UPDATE: The Mermaid has departed from Crowdy Head. She was sent off by Marine Rescue Crowdy Harrington.
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YESTERDAY: It’s an interesting sort of road trip.
It doesn’t involve roads for one thing, and the car well it’s a board.
But what it does have is the charms of coastal towns – including the hospitable nature of its locals.
Juliana Bahr-Thomson, the Mermaid with a Message, is paddling from Newcastle to Noosa.
The 1000km, near-two-month trip is a Guinness World Record attempt to raise awareness for environmental charity Surfrider Foundation and domestic violence awareness charity White Ribbon.
Protecting the environment has always been something close to her heart and she is speaking out about domestic violence because she was a victim of it during her childhood.
Juliana departed Newcastle on June 26 and has since dropped into numerous coastal towns along the East Coast including a visit to Forster and stop over in Old Bar.
On Saturday she cruised her way into Old Bar, where she met some locals on shore and in the sea.
“I had dolphins cruising around me,” said Juliana.
“I could see their eyes just looking at me, almost like they were confused, and I needed to be rescued,” she laughed.
These moments with nature adds to Juliana’s charge to keep going.
“I was in absolute tears with exhaustion the other day before paddling out, I just kept thinking ‘I don’t know even know if I can do this’.”
“I went out and spent three hours chasing whales. My jet-ski support said, ‘it was like I was a different girl’.”
On the shore at Old Bar Beach Juliana was greeted by a couple who had been following her journey on the Mermaid with a Message website’s live tracker.
Juliana said people are continuing to contact her via social media to support her journey.
Forster based cafe Beach Bums reached out to Juliana and her crew for a free breakfast and Black Head Surf Life Saving Club member Pierce Jackson paddled out with her from Forster Main Beach.
“It was fun to have a bit of company to talk to and add to the experience,” said Juliana.
Juliana has been touched by the welcoming nature of the various community groups and businesses that have helped her. After voting at a local primary school, she’s become a temporary local too.
“I voted at Old Bar Primary School. I ran in with three minutes to spare and they told me I was the last voter of the evening.
“They asked where I came from and I said Newcastle, and they said ‘oh you’ve come along way’.
“Under my breath I said ‘you have no idea...’.”
Juliana’s time in the Manning Valley has been used to recharge with massages and rest.
“Having even just a day out of the water, it’s amazing how much you rejuvenate.”
Being on land could also be Juliana’s time to think as in the water it’s hard to.
“People think I’m having time to do all this thinking, But to be honest, you don’t have the energy. I just focus on where I am, and what I’m doing. It’s monotonous work.”
Today (July, 4) Juliana and her team visited Fays Twin Cinema to watch the fittingly fish tale Finding Dory.
Tomorrow (July, 5) she’ll set off from Crowdy Bay with a breakfast by Marine Rescue Crowdy Harrington. The community is invited to attend from 7.30am where there will be barbecue at the cost of a gold coin donation.
To keep following Juliana’s journey and to donate visit www.mermaidwithamessage.com.au
Laura Polson
Journalist with the Manning River Times.
Journalist with the Manning River Times.
