Hero with a paddle
When does that moment of decision come.. “Morning dear, what are you doing today?” “Morning dear, I think I’ll paddle around Australia” “That’s lovely dear, pass the milk” Can you imagine it?
The special moment you decide to do something so outrageous, so exhilarating, so bloody mad, like paddling around Australia!
I wonder what it feels like! I remember last week telling my girl im staying with my mates at the pub, that’s exciting, exhilarating, mad, and life threatening too.
I reckon it would be marvellous, not the pub bit, well I met a most incredible lady, and her extraordinarily supportive bloke, her roady or sea-y, who have done just that.
Bonnie Hancock is paddling around Australia, all around Australia!
Not pulling into a glorious beach, staying a week in a hammock, and driving to the next city, then having a quick jolly on the surf ski, this lady is literally keeping Australia to her right, and off she goes.
So far over 11,000 Ks and 230 days, with the constant companions of great White sharks, crocs, Aquaman, French subs (broken down of course, she gave them a tow), huge waves, the occasional floating stubby and up here, the relentless sun, and so much more.
Bonnie is competing in the Shaw and Partners around Oz paddle, and I had the honour of meeting her on the beach as we welcomed her to Australia.
She’d paddled over the paddock from Orpheus, in itself quite a feat, yet as she arrived and I interviewed her, I was puffing just walking down to the water line, she wasn’t puffing at all, what an athlete.
Her surf ski is a ripper, only 9 or so kilos, basically a couple of buckets of prawns, yet she was in the southern ocean with waves bigger than the Sugar shaker and paddling near crocs at the Lockhart who have teeth bigger than the ski.
Like paddling a cigar case with a spoon.
I love these people, quite inspirational, she was so positive and overjoyed at the small but incredibly enthusiastic crowd.
The local paddlers even went out to Bay Rock to paddle in with her. Bonnie has a charity, Gotch4life, creating awareness, and helping with programs to prevent suicide.
It was a glorious winters afternoon, diamonds over Cleveland, a slight breeze as I waited for any sign of Bonnie, hoping she hadn’t got tangled in the jetty’s fishing lines.
I looked over the crowd thinking what a marvellous achievement this is for Bonnie, when I saw Alan Jefferson.
This bloke is a true and humble north Queensland legend, not only does he save lives with our rescue helicopter, the Red and White Angel, but he won what many call the worlds toughest bike race, the ride across America.
He did it in ten days, sleeping 1 ½ hours a night, and here he is supporting another incredible physical achievement.
This is our future I believe, Adventure Tourism, Sports excellence, (surely we’ll have Olympians up here eh) Edu Tourism with our AIMS and the Uni, PAC
Tourism (Pinch A Car), the list goes on.
Maybe next time someone like Bonnie arrives, we have our council welcome them to Australia and our city!
A special Townsville frangipani lei, or made out of shells, keys to our city (if they’ve not been nicked ) maybe even a hotel room to rest!
But lets be there to make it special. Thankyou Bonnie and Matty for coming to our great city.
Oh yes , soon a group raising money for Legacy will be arriving from Brissy riding 50cc Mopeds….we should have plenty of notice, they probably left 1996!
Happy days ooroo.