Kev raises rural awareness one oar paddle at a time

The man from Morgan has just crossed the SA border along his 2540-kilometre paddle from Bringenbrong Bridge on the NSW-Vic border, not far from Mount Kosciuszko, to the Murray Mouth.

He has spent the past 48 days kayaking the river and will end up stopping at 42 towns along the way, chatting to locals and raising awareness for those living in remote towns doing it tough.

The journey started off as a personal goal, stemming from a love of the river, but it soon turned into a fundraiser with the Australian Horizons Foundation’s Aussies Helping Aussies charity.

And with slightly more than 320km to go, the end is in sight.

“The paddle has taken a little longer than most would do it in because we’ve stopped along the way and held free comedy shows,” Kev said.

“We have tried to fit them in on weekends when the pubs and bars are generally at their busiest.”

So far, Kev has pulled into 10 comedy shows where Melbourne comedians Justin Fleming and Dave Ivkovic (who are part of Kev’s road crew) have entertained crowds.

On Saturday, the team will perform at Kev’s home town of Morgan.

“The people along the way have been awesome – I’ve met some characters and spent hours chatting to people,” Kev said.

Originally from England, Kev moved to Gawler when he was four years old before moving to Morgan.

He has spent countless hours on the river in his spare time and has worked on farms and in vineyards.

Kev’s journey helped promote awareness for regional and rural communities, as well as visiting towns in his own backyard, instead of travelling overseas.

He has proven you do not have to be an “ironman or a super athlete” to take on the journey.

Kev paddles with 240kg of equipment each day, which includes his tent from Kmart and sleeping bag from Big W.

“I carry enough gear for four days at a time, which includes 10 litres of water,” he said.

“You don’t have to have the best gear, you just have to have a go.”

In addition to his journey, Kev has carried a message stick, which was given to him by the Wiradjuri Nation.

“Back in the day, when you were confronted with another tribe or nation, they would produce the message stick as a communication tool,” he said.

“This stick gives me the right of passage to the end and will be returned to the Elders when the paddle is completed.”

AUSTRALIAN Horizons Foundation assists farmers and rural communities in times of crisis.

The charity has helped with humanitarian aid, mental health support and supported small towns by creating economic and social wellness within the communities.

It was founded in 2009 in Far North Qld by third generation grazier John Bethel, and assisted those in the gulf that went through drought, floods, fires and cyclone Yasi.

In 2010, the charity became the Gulf Horizon Foundation and last year it formed the national arm, called Australian Horizons Foundation.

National marketing and fundraising chairperson Anita Donlon says the charity did not receive government funding.

“We have joined up with quite a few alliance partners, particularly in the mental and medical health research area, to really get an understanding of what is going on out in the bush and not relying on ABS figures,” she said.

And with Morgan man Kev Cook paddling more than 2000 kilometres along the River Murray, Ms Donlon said it was a great opportunity to stop in with rural communities.

“Kev is testing his own skills and personal goals, but by being isolated during his journey, he has been able to understand what our founders and board, who are based in the bush, mean when they say isolation does really create dislocation,” she said.

The foundation recently launched its latest giveaway, with the winner having their power bills paid for one year.