|
Climate
change
activist
to
kayak
entire
Murray-Darling
ABC
PM
-
Friday,
25
May ,
2007
18:26:00
Reporter:
Kathryn
Roberts
MARK
COLVIN:
To
underline
the
Murray-Darling's
problems,
a
Queenslander
preparing
to
kayak
the
length
of
the
system
expects
to
have
to
carry
his
craft
for
about
half
the
distance.
On
Sunday,
Steve
Posselt
will
start
a
seven
month
journey,
from
the
Brisbane
River
to
the
head
waters
of
the
Murray-Darling
Basin,
and
ultimately
to
Adelaide.
Along
the
way
he'll
be
stopping
to
talk
to
Murray-Darling
communities
affected
by
severe
water
shortages,
and
he'll
be
encouraging
people
to
take
action
on
climate
change.
Kathryn
Roberts
spoke
to
the
adventurer
and
his
support
team
as
they
prepared
for
the
journey.
BRUCE
LUMB:
The
GPS
Steve,
here
it's
got
your
location,
so
if
you're
in
trouble,
say
you
get
bitten
by
a
snake
or
whatever,
you'll
contact
be
on
the
VHF
and
give
me
that,
those
co-ordinates.
STEVE
POSSELT:
Right
ok.
KATHRYN
ROBERTS:
Steve
Posselt
and
his
support
crew
are
making
last
minute
preparations
for
the
long
journey.
STEVE
POSSELT:
So
Bruce,
this
is
the
fridge,
are
we
allowed
to
put
beer
in
it?
BRUCE
LUMB:
Uh,
one
or
two.
STEVE
POSSELT:
Just
on
or
two?
BRUCE
LUMB:
Cases.
KATHRYN
ROBERTS:
For
the
next
seventh
months,
Steve
Posselt
will
paddle
and
trek
his
way
from
Brisbane
to
Adelaide
down
all
the
major
rivers
and
tributaries
of
the
Murray-Darling.
STEVE
POSSELT:
The
Condamine,
the
Barwon,
the
Culgoa,
the
Darling
and
hopefully
at
least
by
then
there's
some
water.
There's
none
at
the
top
level
yet.
That
goes
to
down
to
the
Murray
up
the
Torrens
River
and
I'm
in
Adelaide.
KATHRYN
ROBERTS:
The
54
year
old
has
worked
as
a
water
and
civil
engineer
for
more
than
thirty
years.
He
says
the
idea
of
paddling
the
length
of
the
Murray-Darling
came
to
him
on
the
way
to
work
one
day.
But
he
wasn't
on
the
bus
or
in
his
car,
Steve
Posselt
regularly
paddles
his
kayak
eight
kilometres
along
the
Brisbane
River
before
dragging
it
a
further
two
kilometres
up
the
road
to
work.
For
this
trip,
he'll
travel
in
his
purpose
built
sea
kayak
with
wheels
and
a
harness
so
he
can
pull
the
kayak
when
the
river's
empty.
And
he
expects
that
will
be
the
case
for
about
half
the
journey.
STEVE
POSSELT:
I
reckon
walking
up
the
Toowoomba
range
is
going
to
be
tough.
I
have
done
some
hill
training
and
I
do
find
dragging
a
hundred
kilos
up
the
hill
fairly
tough
and
all
the
hills
around
here,
you
just
go
hard
for
a
few
minutes
you
are
at
the
top.
But
up
the
Toowoomba
range
it'll
be
go
hard
for
a
few
hours.
KATHRYN
ROBERTS:
Mr
Posselt
says
the
state
of
the
Murray-Darling
Basin
highlights
our
inability
to
live
sustainably.
He
says
the
trip
was
inspired
by
the
Australian
of
the
Year
environmentalist
Tim
Flannery.
STEVE
POSSELT:
I
thought
that
we
had
a
lot
more
time
with
climate
change
I
wasn't
all
that
concerned
until
I
read
The
Weather
Makers
by
Tim
Flannery
and
I
just
then
realised
how
urgent
it
was
and
why
we
had
to
do
something
very
soon
but
what's
pleased
me
is
since
then,
whereas
I
thought
trip
would
be
about
raising
awareness,
it's
not
now.
The
awareness
has
been
raised
now
which
is
terrific,
what
we've
got
to
now
is
to
act
we
have
to
get
politicians
to
act.
(to
his
team
member)
Yeah,
always
do
the
back
ones,
otherwise
it
will
fall
over
if
you
try
and
stand
it
up.
KATHRYN
ROBERTS:
His
wife
Carol
Posselt
says
it's
been
a
hectic
few
months
as
the
team
prepared.
CAROL
POSSELT:
I'm
excited
for
Steve
but
ah
little
bit
nervous,
it's
a
long
way,
um,
he's
been
fairly
well
prepared,
but
because
there's
been
such
a
lot
of
organisation,
his
fitness
level
probably
isn't
up
to
where
he
would
like
it.
KATHRYN
ROBERTS:
Bruce
Lumb
heads
up
the
support
team
which
will
set
up
camp,
transport
food
and
supplies,
keep
the
adventurer
on
track
and
monitor
his
health.He
says
the
journey
was
almost
over
before
it
began,
Steve
Posselt
was
seriously
injured
in
a
motorcycle
crash
in
Central
Australia
just
12
months
ago.
BRUCE
LUMB:
As
I
said,
he
very
nearly
died.
So
Steve's
a
person
who's
prepared
to
put
his
body
on
the
line,
to
give
up
an
enormous
amount
of
time,
effort,
money,
to
bring
the
issue
out.
People
can
do
something
about
global
warming,
you
can
do
something
about
issues,
you
don't
just
accept
what
we've
been
given.
KATHRYN
ROBERTS:
Steve
Posselt
says
the
aim
of
the
odyssey
is
simple.
STEVE
POSSELT:
There
was
a
world
of
certain
qualities
that
was
left
for
me
when
I
came
into
it
and
I
would
like
a
world
of
that
quality
left
for
my
grandchildren
and
other
generations.
MARK
COLVIN:
Climate
change
lobbyist
and
adventurer
Steve
Posselt
ending
that
report
from
Kathryn
Roberts.
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