Canoeing Down Under

05/12/2023

My latest project, my 7th book is complete.
I’m referring to my all colour 150 page Bird Book.

All bird photographs were taken from my kayak on the Middle Reaches of the Swan River between Midland and Maylands as part of my 14,000 km paddle.

There are 54 species of birds, 412 photos, which 285 of them are birds and 127 other shots.

It’s going to be a great Christmas present.
The book is a soft cover, has 150 pages, is an A4 landscape size, 30cms x 21cms, weighs 670 grams.

For those people who can pick up a copy, I intend to be at Ascot Kayak Club on Saturday 9th, 16th & 23rd December from 9.00am to 11.00am and on Tuesday night the 19th from 6.00pm to 7.00pm. Other times and venues will be arranged on demand.

Special price until the end of year is $35.00.
Cash or Bank Transfer only. (Sorry no credit card machine.)

Books can also be picked up from my home in Ashfield but by appointment only. 0417977330

Or message me at: [email protected]
Cost of postage in Australia is $15.00

21/10/2023

My latest project is nearly complete. I’m referring to my all colour 150 page Bird Book. There are 52 species of birds, 412 photos, which 285 of them are birds. They are photographs that I took on my 14,000 km year-long paddle.

I have no idea how many to get printed so if you are thinking of buying one, just send me an email and that will secure it and give me a better idea of numbers.

I’m hoping it will be out by early December.

Send me a message to [email protected]

23/05/2021

30/04/2021

In the years between 2010 and 2020 I had written and published 3 books, A Race along The Way, Three Rivers to Tuktoyaktuk and the Avon River Guide. I also paddled 6000kms in my 60th year and paddled 6500kms in my 65th year.

I became the winner of the Olegas Truchanas Canoeing Award in 2012, an Avon Descent Legend in 2016, was inducted into the WA Hall of Fame (paddling) in 2018, and was the Paddle Australia Master Marathon Paddler of the year in 2018/19.

I also paddled 6500kms Across Canada from the Rocky Mountains to New York City via North Saskatchewan River, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Superior, Ottawa and Montreal and many rivers and lakes in between.

In 2019 I paddled 1100kms from Vancouver to Prince Rupert along the west coast of Canada and took part in the World Masters Canoe Championships in China coming 3rd in the 65+ K1 and 1st in the 65+ K2.

In the years I didn’t go away I organised Avon Descent training, I took part in the Avon Descent, the Australia and WA Marathon and Sprint Champs and other races and I worked in my kayak shop before closing it in 2016.

Somehow I don’t think I am going to achieve quite as much this decade.

I do however plan to paddle 7000kms in my 70th birthday year which starts June 3rd.

25/04/2021

With the 1970s filled with travel, the 1980s paddling the Kimberley, the 1990s doing physical feats Around Australia and Around the USA and a lot in between, the new millennium / 2000 put up new challenges in the US, Canada and at home.

It was a decade that I was also busy with my kayak shop and running Avon Descent courses, but having excellent staff members, instructors and Alaine Davin as assistant manager, I was still able to get away.

The 2000s proved to be very good business wise, plastic boats had arrived and there were a lot of interest in paddling so life was very good.

My expeditions overseas were always in the Australian winter so I missed competing in the Avon Descent but when I was at home in winter I always took part in the event.

I also became a Paddle WA Life Member in 2005.

19/04/2021

The 1990s stated on a high with the 24,000km, walk, paddle and cycle around Australia and it finished on a high with a 16,000km walk, paddle and cycle around the USA solo, with a few smaller expeditions in between.

Australia has some stunning scenery, but the US has even better scenery and I just went on from one beautiful part of the country to another. There was no time to get bored. On the USA trip I was self-supported so I had to send my gear around the country to different post offices or in the case of my kayak I had to rent a car to pick it up from New Jersey and drop it off at the beginning of the Mississippi River, a 4000km round journey.

The two expeditions were a test of my resilience, my fitness and my mental strength. I endured physical stress on both trips but I achieved my goals and performed better than I had expected.

Also in the 1990s I received an Australian Geographic, ‘Spirit of Adventure Award”, Perth’s Lord Mayors, ‘Endurance Award’, Paddle WA, ‘Recreation Award’ and two Paddle WA ‘President’s Awards’.
It was another good decade.

17/04/2021

With the 1980s now behind me, what could I achieve in the 1990s that would better the 80s. It certainly was going to be hard to do and although I didn’t do as many long expeditions I was still extremely active and loved life.
My job in the latter half of the 1980s and the first part of the 1990s was as an Outdoor Pursuits Instructor which fed into working in the Snowgum/Scout Outdoor Centre which gave me the flexibility to take time off to do trips.
Like the 70s and the 80s the 1990s were pretty good years.

15/04/2021

I had already done some epic trips in the 1980s, the best being my first solo expedition around the Kimberley because it was really exploring the beauty and the dangers of a coastline on my own that few people had seen or dare go. But I still had others up my sleeve. So the 1990s started off with a bang.
On my 1990/91, one year, 24,000 km expedition Around the remotest parts of Australia the dangers weren’t quite as deadly, but physically I set the bar much higher. Every day I would paddle, walk or cycle all hours of the day and I had to do this for 365 days with an occasional rest day to do some washing, shopping or being on a ferry.
On this expedition I did have a support team to carry water, my two kayaks, my two bikes and my backpacking gear. On the remote sections though I would either carry my gear on my back or store it in my kayak.
What a year that was.
Read about this expedition here:
https://terrybolland.wordpress.com/24000km-around...

14/04/2021

I did a lot of travelling and paddling in the 1970s but I did even more paddling and travelling of a different kind in the 1980s. I also worked in between.

13/04/2021

How it all started.
When I was a child I could have never imagined what my life was going to turn out like. Now I’m weeks from being 70 I look back and think how lucky I have been to have had such a great life.
Let's look at the 1970s.