Colin Angus and his team were the first to voyage the entire length of the Amazon River by raft and only the third to navigate it by any means.
He is reliving the epic adventure this month with public presentations throughout Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, including a presentation this Saturday night at North Island College.
Canadian adventurers and best-selling authors Colin and Julie Angus are visiting six communities on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland to showcase Colin’s Amazon River expedition.
Colin and his teammates, Ben Kozel of Australia and Scott Borthwick of South Africa, were the first to raft the Amazon River — the greatest river on the planet by volume and, at 6,400 kilometres, is second only to the Nile in length.
They became the third team to navigate the Amazon’s full length after locating its source at 18,000 feet in the Andes Mountains and then voyaging its length to the Atlantic Ocean.
During their five-month expedition, the team almost died of thirst in a blazing desert, ascended frigid mountain summits, was battered in whitewater and was shot at by Peruvian rebels.
The Amazon River presentation will be held this Saturday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Stan Hagen Theatre at North Island College in Courtenay. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The 90-minute show includes a screening of the National Geographic film Amazon Extreme and a captivating presentation by Colin.
This show will raise funds for Colin and Julie's next expedition, Olive Odyssey.
Beginning this August, Julie and Colin will journey by small boat from Spain to the Middle East following the route of ancient seafarers the Phoenicians to investigate how they helped distribute the olive tree from its origin in the Middle East throughout the Mediterranean.
The adventuring couple will be accompanied by a new crew member, their nine-month-old-son Leif, and Julie will chronicle their journey and the story of the olive for Greystone Books.
Julie will not present Saturday, but she will attend with Leif to answer questions about Olive Odyssey.
Tickets to the presentation are $12 in advance and $14 at the door.
Tickets are available online at www.angusadventures.com and at Blue Heron Books in Comox and Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Courtenay.