Trinity Beach Where it All Began
In October 2011, I ran into a fascinating man, Mel Patterson, at this very spot. He was sitting next to his canoe, and since I talk to everyone, I strolled right up to him and said, “Hi, where did you come from?”
“Oh, I just came from Darwin,” Mel replied, “and I am heading to Sydney.”
“In that canoe?”
“Yep.”
“Oh wow, that sounds like so much fun.”
“It is, it’s a great lifestyle.”
I could tell this was definitely his “lifestyle.” Mel just had on a pair of swimmers and his skin was like leather. But he had a great laugh and I could tell he loved what he was doing. I ran home, got some tea, biscuits, and a notepad. When I returned, I made the tea, lay out the biscuits, and began the inquiry. I was quite incredulous that he could actually do what he was doing in an open canoe. Unlike me, with overpackitis, everything he owned fit into ONE black plastic garbage bag. He said occasionally things got wet, but for the most part, the plastic bag kept everything dry and worked quite well. We talked for over two hours and by the time we were finished, I had determined this would be a great way to revisit the Whitsundays.
We exchanged phone numbers as he only had a cell phone-no email, no facebook, no internet anything. I called him about once a month to see where he was and how he was doing. About July 2012, we were chatting and Mel suddenly said, “You know, Teresa, if you’re really serious about this, you could tag along with me for two to three weeks before you set off on your own.” I was ecstatic.
In August, Mel and I planned that he would rent a place in Sydney for a week when I arrived, we would buy our kayaks (I had done research by then, and I knew I would need a closed cockpit vessel), then we would set out on the river systems around Sydney.
I called Mel in September, and he was his normal cheery self. I really didn’t want to hold him up or impose on him in any way. Just to make sure, I said, “Mel, you mentioned that you wouldn’t mind if I came along with you for a few weeks to learn how you actually navigate and get around in your canoe. Are you sure I won’t be holding you up or…”
Mel interjected, “Oh, Mate, it’ll be fantastic, no worries!”
I was so relieved. I knew I wasn’t anywhere close to the kayaker he was and I was glad he was looking forward to our adventure as well.
In October 2012, I called Mel and it went right to voicemail. A few days later, I called again and just like the last time, it went right to voicemail. A couple days later, I called with the same result. By now I was a little concerned. I didn’t always catch Mel. Often he was out of mobile range, but if I kept calling, I usually reached him within a week. I started Googling him on the internet. I knew he was based south of Sydney and he had written a book, but it wasn’t about canoeing. I found absolutely nothing, no book by the Mel Patterson I knew, no address, no email, no Facebook (just in case he’d come into the 21st century). I reverse looked up his phone number-nothing. I rationalised that if he had come to some terrible demise, there would have been something about it somewhere. One thing I didn’t do and can’t bring myself to do, is look in the obituaries for that time period. Nope, I think his phone ended up in the drink and he lost all his contacts. Why he didn’t get the same phone number, I just can’t figure out.
I kept calling at least a couple times a month for six months. Then, as I suspected would happen, the number was disconnected. For over two years, I have hoped to run into him, or find him on the internet, with no success.
Mel had such an impact on my goals and happiness. Through a miserable period of my life, focussing on and preparing for my kayaking. That is why this journey began in Trinity Beach. That is why, despite the southerlies picking up earlier that forecast, I was determined the expedition would begin at this very spot.