Tourism ambassador and global adventurer Ben Southall held a Hobie kayak clinic for the guests of BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday, in spite of yesterday’s rain.
Ben is currently paddling, pedalling and sailing his way up the Great Barrier Reef and arrived in the Whitsundays yesterday (see Page 2).
“I’m feeling pretty fit, but it’s still a long way to go. Cooktown is still a very distant dot on the map,” he said.
Ben’s kayak clinic kicked off the BIG4 Adventure Whitsundays winter sports carnival, providing children with plenty of outdoor activities during the school holidays.
“This is about not sitting in front of the TV all the time. So much can be done outdoors and places like BIG4 are perfect for that. Kids want to learn and they love trying new things. Putting smiles on their faces is such a great thing to do,” Ben said.
Owner of BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Naomi McKinnon said Ben was a great role model for kids.
“We’ve tried to create that whole concept of getting kids outside and active and Ben’s really the epitome of that,” she said.
The Hobie Kayak was chosen as the vessel of choice for the ‘best expedition in the world’ after Ben saw one in action at Hervey Bay.
“This is not meant to be about endurance and if I was to bust my shoulder in the first week, that would be it. When I saw the Hobie kayak I thought it looked like a really accessible means of doing the adventure. It’s really very simple to learn the art of sailing in. By the end of it, hopefully I’ll be an accomplished sailor,” he said.
Whilst in the Whitsundays Ben will participate in a ‘boys adventure’ camping and kayaking tour. He will also pit his skills against teen solo sailor Jessica Watson, in a Hobie kayak race from Whitehaven Beach to Hamilton Island.
“She knows much more about sailing than I do,” he joked.
No comments:
Post a Comment