A friend of mine, a giant of a man who has punched salt water crocodiles and towed sea kayaks snapped in half by “boomers” (towering long period ocean swells) across the southern ocean recently auditioned for something called “Adventurous Australians.” Adventurous Australians are, apparently those who, and I quote: “have stories to share that are related to… Flying (lessons, scenic flights, sky diving, hot air ballooning; Driving (car racing, motorbikes, luxury cars); Dining (fine dining and wine tasting); Ocean (sailing cruises, swimming with dolphins).
Crossing Bass Strait in a sea kayak, paddling to Thursday Island, these things are not adventurous really when compared to fine dining and driving a luxury car! In his audition, Dave, who did not make the cut - damper cooked in an open fire in the middle of a six week sea kayak sojourn obviously does not qualify as “fine dining” - described sea kayaking as “audacious… out there in tiny boats … on a sometimes angry ocean.”
Funnily enough, even on days such as the two we just had, where the ocean is almost glassy calm, disturbed only by a long period, slow rolling ocean swell, sea kayaking can feel at once audacious and incredibly calming.
On Christmas Day, we loaded our kayaks with food, water and camping gear for a short overnight trip and trolleyed them down to our local beach. We paddled north, past sandy coves, rocky headlands and islands inhabited only by sea birds. Dolphins paced us and shear-waters floated in flocks on water indistinguishable from the sky. Landing on a steep beach under large cliffs, we tucked our kayaks away and spent the afternoon and evening walking through the forest or simply sitting mugs of tea in hand watching the ocean swells roll in and out.
Photo credits: DB
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