Malarial Pirate Crocodiles

Be afraid. Be very afraid!

When we mention our Archipaddlo plans to friends, colleagues and family we are inevitably met with plenty of encouraging remarks like "You're crazy!", "Sounds like hard work" and "Nice knowing you". In almost every case the first question is, "But what about .... (insert highly deadly and apparently unavoidable danger here)?"

It is true, like all adventures, this expedition is not without risk. Lain and I are of the "You might die falling off the couch" school, so we figure we may as well just get out there and have some fun in the short time we have on this planet.

Calculated risk allows us to decide when to cross the road, what food to eat (surely eating Maccas is a high risk activity!), and how much tropical strength insect repellent to apply whilst sitting in a New Guinean swamp being carried off by the mozzies. Perhaps Lain and my concept of 'acceptable risk' is just a bit broader than many other people.

Here's a short list of the main obstacles that seem to jump instantly to people's minds:

Crocodiles:  Over time it seems crocs in Nth QLD have developed a taste for kayakers, and I suspect many a dugout canoe has been emptied of its contents into the gullet of a New Guinean croc. We are just going to be as sensible and aware as possible, following the suggestions of those who have trodden some of this path before. It is basic stuff - don't swim in the Daintree, stay out of estuaries at night, and don't throw fish guts around your kayak. Either way I am reassured by Homer Simpson, "Don't worry, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep in a giant blender!"

Sharks:  Yep, they are sharp and pointy but I reckon they'd rather eat fish than me. Quite a number of kayaks have returned from expeditions with a few patched up teeth marks but it seems sharks are more curious than aggressive - at least I hope that is the case. We are not taking a Shark Shield, but thank you to all those who have asked.

Malaria:    The doctor at the TMVC happily informed us of the enormous list of dangers for which we needed inoculation. Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F, G etc, Polio, Japanese encephalitis, and a pile of pills for Malaria. I've had so many jabs I feel like I have run blind through a field of cacti. Once we drown ourselves in repellent, and hide inside bug-proof cocoons we should be half way to avoiding most of these nasties.

Pirates:   Do we really look like a target for pirates? Two half-starved, salty, sunburnt Aussies in the middle of the ocean, miles from anywhere, sitting in tiny, sun-bleached, plastic torpedos. Pirates are more likely to stop and offer us food, water and safe passage to the nearest island. We genuinely believe that people are good, and the people we meet along the way will fill our adventure with wonder and joy, not piracy and terror. No, we are not taking a gun!!

Tides/currents:    Planning, knowledge, information, timing. We know the sea is unpredictable but sound judgement, strong skills, sensible decision making and an awareness of our environment with all its subtle cues should see us avoid getting into trouble too often.

There's plenty of 'worst case scenarios' and we can prepare for many of them but ultimately two minds to deal with problems, and a desire for our own safety should at least see us fending off most of these deadly risks.