2019-05-01 Wilderness

18
MAY 2019

WILD PEOPLE

FREEDOM CAMPING in New Zea-

land might get you in trouble with the

law, but in North America, it’s trouble

with the paw.

Auckland kayak guide Daniel

O’Connor is about to embark on a voy-

age of a lifetime – kayaking the Inside

Passage from Vancouver, Canada to

Skagway in Alaska.

It’s similar in distance to a circumnavi-

gation of Ireland, but it’s not the long

25-30km days that worry O’Connor –

it’s the wildlife.

“I’m going to write a will – just in case.

It’s a real risk you have to be prepared

for, and it’s all part of being on an expedi-

tion where things can go wrong,” he says.

Bears are O’Connor’s biggest concern,

and camping with dangerous wildlife is

not something he’s had to worry about

on previous expeditions.

“The key is to not attract them by tak-

ing any smelly stuff – so no deodorant

or shampoo – and by managing my food.

I can’t cook or eat near my tent, and my

food has to be stored hung up in a tree.”

Bear spray will be his only protection,

but it’s only effective if the predator is

seen.

“Big cats are probably more dangerous,

but if you spot them it’s probably too late,”

he says.

While dealing with predators is the

worst case scenario, O’Connor anticipates

a “sore arse” and tight legs will be the

biggest stress of the journey, and there is

little he can do to prevent the discomfort.

“My legs get tight after about an hour of

kayaking, so sitting for eight, 10, 12 hours

is going to be painful. I’ll have to wriggle

around a bit, and just grin and bear it.”

He also expects loneliness to creep in,

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the solitude worthwhile.

“It might be hard not having somebody

to share those moments with, but they will

be ingrained in my memory, and I will be

able to tell stories and paint pictures, and

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moment,” he says.

Sustainability will be a key focus of the

journey, and hours of research have gone

into reducing O’Connor’s environmental

impact.

“I don’t think I could have done it any

other way,” he says.“I would feel too guilty

going on an epic journey like this, knowing

I was leaving a bigger impact behind me.

A sea kayaking

RITE OF PASSAGE

I wanttoleavetheenvironmentinbet-

WHUVKDSHWKDQ, ĆQGLW DQG, FDQGR WKDW

bypickinguptrashalongtheway,and

notleavingany.”

To minimise waste, O’Connor is

avoiding plastic packaging in favour of

recyclable jars, silicone ziplock bags,

paper and honey wraps.

He plans to eat home-dehydrated

snacks and meals, and buy fresh pro-

duce along the way.

“Your daily choices have an impact

on the wilderness environment that

you don’t see,” he says.

“If you grab a Snickers bar, you’ll have

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with a single use wrapper, which could

end up in the ocean.

“If you eat an apple instead, you’ll be

better for it – you’ll have more energy

for a longer period, and you’re not go-

ing to leave a trace.”

O’Connor has spent the last four

years guiding seasonally in Auckland

and Norway.

His favourite spot is Great Barrier

Island – “a sea kayaker’s dream” – but

also rates Waiheke and Motutapu

highly.

Once the Inside Passage is complete,

O’Connor is considering circumnavi-

gating Ireland or the North or South

Island.

Daniel O’Connor is preparing to kayak the

1600km Inside Passage in North America.

By Matthew Cattin

A SNICKERSBAR,

GIVES INSTANT

GRATIFICATION,

BUTYOU’RELEFT

WITHA SINGLE USE

WRAPPERWHICH

COULDENDUP

INTHEOCEAN

Daniel

O’Connor

wil soon swap

kayaking in

Auckland for

Canada

“

”