The paddles done and dusted!!!

Hey there everyone, well i'm happy to say that i've done the paddle and very happy that i had such good conditions. I decided to move it forward last week to Saturday 11 July to make use of strong Southerly winds. The conditions this week have been less than ideal with the wind swinging Nth. Ive been unable to update this page any earlier beacause ive been straight back working on the beach as a Lifeguard.
The paddle was a great experience and i loved every minute of it. I set out from Wategos beach in Byron Bay at 7.10 am. Rain was falling as we set up the OC1 outrigger. After having a warm up and stretch i left the beach heading west toward Belongil, then straightened my course to get the wind behind me. Upon reaching Brunswick bar i found the 4ft swell was breaking inside the wall which made for a nervous paddle in to swap craft. I then jumped on my board and resumed my Northerly course. The conditions i was paddling in were great for catching swells and made for some fun rides. Half way through the board paddle i looked across and noticed i wasn't on my own with a fair sized fin cruising about 8m away, which i'm very sure wasn't a dolphins..... After reaching Cabarita and swapping to the 16ft stand up, i was feeling happy to be on the home straight. On the final change over at Kingscliff i was feeling very tired but seeing support from family and friends made jumping on the ski and finishing off the paddle alot easier. Upon reaching Burleigh Heads i was very relieved on completing a great days paddling all for a great charity.
Thank you to everyone who's supported me throughout. Also a massive thanks to my support crew who without there help id be unable to do the paddle, Casey, Jess, Kelly and Indigo.. Legends!

Thanks again for supporting such a great cause in The Royal Childrens Hospital.

Nath Henderson

A Paddle 4 Little Warriors

Hi Everyone,

My name is Nathan Henderson. I am a 27 year old lifeguard from Currumbin on the Gold Coast. In a months time I’ll be doing a 70 kilometer paddle from Byron Bay in Northern N.S.W. to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast to raise funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation in Brisbane. The Hospital works with sick kids and their families as they battle cancer.

My cousin’s son’s recent diagnosis with stage three Burkitts Lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system has motivated me to do this paddle. A Paddle 4 Little Warriors is in support of Matarae Royal. The brave three year old is currently undergoing intense chemotherapy.

A Paddle 4 Little Warriors will take place on July 17, 2009. Four different ocean craft will be used for the paddle including 17ft paddle board, OC1 outrigger, surf ski and a stand up racing board. I will alternate between craft approximately every 15km depending on the conditions on the day.

I am seeking sponsorship for my paddle. Any donations great or small will go a long way in brightening the days of sick kids and their families.

Thanks for Supporting such a Great Cause!