Historical information

Paul Caffyn undertook perhaps the ultimate kayak circumnavigation, a 9,420mile journey around Australia in 1981/2 which took 360 days to complete. ‘The Dreamtime Voyage’ is his account of this odyssey which is acknowledged as one of the most remarkable journeys ever undertaken by kayak. Paul had to contend with a tropical cyclone which nearly swept him off a small offshore islet in the Coral Sea, raging surf, tiger sharks which frequently bumped into the kayak in the Gulf of Carpentaria, crocodiles, sea snakes and three sections of sheer limestone cliffs. To overcome the three 100 mile plus long sections of cliffs, Paul used Nodoz tablets to stay awake and Lomotil to keep his bowels dormant during these overnight paddles. The longest stint along the awesome Zuytdorp Cliffs in Western Australia, took 34 hours of continuous paddling.

Significance

Sea kayak used by Paul Caffyn to circumnavigate Australia in 1981-82. First sea kayak to voyage around Australia.

Physical description

Yellow fibreglass kayak

Inscriptions & markings

"Lalaguli"
various other markings