Patagonia NZ

Back in August, the inaugural Rivers Run was held on Bundjalung Country. Starting at the mouth of the Richmond River, entrants ran, swam and paddled their way north for 46km over the course of the day, eventually finishing on the banks of the Brunswick River, just before sunset. A ‘backyard ultra’ in classic Northern Rivers style, it was organised by Dave Rastovich and as such was far from a competitive affair – it was a celebration of the coastline and the big rivers that dominate the area and drain into the ocean, rivers that had been choked with toxic blackwater earlier in the year in the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred. “You don’t really know Country until you’ve walked Country,” explained Dave to entrants at the starting line. Or as it turns out, swam or paddled it, either.

Filmed by Liam O’Brien, Dominic Sullivan, Mark Isaac.

Edited by Orlando Hudson