“I love the silence of the outback. There’s a serenity which arises from the inviolability of the landscapes, the romantic beauty of its rivers and the awareness of traveling to sacred times as we discover ancient Aboriginal Rock Art sites”.
Sébastien, guide, adventurer, bushman, humourist, resourceful, resilient…
Sébastien has remarkable credentials of endurance and more than twenty years of wilderness travel in Australia. He has cycled across Australia five times. He has trekked Tasmania from North to South, rafted the wild Franklin River and conquered the extremely challenging South-West coast “scrub walk” from Cape Sorell (Strahan) to Melaleuca – a walk very few people even attempt.
He has an intimate knowledge of the Kimberley, its rugged ranges and semi arid savannah, dramatic gorges, rivers and tributaries, having walked and rafted over many years.
His passion for the environment and for Aboriginal Rock Art naturally attracted him to the Kimberley. While exploring the Prince Regent River and the Mitchell River National Parks on foot, he found countless rock art sites where Wandjina spirits join the enigmatic Gwion Gwion paintings.
He has worked as a Adventure Guide for the renowned Willis’s Walkabout, leading tours in the Kimberley, Bungle Bung which he considers “his garden”, in Kakadu, Litchfield and Karijini National Parks. Internationally he has led groups in New Caledonia and recently Patagonia.
Sébastien is confident and comfortable in the wilderness.
Well organized and has a well honed awareness of the environment.
He is particularly attentive to the safety of his bushwalkers.
Frenchman has a flourish in camp cooking…
EXPEDITION HISTORY
1997: East coast of Hinchinbrook Island from Macushla to George point and return ( 100km). 1 week. Off track on the North stretch. With Yann Lacroix.
2008: Traversed Tasmania solo from Devonport to Cokle Creek walking along the South West Coast from Strahan to Melaleuca.
2.5 months for the full crossing of the island. Off rack in the South West ( 30 days- 3 food drops).
Backpack: 35 to 50 kg. I carried an Alpacka raft on the first parts of the walk….
The most challenging expedition so far.
2009: Strahan to Endeavour Bay and return on the South West Coast.
19 days. Solo. Self-sufficient. Off track.
Backpack: 30 to 40 kg.
2009: Drysdale river from Drysdale River station to Kalumburu.
20 days with Florent Rivoire. Self sufficient. Off track.
Backpack: 34kg.
2013: First walk to the Prince Regent river area. Pitta Creek, Gundarara creek and Backsten creek area.
15 days. Solo. Self-sufficient. Off track.
Backpack: 22kg.
2014: Second walk to the Prince Regent river area. Exploring the head waters of the river.
10 days. With friends. Self-sufficient. Off track.
Backpack: 14kg.
2015: Third walk on the Prince Regent river area. Pantijan to the mouth of the Prince Regent river.
12 days. With friends. Self-sufficient. Off track.
Backpack: 15kg.
2015: Fourth walk on the Prince regent area. From King Cascade to Lower Mitchell falls ( Mitchell river mouth) via the Roe River.
Backpack: 20kg.
My longest journey in total autonomy.
2016: Charnley River area. Plain ck, Greytal ck, Isdell river, Sprigg river, Synnot gorge, the complete Charnley river gorge, Calder river, Bachsten ck, faded Beverley tck, Grevilea and Salvino gorges.
31 days ( 7 days with a group, 12 with Paul Freeman, 12 solo).
One Food drop the 24th day. Off track.
Backpack: 21kg.
1986: 5 days trip in the Auvergne mountains. With Nicolas Héritier.
1990: Around France during the winter 1990. With Nicolas Héritier.
1993: Around 19.000km. Leaving Montréal in March, arriving at Inuvik ( North Yukon) in July. Alaska in August. Vancouver Island in September. Back to Montréal on the 18th of October via the Canadian Rockies and the north of the United States.
1st crossing-1997: 7000km from Melbourne to Cape York ( North Queensland). With Yann Lacroix
Dirt road: Telegraph Track. Cape York Peninsula Rd.
2nd crossing-1997: 7000km from Cape York to Cape Leuuwin (South West of Western Australia). With Yann lacroix
Dirt roads: Plenty hwy ( Qld/NT); Gunbarrel Hwy ( NT/WA).
3rd crossing- 1998: 6500 km from Cape Leuuwin to Darwin. Solo
Dirt roads: Gibb river Rd, Kalumburru Rd, Mitchell river Track in the Kimberley.
4rd crossing- 1998: 66500km from Darwin to Melbourne. Solo
Dirt roads: Savannah Way; Fincke Tck; Old Ghan Tck; Oodnadatta Tck, Lake Eyre Trck ( return) in South Australia. Failed to cross Lake Eyre.
5rd crossing- 2009: 6000km. Around Tasmania and from Adelaide to Kununurra.
Dirt Road: Tanami track with Graeme Coop.
2013: Munja track ( return ). First time someone cycled Munja track on a pushbike. West part of the Gibb river road. Kimberley WA. Solo.
Self-sufficient in water and spare parts on all the cycling trips in Australia. 42 litres of water on the Gunbarrel hwy. 53.5 litres of water on the Lake Eyre crossing attempt.
2005: Paddling the Yukon river from Teslin Crossing in Yukon Canada to the Bering Sea in Alaska.
3300 km in 100 days. 10 days with Mark Heintzelman. Mostly solo.
2008: Rafting the Franklin River ( SW Tasmania) on Alpacka raft. Solo.
2008: Gordon River and Macquarie Harbour ( SW Tasmania ) on a sea kayak. With Marika Oestreich.
2014: Building a new saffron on a ketch at Gove ( NT ) and attempt to sail the boat to Darwin. With Hubert Leviel.
2018: Packrafting expedition on the Drysdale and the Carson Rivers in North Kimberley. With Dulkara Martig ( Golden Paddle Award 2018), Brad Meiklejohn ( Alpacka Raft Legacy Ambassador ), Margaret Williams ( sicentist) and Ben Weigl ( Guide).
Article written by Brad Meikledjohn about the 2018 Kimberley expedition: Click here
10th November 1998: Attempt to cross Lake Eyre with 53.5 liters of water packed on the pushbike. Alone.
Reason of the fail: Afraid. I did not feel it at all when i finally reached the ” flat horizons”. I preferred to come back to the shore and it was the right decision. But this fail is still painful.
Marsh 2014: Failed to walk Eighty Miles Beach in north WA. I had to walk 300kg in 2 weeks. I gave up after 2 days after running out of fresh water. Alone.
Reason of the fail: gear not suitable. Unable to secure my needs in drinking water. High temperatures: 45°c. No shade. 3 more days to get out of this mess by myself.
To climb: Mount Bowen on Hinchinbrook island.
Exploring: The West side of the Roe river from the Roe river to the ocean. Prince regent NP – Kimberley.
Exploring: The West side of the Roe river from the Roe river to the ocean. Prince regent NP – Kimberley.
Later:
Writing a book: telling the crossing of Tasmania in 2008.
