I don’t need to spend any time worrying about the dangers of this trip.  There are plenty of other people around doing my worrying for me!

There are two basic reactions to my Journey: ‘Wow, that is so cool and inspiring!’ or ‘You must be crazy.’  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been told I need to have my head examined.

And then the worrying starts.  What about crocodiles?  And stingers?  And sharks?  What if you get lost?  What if a cyclone blows up?  How will you get through the Bass Strait?  What about the Bight and Zuytdorp Cliffs?  And what about those crocs???  “Did you know there are crocs that are 30 feet long, weigh 700 kilos, and are nearly as high as a car?”

Well, cancel the trip, I did not know that.  Sharks too?  In the ocean, really?

Only the experts think of the most persistent danger: the sun.  Beating down daily, there is a real threat of serious sunburn, sunstroke, and skin cancer.  Salt water sores are a danger, too.

I am taking all precautions.  I will be covered from head to toe when I am paddling.  I have a fully stocked medical kit.  I have an internet connection through my phone and will be checking the weather reports at a minimum twice daily.  I have a sat phone, GPS, and EPIRB.  If I don’t know something, I find out.  Sure things can go wrong, but people get hurt by falling in their bathrooms in the safety of their own homes.  Things can go wrong anywhere.  I intend to be as prepared as I can but I will leave the worrying to others.