Get your rubber ducky ready for annual Whanganui River race

Plumber Dan has his ducks in a row for the annual charity to support Jigsaw Whanganui. Photo/Bevan Conley

The big, yellow mother duck is waiting on the Whanganui River for the hundreds of ducklings that will be launched off the Dublin St Bridge.

The annual duck race will take place this Saturday and everyone who buys a $10 ticket gets the chance to win a $1000 prize while supporting Jigsaw Whanganui.

Each ticket has a number that corresponds to a rubber duck that will be tossed from the bridge.

Organiser Daniel Goldsworthy, known as Plumber Dan, launched the race in 2016 and last year $13,000 was raised to support Jigsaw which provides a professional social work service to support families with complex needs.

In this third year of the race, Goldsworthy says he has done some tweaking to ensure that the race runs smoothly.

"There will be 400 metres of pipe in the river with kayakers at each end to make sure the ducks stay on course," he says.

He has also attached a lead-filled bottle top to the bottom of each duck to ensure they stay upright in the water.

All the ducks are safely removed from the river after the race to be washed and stored for the next one.

"No duck left behind is the hashtag," says Goldsworthy.

The front window of Plumber Dan's shop on Victoria Ave is currently filled with yellow quackers ready for release.

Jigsaw administrator Rachel Doble says the funds raised from the race enable the service to help pay a social worker's salary.

"We want to keep a full team and we don't want our valuable staff getting burnt out because they provide an essential service for Whanganui."

Tickets are available from Jigsaw, Plumber Dan, Caltex on Victoria Ave, Vets on Carlton or from the River Markets on Saturday. The Duck Race begins at 11am on Saturday.