MURRAY RIVER EXPEDITION REACHES THE MOUTH

At 14:30 on Saturday 19th December I paddled my kayak, Nala, into South Australia's Coorong National Park and through the Murray Mouth to conclude a two and a half month, 2476km journey along Australia's greatest river, the Murray.

The moment was crowned just 150 metres from the river mouth, when an enormous seal popped up to say hello to my kayak Nala and I. I'm very glad to say that my camera was rolling and the resulting footage of the cheeky fella's acrobatics can be seen on my You Tube Channel, through http://www.greatbigpaddle.com

Hundreds of inspiring, passionate people lined the river and as the Murray itself well knows, man has a strong hand in any journey. I’m lucky enough to have made friends for life on this trek, and their shared knowledge has begun to give me an understanding of the Murray's plight from source to sea. Thank you so much to everyone I've met since early October, even the fisherman near Tooleybuc who was very sure that I’d be better off getting to Adelaide by aeroplane.

It has been an eye-opening, educational journey. From heavy snow in the mountains to blistering November heatwaves, Australia rolled all of its climates up in a cloud and blew it along the Murray, often straight into my face! I have existed within a 2500km zoo, camping in forests and on sandbars, paddling with platypus, snakes, lizards, emu, roos, eagles and parrots. Oh, and seals. I have looked to the sky many a time, expecting to see a chap winking down. I have been looked after, and the same treatment needs to be applied to the river. I'm no politician or activist so I'll keep this short, but the Murray existed before borders sliced up this wonderful land, and so long as those borders prevent the river from being managed consistently and fairly a tragic environmental catastrophe will slowly become reality. The signs of decline are there for all to see; please Australia, for goodness sake, take notice, and then take action. You have a gem here, look after it.

Our fundraising total for the AV Foundation's solar and water projects was buoyed this weekend when my kayak Nala, offered for auction by Wilderness Systems, was purchased by the Dodds Family from Canberra for a princely sum of $3000/£1650. If you have even a couple of silver coins free a donation would be hugely appreciated through http://www.justgiving.com/greatbigpaddle

For now, let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'm off to write a book and edit a film about a dying river that still appears to be full of life. As 2009 draws to a close I hope that you guys feel as alive as I do, this was quite a 30th birthday present.

Thanks for following the expedition, it would have been quite lonely without you. Watch this space for the next one, it won't be long...

Dave Cornthwaite