Testimonials for the

It is at home in all different types of water, flatwater rivers, lakes, small rapids and the ocean. It's the perfect all-rounder.

I recently paddled the entire length (500kms) of the Blackwood River, through shallows, tight turns, thick trees, grade 2 rapids, flat pools and wide estuary waters, taking 8 days."

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The following is an extract taken from Terry Bolland's "Blackwood River" trip.

"At this point there seemed to be only one thing in my favour apart from my determination and that was the boat.

So soon into my trip it was proving to be the best kayak for these conditions. It was manoeuvrable so I could easily skirt around the snags and trees, the sloping bow allowed me to run up the logs and jump them. The stability was an asset as I slid and bumped from one hidden snag to another but I was still able to feel confident and in control.

The rudder helped me steer the kayak in and out of places you would not normally go and when my head was down trying to squeeze under the bushes the rudder control was a real bonus.

The Gecko has a relatively large cockpit which allowed me, after each portage to sit my bum in the seat and bring my legs in later, emptying my booties of water at the same time. This method of boat entry was quick and stable.

The Gecko also had good knee bracing which allowed me to lean the boat right on its edge to achieve amazing turning ability.

I was just wrapped in the boat and it was these reasons why I chose it to do this trip. "

The paragraphs above were taken from Terry's diary entries about a trip where he paddled an Australis Gecko 500km in 8 days down the Blackwood River in Western Australia.

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To read all the ins and outs of this trip or about any of Terry's other trips, click the following link and follow the link to the "Trips and Expeditions" section.