories from women navigating breast cancer, including Dragon Boat paddler and metastatic breast cancer advocate Sandra Sturgess.

Closest screenings for the Central Coast:
🎬 Kotara – 10 June
🎬 Hornsby – 17 June
🎬 Sydney (George Street) – 21 June
Tickets and details: https://conqueringcancercampaign.com/conquering-breast-cancer/see-the-film/

31/05/2026

🐉 The Story Behind the Boat — Week 1 of 5

More than 2,000 years ago, Chinese poet Qu Yuan was exiled and later drowned.

Legend tells us that local villagers raced out in boats trying to save him. Although they were unsuccessful, they continued to return each year to commemorate him.

But here's something many paddlers don't know...

The dragon may have been there before Qu Yuan.

In ancient China, dragons were believed to be powerful water spirits associated with rivers, rain, protection, and good fortune. Communities decorated their boats with dragon heads and tails to honour these spirits and seek their blessing.

Over time, ancient dragon traditions and the story of Qu Yuan became woven together.

Those races became tradition.

That tradition became a festival.

And that festival eventually became the sport we know and love today.

From ancient China... to The Central Coast NSW 🚣‍♀️💗

🌏 Next week (2 of 5): How a local Chinese tradition became a global sport paddled in more than 60 countries.

24/05/2026

🐉🚣‍♀️ Ever wondered how dragon boating became connected to breast cancer recovery?

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing the story behind the boats, the movement, and Dragons Abreast Central Coast itself. 💗

From ancient China… to the Central Coast.

Stay tuned. 👀

20/05/2026

Celebrating Dragons Abreast Central Coast as a Local Legend winner at 29 seconds of this video by Mingle Seasoning, as survivors of breast cancer coming together to support each other and regain their fitness and passion for paddle dragon boats

19/05/2026

HUGE congratulations to our very own Natalie!

One of our incredible Dragons Abreast Central Coast members has officially been announced as one of the winners in Mingle Seasoning's Meat Tray Movement competition! 🥩🎉

“The Mingle Meat Tray Movement — giving away a year’s worth of meat trays to 10 Aussie clubs, complete with their new rubs to fuel community fundraising.”

https://www.mingleseasoning.com/pages/meat-tray-movement-1

The competition wasn’t just random luck — clubs from all around Australia shared their stories about community, resilience and the people who keep local groups going. Nearly 600 entries were submitted, with only 10 clubs selected.

Natalie won TWELVE BBQ packs for our club through the campaign after entering via a Bunnings BBQ community promotion — an amazing result and so well deserved 👏

What makes this extra special is that Mingle Seasoning promotes healthier, cleaner seasoning options with no unnecessary additives, less sugar and a focus on better ingredients. A lovely fit for a community built around recovery, exercise, wellbeing and supporting each other after breast cancer.

Under Dragons Abreast Australia umbrella, we use dragon boat paddling as a platform to raise awareness of breast cancer while visibly demonstrating survivorship, strength, friendship and the benefits of staying physically active after diagnosis.

But our real superpower is our stories. 💗

Women rebuilding confidence.
Rebuilding fitness.
Rebuilding themselves.
Together.

Well done Nat — you’ve made the whole club proud! 🐉💪💗

17/05/2026

🎟️ LAST CHANCE TO WIN $3,500 CASH! 🎟️

Our Dragons Abreast Central Coast raffle is drawn TOMORROW NIGHT — Monday 18 May at 7pm at The Doylo 💸

Every ticket sold through our link supports our dragon boating club of women living with breast cancer 💗

👉 Buy tickets here: https://www.raffletix.com.au/?ref=tzbed&sref=4bhd6tbg

🎟️ WIN $3,500 CASH & SUPPORT DRAGONS ABREAST CENTRAL COAST 🎟️

Dragons Abreast Central Coast is raising funds through our community raffle — and you could take home some serious cash 💸

💰 PRIZES
🥇 $3,500 Cash – The Doylo (Doyalson / Wyee RSL Club)
🥈 $1,000 Cash – Toukley Wyong Rotary
🥉 $500 Bunnings Gift Card – Bunnings Lake Haven

💸 TICKETS
$5 each | 5 for $20 | 15 for $50
📅 Drawn: 18 May 2026, 7:00pm at The Doylo

👉 Get your raffle tickets here:
https://www.raffletix.com.au/?ref=tzbed&sref=4bhd6tbg⁠

Every ticket helps support our dragon boating club of women living with breast cancer through paddling, fitness, and community 💗

🙏 Proudly supported by
Northlakes Toukley Rotary, , Bunnings Lake Haven

12/05/2026

Today on International Nurses Day, we want to acknowledge the extraordinary people working in Oncology nursing. 💗

You turn up every single day with a smile, warmth and a cheery disposition — even on the hardest days.

You see fear.
You see grief.
You see people at their most vulnerable.

We know you cry out the back sometimes.
We know you carry our external scars internally.
And somehow… you still show up again the next day to care for the next patient with kindness and compassion.

That takes a very special kind of human.

To every Oncology nurse who has sat beside a chemo chair, held a hand, explained the scary stuff, made us laugh, reassured our families, or simply made a horrible day feel a little less horrible…

We see you.
We appreciate you.
And we thank you. 💕

– Dragons Abreast Central Coast 🐉

09/05/2026

Thanks for having us Dragons Abreast Newcastle Hunter!

09/05/2026

🌸 TODAY at Bunnings Lake Haven! 🌸

Dragons Abreast Central Coast is proud to be part of Bunnings Lake Haven's FREE Mother’s Day Community Event today from 10:30am–12:30pm 💕

📍 Bunnings Lake Haven
10 Pacific Hwy, Charmhaven NSW

Bunnings is hosting:
☕ A beautiful High Tea for 80 local mums
🌸 Children’s floral garland craft activities
👧 Local Girl Guides helping the kids create something special for Mum

Our DACC crew has been invited along to help raise awareness about breast cancer survivorship and the many physical, emotional, and social benefits of dragon boating with a supportive group of women.

Come say hello, chat with our members, and learn more about what we do and when we paddle.

🎟 We’ll also be running TWO raffles today:

💚 RAFFLE 1 — Drawn TODAY at 1pm
4 fantastic prizes generously donated by Bunnings
🎟 $1 each or 3 for $5

💚 RAFFLE 2 — Rotary Community Raffle
🥇 $3500 CASH
🥈 $1000 CASH
🥉 $500 Bunnings Gift Voucher
🎟 Tickets $5 each
📅 Drawn 18 May

Funds raised help support our members travelling to France to participate in the dragon boating competition at the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission festival and regatta 🇫🇷🐉

A huge THANK YOU to Bunnings for supporting local community groups, charities, breast cancer survivors, and creating events that genuinely bring people together. 💚

Pop in, say hi, buy a raffle ticket, and enjoy a lovely community morning! 🌸