Thanks

We owe a big thanks to so many people who have helped us get across the Bass.

All our family and friends: thanks for understanding when we had to go away for long hours of training and coming all the way to Tassie to meet us.  And a huge thanks to our church families who faithfully prayed and fasted for us.

Our sponsors:
Farmer Jacks Supermarkets and Gemmill Homes - thanks for your amazing generosity.
Canoeing Downunder - thanks so much for lending us our great boats and gear.
Sea to Summit - thanks for our freeze dried meals, they sustained us all the way.
Carbo Shots - All the bars and gels kept us powering along.

Blue Print Screen Art with the help of Helly Hansen and Gildan provided us with some amazing kit on and off the water.

Karel from kayakweather.com - thanks for your accurate and reliable forecasts.

Robin - Thanks for all your advice in the lead up to our trip and for being a reassuring contact during the crossing.

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far to the Houses of Healing, for those who haven't please get behind them and help us get to our aim of raising $10,000 for this organisation which does such life changing work.

The challenging nature of this trip has highlighted weaknesses in each of our lives.  Through each others encouragement and prayer we are trusting more in Christ Jesus who is the only one who can give true freedom from slavery (life controlling issues which effect all of us).  We would encourage anyone who has been following our trip who feels troubled by things in live to consider the hope that Christ brings.

Day 10 - Final leg to Tomahawk

Its all over - we paddled our final leg from Foster Inlet to Tomahawk yesterday arvo.  The 20km took us 3hrs in 15-25kt SE winds which made for an exciting finish.  We pulled onto the beach at 4.30pm and were greeted by a collection of family and friends, it was great to see them.  We drove back to Bridport where a few of us are staying for a week and enjoyed a meal all together.  A warm shower, a soft bed and pillow was awesome - Matt.

Cant believe weve made it - what a trip.

Day 9 - TASMANIA!!!!! Praise the Lord!

Today was the team's final ocean crossing from Clarke Island to Foster Inlet on the north coast of Tasmania!! The guys covered 30 km and crossed Banks Strait, where the famously strong tidal currents lived up to their name. The guys were being pushed at one stage at 7.5km an hour without paddling. They left at 1pm today to get the tides right for the crossing and thanks be to God, it worked perfectly. They were half away across Banks Strait when the tides changed, so it meant for a perfect triangle being pushed back the same distance they had lost in the first half.

The team pulled onto the beach at 5pm this afternoon and everyone was so excited and relieved to be there. Some high fives and hugs were shared and celebratory chocolates bar consumed. The guys have had an amazing night watching the sun go down and reflecting on a fantastic, blessed trip. They've all learnt lots about themselves and ocean paddling and felt like they've grown closer together as a group from the experience. The team is looking forward to their last paddle along the coast tomorrow (20km) to the town of Tomahawk where they can't wait to see their wives, kids, family and friends.

Safe and sound in Tasmania

Day 8 - Clarke Island

Today was the guys last long paddle (52km, taking 7 hours) from Whitemark to Spike Bay, Clarke Island. The team was feeling pretty refreshed after their rest day. They had a beautiful morning paddling for 2 hours with the water being like glass, even being able to see people's reflections. Then the wind kicked in and conditions turned choppy crossing Franklin Sound. But once the guys rounded Cape Barren Island the outgoing tide pushed them nicely to Clarke Island. They have a beautiful campsite, looking across Banks Strait with Tasmania finally in sight! The guys are really stoked to finally see Tasmania and pretty excited about their last crossing tomorrow. Banks Strait is renowned for its really strong tidal current of up to 7km a hour, so it's crucial that the team gets their timing right for the crossing. The plan is to leave at about 1pm (paddle is 35km) when the tides are looking good, paddle from Clarke Island rounding Cape Portland and paddling to Foster Inlet for their last night of camping before finishing at Tomahawk on Saturday.

On an amusing note, the guys have come up with a short list of how to pass the time whilst spending hours and hours paddling.
1) Kayak cricket - you score runs by whatever passes you by (fish, birds, penguins) and the new person batting starts up every half an hour.
2) The alphabet game - you pick a subject and each person goes around, using the next letter of the alphabet to start the letter of their word (ie. Fruit - apricot, banana, cherry etc.)
3)The song game - someone has to whistle a song while your paddling partner tries to guess (not a good game for Matt who is tone deaf).

The guys also all shaved at the start of the trip and they've been comparing facial hair in a 'Beard growing competition'. Their description so far;
Benny - grizzly bear beard
Tim - red beard
Ross - Mexican handle bars
Jason - random, long whispy under the chin beard
Matt - the styled beard (hmm, but this was a commentary from Matt!)

They all enjoyed looking at God's creation with a beautiful sunset tonight and can't wait to get Tasmania.

Crunchy rice and cardboard chicken, yum

                   

Day 7 - Rest day in Whitemark

The team enjoyed their rest day in Whitemark today. Their bottom and shoulder soreness is feeling a bit better and blisters have gone down. Eating some fresh fruit was good. The guys spent some time refocusing for a couple more crossings and talked about the last crossing to Tasmania which is notoriously difficult and the importance of making a wise decision for this last paddle. Tomorrow they will be paddling from Whitemark to Clarke Island, a total of 50km. As the trip draws to a close, they are looking forward to seeing friends and family in Tasmania.

Day 6 - Whitemark

The team enjoyed a sleep in after four early mornings, paddling from Roydon Island to Whitemark (the main town in Flinders, approx. 200 people). The guys waited until lunch time to leave to catch the outgoing tide. The paddle was about 33km and took 4 hours. The thought of a pub meal at Whitemark was extremely 'alluring' which was the word of the trip. After covering over 200km the last four days, the guys are definitely ready for a rest day tomorrow. They will be trying to manage a few sore points and blisters, especially in the gluteus maximus region! The guys have apparently gotten nice and personal with each other applying fixomol and chaffing prevention cream to each others behind. The team has only 2 more kayak trips to go and are hoping for a good weather window to get to Tasmania (or weather envelope according to Jason).

Day 5 - Roydon Island

Today was the third 4:30am morning in a row for the guys. After a late night decision and last minute packing, not much sleep was had by the team. It was rough waking up and some of the guys had a chilly start when they got dumped by the incoming waves when heading out from the beach.

They paddled 65km today from Winter Cove (Deal Island) to Roydon Island, just off the west coast of Flinders Island.  It was a pretty hard day doing their 3rd big crossing in a row and the paddle took the guys 10 hours. The conditions were pretty good however with 10-15 knot side winds and they managed to use the tide to their advantage, drifting 10km off course to north east, before catching the incoming tides all the way back to Roydon Island. The tides were pretty strong, reaching up to 4km an hour.

The team enjoyed meeting up with the two other groups crossing the Strait and being able to swap stories. The other groups were amazed that the team were able to do 3 big crossings in a row. Thank you to people praying for safety and good weather, God has truly answered and I can speak for myself and two of the other wives (Rachel and Hannah) that we are very thankful the guys are still in one piece! (Our own Perth to Melbourne crossing has also been successful with 2 toddlers, 2 prams, 2 suitcases and 5 bags....someone asked if we were staying for a month)

Tomorrow they are hoping to paddle down the coast of Flinders Island to Whitemark and maybe enjoy the luxury of a hamburger at the pub.

The guys at East Cove. They met a great group there that spend 6 weeks
 each year in the hut on the island.

Day 4 - Erith Island

It was a beautiful day out on the Bass today for the team, very different to yesterday. The guys paddled 40km with a slight tail wind from Hogan to Erith Island taking 5 hours. A big black fin greeted them about half way across, which looked like a shark and gave them quite a scare. But in the end, the guys think it was a seal, swimming with its flipper out of the water (hmmm...let's hope so!).

The team's rehydrating skills have improved so that meals are now tasting almost normal. They were planning on having a rest day tomorrow, however late in the day they changed their mind as the weather is looking pretty good for another paddle. This time they will be paddling 60km to Flinders Island which is the biggest crossing. Despite it meaning 3 days in a row of paddling long distances, the guys are looking forward to reaching Flinders Island as Tuesday looks like the weather may not be as good. The other kayaking team from Queensland are also doing the crossing tomorrow, so they will have some company.

Day 3 - Hogan Island

Today the guys completed their first big ocean crossing of 52km from Refuge Cove to Hogan. They were slowed down by fairly lumpy seas with 15-25 knot southerly winds. Overall it was a good day however, completing the crossing in 8 hours. The conditions were fairly challenging the last few kilometres before Hogan with the swell rebounding off the island and a strong tidal flow.

A couple of minor incidents also occurred with sea sickness resulting in a boat changeover in the middle of the ocean (which is not recommended!) and the electric pump in the single packed it in. But it was a great feeling to get to land, especially due to the fact that the island could not be seen from the start of the paddle. Glad the compass was working well.

The cove of Hogan Island is nice and protected and has a great view of the Kent group - the team's destination for tomorrow which is a 40km paddle. Timmy used his fishing skills and caught a big groper in the arvo which went well with dinner. They're all hoping for a good night's sleep but have heard many reports of a raging night life on Hogan (namely noisy penguins and rats, eek!).

Oh what a feeling! Hogan Island

Day 2 - Rest day at Refuge

The team enjoyed a rest day today at Refuge Cove. The day consisted of a hike to Kersops peak, and some luxury of tea and biscuits on a sailor's boat. The guys were glad they didn't paddle today as it was pretty rough out there with 25-30 knot winds.

They hope to cross to Hogan tomorrow, which is their second longest paddle (50km). They are looking forward to doing their first open crossing, although are a tad anxious at the same time.  The weather is looking good however (15-20 knots), so they are hoping for a relatively smooth crossing.

Kersops Peak - the beautiful view is to the south



Getting creative....hmmm good look!



The journey has begun!

The guys had a great paddle for their first day, kayaking 45km from Port Welshpool to Refuge Cove. They had a nice early start on the water, leaving at 5:15am. A bet was on that Ben and Tim couldn't get ready in time, but amazingly they did it. As a result of losing the bet, Matt and Jason had to write and sing a song about how amazing Ben and Tim are (apparently to the tune of Father Abraham).

The team experienced really strong headwinds for the first 2 hours, but for the remainder of the day, the guys were happy to experience the protection of Wilson's Promontory. This meant a nice smooth paddle for the rest of the way. The whole paddle took 6 hours and they arrived at Refuge Cove before 12pm.

The guys relaxed and enjoyed the afternoon, stretching their legs and talking to some sailors. All was good except for their rehydrating skills which meant their beef stroganoff tasted like a lever arch file.

The plan for tomorrow is to have another rest day and then cross to Hogan on Saturday.

PS- For those interested, there's a nice article in the West Australian today featuring the team

Matt enjoying the bay at Refuge Cove

Rest day in Port Welshpool

Today the team rested up in Port Welshpool. They are aiming to head to Refuge Cove tomorrow, leaving 5:30am to catch the outgoing tide. It could prove to be a hard day into the wind, but the guys are looking forward to getting the trip started. They are feeling much more ready for the journey and thankfully Jason is feeling better (praise God!). Thanks goes to Dave Gemmell who has helped out the last couple of days and will drive the car back to Melbourne.

Today, When the Boys Almost Left...

The boys woke up at 4am to darkness, 25 knot winds and horizontal rain. They packed up and drove out to the Port by 5am. The weather wasn't looking any better so they made the decision that it would be better to wait. This was pretty tough as they were revved up and in their paddling gear, all ready to go. But Thursday was also looking like a 'no go' to cross to Hogan Island. This decision, although difficult to make, ended up being a blessing as Jason came down with food poisoning/gastro today. Not good, but definitely easier to deal with on land!!
The guys ended up going to Tidal River and are staying with Ross' wife's cousin who is a ranger there. But they were still keen to get out and try the Bass Strait so they did a paddle from Tidal River. The Bass Strait experience they definitely got, with a 30 knot head wind and 3m occasionally breaking waves. The boats performed well in the conditions however which gave them confidence.
The plan now is to rest for one more day, driving back to Port Welshpool and staying in a house that a local checkout lady has kindly let them use! Then paddle to Refuge Cove on Thursday (with Jason hopefully all better by then).



The campsite at Tidal River (actually Ross' cousin Lynden's backyard). Dave, Jill and Ben.




All of the guys plus Dave at Normans beach at Tidal River. Looking a bit chilly.



Tomorrow, When the Boys Began...

Hi there, I'm Matt's wife Narelle and I'll be taking over the blog whilst the guys are doing their trip. The boys are hoping to paddle to Refuge Cove (VIC) tomorrow in preparation to cross to Hogan Island (Bass Strait)on Thursday. They have decided to leave from Port Welshpool (VIC) instead of Tidal River as strong westerly winds will mean the east side of Wilson's Promontory is more protected. The trip is a total of 42km. They are hoping to meet up with a group of five from Queensland who are at Refuge Cove at the moment and are doing a similar trip to them. Go boys! We'll be praying for good weather, fun times and safe travel!

At Melbourne

The car became our home for a couple of days, we will miss you car - noooooooot

We left Kristal Brook (SA) early in the morning we almost ran into trouble with a blown valve on the trailer tyre and no wheel brace, luckely I packed my whole socket set and breaker bar "Just in case" as Matt would say...
We are now safely in Melbourne after 49 hours from when we left Perth.
Thanks Russ and Kyleigh Palmer who put us up in there house with only a couple of hours notice.
We will galavant around Melbourne whilst waiting for Jason and Ross to arrive via Plane tomorrow. After we will head south to prep, sleep and wait for a good weather day for paddle "Day 1".
By the way this is Tim (Matt and Ben may be in bed and Matt left the blog logged on only for me to find, Whooooop Whoooop Whoooooop!!)
Over and Out...

Over half way - woohoo

Breakfast on the Nullarbor

Trying to eat all our fruit before the quarantine station, we were thinking of starting a fruit stall with everything people have to throw out (Tim ate 14 pieces of fruit in 4min)

Well we drove through the night and have now done 2300km.  Swapping drivers every 2hrs meant that we didnt have to concentrate for too long but also meant sleep was in 1hr lots.  I think weve all had around 3hrs since yesterday.  Weve been keeping ourselves occupied by checking the weather on the Bass and trying to plan when we might get a window to go.  At this stage we might be able to head to refuge cove on Tuesday and possibly do our first crossing to Hogan on thursday.  One of our challenges has been to tell every service station about our trip, most people have been interested but 1 lady thought we are lazy because were only paddling 1 way.  Looking forward to finding a quiet campsite for tonight somewhere before Adelaide and hopefully get some sleep.

Were off!

Were finally off.  Im writing this from Tims laptop as we drive away from Perth.  Tim, Benny and myself left today at 2pm after only a few last minute shenanigens.  Weve only done 230km and are already going crazy, its going to be a long way!  Our favourite game of 'Would you rather' has already started.  So far the best question has been 'Would you rather have really really long arms or really really long legs?' (all opinions are welcome).  It feels like weve already eaten nearly all our driving snacks for the journey, but as Tim reminds us its ok because we need to fatten up.  Our plan is to drive through the night tonight and hopefully make it to South Australia by tomorrow morning.  Thanks for everyones msgs, prayers and well wishes, only 3300km to go, woohoo.  Hopefully our posts will get a bit more exciting when we hit the Bass. - Matt.

Final Pack day - 4th Jan

All our gear, how the heck will it all fit?

one last session, paddling in time for the camera proved quite a challenge

A group photo for the West Australian (our mate Simo snuck in too!)

Team shirt

Thanks to our sponsors

Looking good Benny, but will it fit?

Are we done yet Couttsy? I wish Bres.

Finally after 8 hours of work, everything was packed ready for the Nullabor.





Two months ago we thought it would be a good idea to get together a couple of days before we headed off to sort out the last couple of repairs with the boats and to see if all our gear actually fit into our limited space. We thought it would only take an hour or two, but after 8 hours of chaos, with gear spread across the whole of my front yard, we realised we were wrong. But just how valuable the time we had set aside had been. It was an epic day, we managed to fit everything into our boats, pack the trailer, had a meeting, a good prayer session and even a photo shoot with the West Australian newspaper. It feels great to be finally ready to go. With only a day and a half til we leave, it's time to relax, reflect on what's ahead, and spend the last bit of time with our families before we say goodbye. Thanks to our wives and mates who helped out today. Tassie here we come!