Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 3, 2006 23:47:56 GMT 12
Lay your bets now, will it be one of our Orions that has to save this idiot when he gets into trouble, or will he not get that far and it'll be the RAAF?
Things must be really bad in Oz at the moment when you have to go to this length to get out of there, and across to somewhere better.
I cannot for the life of me think how something as ludicrous as this takes five years to plan... it sounds more like the result of one night in the pub. Especially given a quick search of the net would tell him the Tasman is one of the roughest pieces of sea to cross and is even dangerous for aircraft and large ships - kayaks are no match for 50 metre waves. And look how changable the weather is right now too.
I'd love to see him make it here, and have the Customs Officials refuse entry and make him go back the way he came!
www.breitbart.com/news/na/061202101222.o65yt47c.html
Adventurer attempts to paddle from Australia to New Zealand
Dec 02 5:12 AM US/Eastern
An Australian adventurer has emarked on a dangerous bid to become the first kayaker to paddle 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) from his country to New Zealand.
After customs officials stamped his passport and family and friends said their goodbyes, Andrew McAuley, 39, left early from Fortescue in south-eastern Tasmania on a risky journey that was expected to take a month.
Having spent five years planning his tenacious trip across the Tasman sea, McAuley shrugged off strong pleas by marine police to abort an attempt they described as "inherently dangerous and high-risk".
"What you do with a trip like this is really try to minimise that danger as much as possible by taking absolutely every precaution," McAuley told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Saturday.
McAuley, who was last year's Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year, has equiped his kayak with navigation and safety equipment such as a self-righting system and a bubble cover to shield him from the elements at night.
Although well prepared for his 1,600-kilometre odyssey, he admitted on his website earlier in the week that he was both excited and scared.
"The balance of each emotion changes from time to time, but overall I can't wait to get out there and get it done," wrote McAuley. "I'm hungry for some paddling!"
McAuley aims to reach New Zealand's Milford Sound in 30 days, where he will present his passport to New Zealand customs authorities.
"You know it's a long kayak trip when you need your passport," he said.
McAuley admitted the Tasman crossing, which had been attempted just twice by others -- unsuccessfully -- would be "very hard going".
However, a wealth of experience at sea gave him some idea of what to expect, he said.
Between 2000 and 2003, McAuley crossed the notorious Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia three times, and last year led an 850-kilometre Antartic kayaking expedition.
In 2004, he completed the 530-kilometre Gulf of Carpentaria crossing, northern Australia, sleeping in his kayak in rough oceans for six nights and "battling salt sores, fever and encounters with sharks and sea snakes along the way".
Things must be really bad in Oz at the moment when you have to go to this length to get out of there, and across to somewhere better.
I cannot for the life of me think how something as ludicrous as this takes five years to plan... it sounds more like the result of one night in the pub. Especially given a quick search of the net would tell him the Tasman is one of the roughest pieces of sea to cross and is even dangerous for aircraft and large ships - kayaks are no match for 50 metre waves. And look how changable the weather is right now too.
I'd love to see him make it here, and have the Customs Officials refuse entry and make him go back the way he came!
www.breitbart.com/news/na/061202101222.o65yt47c.html
Adventurer attempts to paddle from Australia to New Zealand
Dec 02 5:12 AM US/Eastern
An Australian adventurer has emarked on a dangerous bid to become the first kayaker to paddle 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) from his country to New Zealand.
After customs officials stamped his passport and family and friends said their goodbyes, Andrew McAuley, 39, left early from Fortescue in south-eastern Tasmania on a risky journey that was expected to take a month.
Having spent five years planning his tenacious trip across the Tasman sea, McAuley shrugged off strong pleas by marine police to abort an attempt they described as "inherently dangerous and high-risk".
"What you do with a trip like this is really try to minimise that danger as much as possible by taking absolutely every precaution," McAuley told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Saturday.
McAuley, who was last year's Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year, has equiped his kayak with navigation and safety equipment such as a self-righting system and a bubble cover to shield him from the elements at night.
Although well prepared for his 1,600-kilometre odyssey, he admitted on his website earlier in the week that he was both excited and scared.
"The balance of each emotion changes from time to time, but overall I can't wait to get out there and get it done," wrote McAuley. "I'm hungry for some paddling!"
McAuley aims to reach New Zealand's Milford Sound in 30 days, where he will present his passport to New Zealand customs authorities.
"You know it's a long kayak trip when you need your passport," he said.
McAuley admitted the Tasman crossing, which had been attempted just twice by others -- unsuccessfully -- would be "very hard going".
However, a wealth of experience at sea gave him some idea of what to expect, he said.
Between 2000 and 2003, McAuley crossed the notorious Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia three times, and last year led an 850-kilometre Antartic kayaking expedition.
In 2004, he completed the 530-kilometre Gulf of Carpentaria crossing, northern Australia, sleeping in his kayak in rough oceans for six nights and "battling salt sores, fever and encounters with sharks and sea snakes along the way".
