The Green Paddle

Over two months in the summer of 2003, a 23-year-old Beau Miles paddled his kayak, solo, around three major island chains off Australia’s southern coast. Originally released in 2005, this film was re-edited in 2018 for YouTube. Relatively inexperienced in open water, moments of near capsizing, being washed off rocks, sleeping in abandoned homesteads and traveling up to 40km a day becomes just as much about personal discovery as the destination. With homemade camera mount, homemade roof-racks, yellow kayak and industrial supply of sunscreen, the film alludes to Beau’s underdone sea kayaking skills as he leaves mainland Australia under his own power for the first time. In the final days of the journey, Beau comes to realise that sea kayaking, and ad-hoc travel with only the bare essentials, is the most potent combination of living he’s ever experienced.