.Kayaking
for
Planet
A
NEAR-death
experience
has
helped
give
life
to
an
environmental
awareness
campaign
with
a
difference
launched
in
Brisbane.
Steve
Posselt
had
been
planning
a
6000km,
seven-month
kayak
journey
along
the
Murray-Darling
river
system
from
Brisbane
to
Adelaide
to
promote
sustainable
living
for
four
years.
But
the
dream
—
and
Mr
Posselt
—
nearly
died
when
the
Brisbane
civil
engineer
was
involved
in
a
horrific
motorcycle
accident
in
the
Northern
Territory
last
year.
“I
had
a
bad
accident
and
when
I
understood
how
close
I
had
been
to
not
making
it
I
decided
‘well,
I
better
make
the
rest
of
my
life
count’,”
Mr
Posselt
said
yesterday.“I
really
do
want
to
make
a
difference.”
The
near
tragedy
provided
the
extra
incentive
for
Mr
Posselt
to
take
on
the
epic
journey,
which
he
hopes
to
complete
by
Christmas.
Mr
Posselt
hopes
his
expedition
raises
awareness
about
sustainable
living
and
the
impact
of
global
warming.
“I
really
believe
I
should
leave
the
world
in
as
good
a
state
as
it
was
left
for
me,
and
I
don’t
think
we
are
doing
that
at
present
—
we
are
not
living
sustainably,”
he
said.
“Everyone
is
aware
of
climate
change
and
now
it
is
time
for
action.
“It
is
time
to
try
to
get
people
to
take
responsibility
themselves
to
live
sustainably,
for
the
governments
to
think
about
sustainability
and
set
mandatory
renewable
energy
targets.”
The
father-of-three
wanted
to
paddle
most
of
the
journey,
but
shrinking
river
systems
mean
he
is
expected
to
hike
almost
2000km
while
pulling
along
his
kayak,
which
is
fitted
with
three
wheels.
He
will
average
60km
a
day
paddling
and
40km
a
day
hiking.
Mr
Posselt
also
plans
to
take
time
to
listen
to
stories
during
his
travels.
“I
want
to
hear
what
the
local
people
have
to
say
because
I
think
they’re
the
ones
with
the
answers,”
he
said.
“If
you’re
a
person
in
a
community
we’re
stopping
at
who
thinks
you
would
like
to
set
up
a
climate
change
action
group,
we’ll
provide
the
support
mechanisms
for
you
to
do
that.”
Mr
Posselt
will
stop
at
Ipswich
on
Wednesday
for
a
forum
discussing
climate
change
and
renewable
energy
and
Toowoomba
on
June
3.
