Thursday, March 30, 2006

A tribute to a sea hero: 2. Paul Caffyn

picture from www.sissonkayaks.co.nz


The timing couldn't be any better. Exactly in the week of celebrating 400 years of contact between Australia and the Netherlands a parcel with the Paul Caffyns' autographed book "Obscured by waves" arrived. Sender was Justine, who brought some copies of the book with her after she visited Paul in New Zealand. It was a unique parcel packed with lots of Duck tape (Duck tape is the "cure for all" in the kayak world; Wenley also got impressed!).

Paul Caffyn is the Abel Tasman of the sea kayakers. After the circumnavigation of the South Island of New Zealand in 1978 (reported in "Obscured by Waves"), he paddled around the North Island of NZ, Tasmania, Australia, Japan, Great Britain, along big parts of Alaska, Greenland, New Caledonia and, and, and...
I am looking forward to next evenings reading Paul's adventures. Nothing better than a book. I like surfing the internet, and reading stories on the web (otherwise I wouldn't be blogging now), but still find reading a book more relaxing. I enjoy drinking a cup of tea, or a good glass of wine while reading a book. When I am surfing or typing on the PC tea gets cold and wine doesn't taste...

By the way: we should also honor Justine and her friends these Tasman-days: Justine made, together with Trys Morris and Gemma Rawlings, the first female continuous circumnavigation of Tasmania by sea kayak: 1350 km in 37 days. The DVD "This is the sea II" futures a 25 minutes documentary of this trip.

Now I don't know what to do tomorrow in the evening: (1) read Pauls' book (2) read Abel Tasmans' report or (3) view Justines' DVD...

1 comment:

bonnie said...

I have to agree with you on the "internet's fun, but" analysis. There's still nothing quite like curling up with a good book & a mug of something hot on a rainy day, is there?