Paddling News

Crossing the waters between Australia and New Zealand can be tough enough for cruising yachts and ships, let alone one man in a kayak.

But Australian adventurer, Andrew McAuley, is near to completing his solo, epic 1,600 kilometre journey after leaving Australia just on a month ago.

Barring a disaster, he should arrive in New Zealand this weekend.

During the trip, he's had to deal with great white sharks and 10 metre swells.

AM's Conor Duffy spoke with Michael McAuley, who's been in daily contact with his kayaking brother.

MICHAEL MCAULEY: It's something he's been planning to do for many years now. He's done, he was Australian adventurer of the year in 2005 and, you know, his last major trip was paddling across the, or down the Antarctic Peninsula, and all these trips were in preparation for the big one, this Tasman solo trip which is different to doing an Antarctic Peninsula with another team.

So it's been something he's been planning for a long time and he set off from Tasmania, Fortescue Bay on January 11 and he's nearly there.

CONOR DUFFY: How does someone sleep and carry out all of life's daily demands in a small sea kayak?

MICHAEL MCAULEY: (chuckles) As far as I understand he just manages the best he can. He's got to desalinate his own water. As to sanitary arrangements, well you can use your own imagination. I'm not sure.

He's got his food, his high protein, sorry, high fat actually, high energy food which is light weight and a lot of that's stored in the front of the bow. So actually he told me he would have to swim to the front of the bow via - always tethered of course with a safety line - to retrieve his food and then come back and lock himself back in to be able to eat and then yeah, desalinating his water every night after a hard day's paddling.

So yeah. Not easy.

CONOR DUFFY: And how does he sleep?

MICHAEL MCAULEY: The idea is what, he just slides his leg, if you can imagine sitting upright in a kayak and then sliding your legs forward into the hull and then he pulls down a safety capsule and that capsule locks over the top and protects him from big seas when it rolls, you know he hit some huge seas recently and it held out. Very uncomfortable I'd imagine.

CONOR DUFFY: You've been in almost daily contact with your brother Andrew McAuley since he set off. Can you give us a bit of an idea of some of the things he's had to overcome on the trip?

MICHAEL MCAULEY: Yeah Conor. Well, I mean, not long after he set of there was two very large sharks. I'm guessing in those cold waters down there, probably great whites, he said by the size of them. They had a good look at his kayak. A whale breached right next to the kayak.

Probably the most dangerous and scary point was when a huge low pressure system pretty much hit him smack bang in the middle and according to his weather forecaster it was comparable to the Sydney to Hobart.

He said there was at least 30 foot waves, 9, 10 metre swells and he had to ride it out and you know, we just thank God that he got through that okay.

CONOR DUFFY: How has your family coped with getting these daily messages from your brother Andrew saying things like we're in 30 foot surf, I've just seen two sharks?

MICHAEL MCAULEY: (chuckles) You know what, the surf, the swell side, he didn't mention anything until after it was over. I knew though, I looked on the web and had a look but I don't think Mum and Dad knew. And actually, the message was very late that night so just quietly, I was quite worried.

But the sharks, you know he did mention that and yeah, I mean, I'm okay with it. You'd have to ask mum how she goes with it. She probably struggles a bit, but you know, I've got full faith in Andrew. I know what he's capable of. He's very strong mentally and physically and I had full faith he'd be able to pull this off.

CONOR DUFFY: And your brother Andrew McAuley's due into New Zealand this weekend, the end of an epic 1,600 kilometre paddle. Has he told you what he wants to do when he finally gets to port?

MICHAEL MCAULEY: He'll probably have trouble probably walking. His legs will be quite wasted after 30 days of inactivity and I imagine he's looking forward to a good meal and a good sleep, you know, in a bed that doesn't go up and down 30 feet at a time.

TONY EASTLEY: Michael McAuley, brother of adventuring kayaker, Andrew McAuley speaking there with our reporter Conor Duffy.

Download this interview in Mp3.

Source: abc.net.au