Local psychologist Philip Ward has embarked on his second full-length paddle of the Murray River.
Setting off from Biggara in the Victorian alpine region, and eventually ending up in the Southern Ocean, Mr Ward is now over a month into his solo canoe voyage.
Speaking from the banks of the Murray in Blanchetown, South Australia, while being eyeballed by nearby pelicans on his 35th straight day of paddling, he said the journey was about many things.
“I'm still coming up with answers because there’s a lot of different reasons as to why I'm doing it,” Mr Ward said.
“Number one is it's fulfilling a sense of purpose, and I think it's important for our mental health that we have a sense of purpose.”
Building resilience, self-reflection, connectedness to the river, and the power of solitude were among other reasons for the trip.
“Solitude brings out creativity, and I want to write a book,” he said.
Mr Ward has been uploading posts to Facebook daily, logging his encounters, observations, and distance paddled — averaging 57km a day.
He’s also documenting his trip with a voice-activated camera attached to the front of his canoe which, he realised a few days into his trip, could only understand him if he spoke in an American accent.
While the ever-changing landscape along the Murray is often idyllic, Mr Ward said his trip had not been without challenges.
“Climate's a bit of a challenge. A few days ago ... two consecutive nights I was in a storm, and that was fairly interesting, to say the least.”
The storm soaked through his tent, sleeping bag, and other gear, he said on Facebook, which had to be cleaned and dried before he could continue paddling.
Mr Ward is living on dehydrated food, which he prepared himself for over two months, sealing up the meals and posting them to be picked up at locations along the trip.
His water is sourced from the Murray and must be painstakingly filtered to be drinkable.
Aside from friendly lock-keepers and houseboat residents eager to have a chat, Mr Ward is otherwise by himself.
But the challenges of the trip have led to positive changes in his life back home in Echuca, he said.
“It’s tipping you out of your comfort zone, and in order to make behaviour change, you have to get out of your comfort zone.
“As soon as I finished the trip last time, I sold a lot of stuff on Facebook, stuff that I didn’t need. I’m really enjoying being a minimalist,” he said.
Mr Ward said his time on the Murray also helps him in his role as a psychologist at Njernda Aboriginal Corporation.
“Dealing with other people’s mental health, doing this trip is a good way of dealing with my mental health.
“Part of working with clients is motivating people to make changes in their life. If I can make changes in my life, then I can actually come up with strategies, or get people to come up with their own strategies, to make behavioural changes,” he said.
Around 290km from Lake Alexandrina on Wednesday, October 23, Mr Ward said there was a window of opportunity to cross the dangerous lake in the following week.
The lake leads to the Southern Ocean, marking the end of his trip this year.
Before returning to Echuca, either getting a lift from a friend or via bus, Mr Ward said he was reminded to appreciate the little things.
“I think we take things for granted.
“Simple things like drinking water — the fact you turn on your tap at home, and you have filtered water.
“When you’re out here, everything is previous. What you’ve got is precious,” he said.