Adventurers at Sydney show

Visitors to the Sydney International Boat Show will be able to hear from British adventurer Pete Goss just what it takes to sail a 37 foot Cornish lugger from England to Australia.

Goss, already famous for his international sailing exploits, spent two years building an exact replica of the lugger Mystery that seven Cornishmen sailed to Australia 154 years ago so they could try their luck in the Victorian gold rush.

Goss, with his son Eliot, and Andy Goss and Mark Maidment successfully completed their voyage earlier this year. Now they have sailed Spirit of Mystery to Sydney and Goss will give daily talks at the Boat Show's popular Boating Lounge.

Also on the podium will be Justin Jones and James Castrission who spent 62 days paddling in a specially built kayak from Australia to New Zealand in 2007-2008. They were attacked by sharks, buffeted by 10 metre waves and savage winds, but they arrived in New Plymouth suffering only from sunburn and exhaustion.

Australian adventurer Don McIntyre, who lived for a year with his wife Margie at Cape Dennison in Antarctica, will discuss his plan to recreate the historic voyage undertaken by William Bligh when he was cast adrift from HMS Bounty by Fletcher Christian and the other mutineers more than 200 years ago.

McIntyre, with three mates, plans to start his voyage on April 28 next year and follow the route taken by Bligh and his 17 loyal crewmen from Tonga to Timor -- a distance of more than 3700 nautical miles.

Also on the podium will be Newcastle schoolgirl Jessica Watson who plans to set out in September to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world. Watson, who turned 16 last May, estimates the 23,000 nautical mile voyage will take her about 230 days.