MICHAEL Kozok, an adventurous father from Poland currently living in Sydney, walked up Bongil Beach on Saturday evening on 21 January, swam across Bonville Creek, walked up onto South Head and saw the view.

“The sun was setting, I could still see it on the horizon and the water,” Michael told News Of The Area.

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This was Day 304 of an unmotorised crossing of Australia – walking,running, cycling, pulling a desert cart, roller skating, skateboarding, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, roller skiing and paddle boarding – from Steep Point in WA to Cape York in QLD in celebration of gaining his Australian citizenship.

“I didn’t have much expectation of what Sawtell might be like and I was surprised.

“First the cliffs of South Head, the view of the sun set and then walking down onto Sawtell Beach heading towards Boambee Headland I felt like I was in a National Park.

“I looked at my GPS and it said I was 800m from the town yet I’d walked along Sawtell Beach for 40 minutes and seen no one but a couple of people with their dogs,” he said.

Michael is staying near Boambee Creek with friend Basia Meder, a fellow adventurer, where his wife Evelina and eight-year-old son Natan will join him for a few days’ holiday.

Michael said the biggest price he is paying for this ten-month travelling experience is separation from his family.

However, he has spent several individual weeks joined by Evelina and Natan who walked The Larapinta, the Great Ocean Walk and the Royal National Park with him.

“From the other perspective I hope my son can learn the life lesson of following your dream, as long as you don’t hurt anyone.

“When I was passing through Sydney, Natan’s teacher asked if I would come to the school and give a speech.

“I asked my son ‘would you like it if I came?’ and I saw this flash of pride in his eyes.

“So, we prepared a presentation together and he was part of it.

“I definitely believe that he will take knowledge and inspiration from this into his older life,” said Michael.

The intrepid traveller has been to 151 countries and accomplished his project of crossing all inhabited continents in the world from one side to the other without using a plane.

When he traversed unmotorised across South America he came up with the idea of celebrating his citizenship with the ‘Unmotorised Crossing Australia 2022/3’ project, taking him through all geographical capes and via the highest summits of all mainland states and territories, WA to QLD.

Pressing on with his celebration of Australia, Michael leaves Sawtell on the weekend of 28/29 January heading north to Grafton.

Why is he heading inland?

“I can’t walk on the beach with a shopping trolley,” he said.

The shopping trolley is being borrowed and will be returned in Byron.

“I think I will look homeless,” he said, “and I will see how people treat me…probably more distanced.”

Michal is booked in to Warm Showers, a non-profit accommodation facility for the cycling community, in Emerald Beach and then Dirty Creek.

“I told them I didn’t have a bicycle; I had a shopping trolley and they said that was cool and accepted me.”

To read more about Michael, his trip and his progress around Australia visit http://kozok.eu/en/acrossaustralia00stage.php

Follow the journey on Facebook by following kozok.eu Unmotorised Australia Crossing.

By Andrea FERRARI