Murray Paddle Expedition

Between October 6th and December 19th, 2009 Dave travelled the length of Australia's Murray River on foot and by kayak, documenting the human, environmental and climatic factors contributing to the decline in health of this once mighty river.

Dave's first encounter with the Murray was three years earlier when he skated onto the Wellington Ferry, which crossed the Murray in South Australia. That 100-metre crossing was the most peaceful section of what ended up as a 3618-mile traverse of Australia, and it led to this; his second expedition of over 1000 miles.

From the river's early moments high in the Australian Alps, Dave struggled through heavy blizzards and deep snow before finally settling into his kayak for the final 2350km. Passing along the border of New South Wales and Victoria, the Murray eventually enters South Australia and takes a southerly route to the sea for its final 500km.

Dave paddled for 79 days, sharing his stories online via a blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. He powered his laptop and cameras using a Solar Gorilla and Powergorilla.

Suffice it to say, paddling along a river was a wholly different experience from the road journeys Dave had experienced previously, and from then a close love and passion for water developed. Dave is now an Ambassador for the Blue Climate and Oceans Project and has gone on to paddle and swim other mighty rivers, like the Mississippi and Missouri.