ROZ - THE ARRIVAL ...#109
London
SHE IS NEARLY THERE!!!! FIVE MILES TO GO!!
JUNE 2nd - 60 miles to go .....
MAY 18th - THE PLASTIC OCEAN
"The most notable thing about today was the amount of plastic trash I saw littering the ocean. Today was the worst I have ever seen it. I saw about 30 individual recognisable pieces: plastic bottles, yogurt pots, bits of packaging. There is something deeply upsetting about seeing a beautiful blue ocean glinting in the sunshine marred by a plastic bottle bobbing along on the surface.
I would love to see a ban on all plastic drinks bottles. It is easy enough to avoid using plastic water bottles just buy a Brite water filter and keep refilling your own reusable water bottle. But what about the other drinks, even health drinks like . . . .ies . which come in plastic bottles? I hate the hypocrisy of selling a drink that is supposedly good for your body packaged in a substance which is trashing the planet. After all, beer and wine comes in glass bottles, so why can’t everything else? Maybe we should boycott all other drinks and just drink beer and wine.
Do you think this would catch on as a campaign?
SAVE THE WORLD DRINK BEER!!"
MAY 15th
Roz has reached the South Pacific Islands and is struggling to say away from land and boats.
You can see how close she is to the finish. Thanks to favourable southerly winds she has crossed the last stage much quicker than she thought she would. She needs to get around the island called NEW BRITAIN ~(who knew there was an island called that!) and then into MADANG on Papua New Guinea.
STAGE 3 (2010): The Pacific Islands to Australia (2324 statute miles, course 252 degrees)
I spent some time last evening reading through Roz's blog.
The amount it is going to cost her to complete this epic voyage has to be found from donations.
What Roz set out to do is to bring the plight of the Pacific Islands to the attention of all the World. She has been willing to push herself to extremes that some of us would never even dream about. She has starved when her food has run out, she has rowed until there is no skin left on her hands, (or bottom), she has burnt, froze, been subjected to hurricanes (remember DELTA in 2005), and all to raise awareness in others.
She walked from London to Copenhagen carrying a large "blow-up" replica of the Earth full of signatures to present to the World leaders at the Earth Summit meeting last year.
What small return can we give?
Well, if you feel like giving a small donation there is a very simple way to do it on her blog.
If you open the link to her blog you will see a
"GO ROZ GO" Fundraiser, on the right hand side. If you have a paypal account you can donate any amount from $1 upwards. ......(this will be converted into your own currency on payment - mine was) .....with just a few simple clicks :))
GO ROZ GO !!!!!!
Link to Roz's Blog
Link to the ROZ tracker
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Reader Comments
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Latest from Twitter....
2 miles to go. spirit of kalibopo is guiding me in. easier said than done - 25 mins ago
3 miles to go. lights of madang getting closer. so tired now - 1 hour ago
I am about to leave the house for about 2 hours, she will probably arrive in Madang before I get back....
I shall check in as soon as I arrive through the door!!!
GO ROZ GO!!!!!
I feel like I am there cheering her on from the sidelines!
I just went to her website and made a donation, I see they still have a way to go before she reaches the amount she needs to raise so every little bit helps!
She deserves all the support we can give for the entertainment and awesomeness this adventure has brought us who are following it.
BRAVO ********** BRAVO *********** BRAVO***********
"Arrived. Completed my row across the Pacific Ocean today - 2 hours ago
i made it. exhausted, sore, stiff, but will be elated once i've got the energy! - 2 hours ago"
It is so good to have something we can Cheer for...
to have something GOOD going on somewhere!!!
Thank you ROZ!!!!
(and thank you Sandi for bringing us Roz)
Was I really ever worried that there would be nobody to greet me in Madang? Did I really think I was going to skulk quietly into town and then go and buy myself a solitary beer of celebration?
Really? Really??!!
Nothing could have been further from what actually happened here this morning. An estimated five thousand people came down to the harbour to greet me to Madang. About twenty canoes, paddled by people in traditional costume, escorted me the last half mile to the dock. A helicopter buzzed overhead, shooting video and photos. Once on dry land I must have shaken about 1000 hands, everybody wanting to touch me and congratulate me. It was phenomenal. I feel like I have 5000 new friends.
After officially finishing my row around 11pm last night, I spent the night on board the Kalibobo Spirit. I wasn’t allowed to step onto dry land until customs officials could be on hand to clear my paperwork, but spending another night at sea was no hardship – the Kalibobo is a luxurious cruiser. I walked into my cabin and felt like I’d died and gone to heaven. After a very long, hot and exhausting day, it was sheer luxury to have a hot shower and then sink gratefully into bed – quite possibly the most comfortable bed that I have ever slept in.
Not that I had much time to appreciate it – I was asleep within about 2.3 seconds, and the next thing I knew it was 5.30am and time to get up for my ceremonial arrival.
We towed Brocade back out to sea and after a quick phone call to Mum I took up my oars again, and re-rowed the last segment of my row. The first local people to congratulate me were a few fishermen, out early in their outrigger canoes, who formed an orderly line to pass close to my boat and shake my hand.
They were just the first of many. As I neared the harbour a flotilla of about twenty canoes, all decked out in traditional garlands of leaves, came out to join me and escort me to the dock. I hope you’ve seen the photos that Mum posted earlier, and seen how splendid the boats and their paddlers looked. Everybody was smiling, especially me. I kept stopping to wave to the crowds, who waved back enthusiastically. I wish I could find a way to row and wave at the same time, but I’m still working on it.
As I got closer to the dock the crowds on the shoreline thickened. Schoolchildren in uniform created blocks of colour. As I rounded the corner towards the Madang Resort the harbour wall was absolutely packed. The estimated number is five thousand people, and I don’t think that is any exaggeration.
We completed the formalities on the dock, and then I was free to step ashore. I was met by the Governor of PNG, who explained the meaning of the traditional garlands and string bags that various well-wishers placed around my neck. As we moved through the crowd everyone was reaching out to shake my hand or touch me. It could have been overwhelming to be surrounded by such a crush of humanity after 46 days at sea, but in fact it felt great.
Sir Peter Barter, former PNG Governor and my new guardian angel, guided me to a PA system and I said a few words. A group from the Technical College, standing beneath a very impressive banner depicting me, my boat, and words of congratulations on my environmental mission, sang a song about PNG – possibly the national anthem. There was more handshaking and gift-giving, and then Sir Peter extricated me and showed me to my room at the Madang Resort, from where I can see my boat, now moored in the lagoon. There has been a steady procession of people all day, coming down to see the boat, and as I’ve walked around the resort yet more people have shaken my hand and congratulated me.
Tonight I’m having dinner with the Governor and Sir Peter, and the diary is already filling up fast for the rest of my month here. There’s a lot I plan to do – diving, exploring, meeting people and giving talks about my adventures and environmental mission.
It has been a day to remember, for sure. Spectacular. Thank you to everybody who has played a part – everybody here in Madang, the Governor Sir Arnold Amet, Sir Peter Barter, the staff at the Madang Resort, Alan Murray at Murray PR, and of course my wonderful, indefatigable invisible crewmate – my mother.
And thank you also for all the messages of congratulations that have been rolling in from all over the world. Thank you for your love, empathy, kindness and support during this third and final stage of my voyage. I feel very lucky that you are there for me through the highs and the lows, the trials and tribulations, and at last the final joyous celebrations at the successful conclusion of this 4-year/250-day, 8,000-mile, 2.5 million oarstroke epic adventure. It’s been… special."
So happy to have been a part of watching this.
so happy for Roz and her Mother and her crew.
This is just incredible!
Thank you Sandi!!!
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