A Kayak Museum Pilgrimage
Paul Caffyn's kayaks Isadora and Lalaguli sit in two maritime museums on opposite sides of the world. Both are worth a visit.
Paul Caffyn's kayak Isadora, the boat he used for both the North and South Island circumnavigations of New Zealand, sits on permanent display at the Auckland National Maritime Museum. Lalaguli, the kayak he paddled around Australia in 1981-82, is at the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum in Victoria.
Standing next to either kayak is a peculiar experience. They are not large. They look fragile. The wood and fibreglass shows decades of repair. You realise, viscerally, that the entire 9,420 mile Australian circumnavigation was done in this 5.4 metre object - which fits comfortably in a domestic garage.
Why it's worth the trip
Two reasons. First, perspective. Maps make Caffyn's journeys abstract; the kayaks make them physical. Second, both museums display Caffyn's gear context - charts, journals, photographs - in a way that documentaries and books can't. The lived materiality of expedition kayaking comes through.
Practical notes
Auckland: National Maritime Museum, Hobson Wharf, Viaduct Harbour. Open daily. Isadora is in the Pacific Discovery hall.
Queenscliffe (Victoria): Maritime Museum, Weeroona Parade. Smaller museum, more limited hours - check before travelling. Lalaguli in the long-distance gallery. In December 2007 the Victorian Sea Kayak Club organised the 25th anniversary of the completion of the Australian paddle at Queenscliff, including a piper-led carry for Lalaguli to its new home in the museum.
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