While Steve Posselt pushes ahead on his epic kayak trip to protest the proposed damming of the Mary River, Sunshine Coast photographers Arkin Mackay and Chris Van Wyk have just completed a slow and meticulous four day exploratory trip through the stretch of the Mary River directly threatened by the proposed Traveston Dam.

Their goal was to photograph and document the river and bring home compelling visual evidence of what stands to be lost if the Federal Government approve the dam construction. To achieve this, they loaded their kayaks up with cameras and camping gear and set off, unsure of what they would find or how long they’d be away.

Their journey took them through some very isolated and wild stretches of river, seldom seen by locals or Mary Valley visitors. “I’ve grown up on this river, and paddled short stretches of it over the years” says Arkin, “but I was staggered by the beauty and wilderness of the places we travelled through on this trip. It has reaffirmed my commitment to fight the construction of Traveston Dam and to ensure that people are well educated about what is at risk here.”

For the majority of the trip, they were away from road access to the river, and this factor is what initially inspired Arkin to do the trip. "It's easy to assume that a river is always the same, based on the few parts you're familiar with," she said, "but with the Mary, that's not the case it all, from one pool to the next, the whole environment can change."

The river is home to at least seven endangered species, and another goal of the trip was to show the diversity of the Mary River, and introduce some of the animals that live along it. Although the photography of animals was not extensive, and by no means thorough, it does highlight the importance of the Mary River as an area of natural habitat. Many of the animals encountered rely on habitat elements provided by a river system and will not adapt and thrive if submerged by a dam.

The conclusion reached at the end of the trip is that the Mary River is home to far more hidden wonders than is commonly realised. So, enjoy these photos... we hope they inspire you to grab a kayak and head off down the river on your own exploratory adventure. Perhaps we'll see you out there!