A Review of ‘Bad River: The Cooks River’ - Film by Beau Miles. Published on YouTube 28 July, 2022.

Abstract

Link to film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmxKUwB8VFQI have always had a fascination for rivers. I grew up camping by them every long weekend. The water captivated me, and I would spend hours moving river rocks, making pools and dams until I was chilled to the bone. As I grew up, I fell deeper in love with rivers through paddling. I became a river guide and an outdoor environmental educator, where I share my fascination and love of rivers with students. And it is carrying this backstory with me that I came to watch Bad River: The Cooks River (or 'Kayaking the sickest urban river in Australia' as the video is titled on YouTube). The short film jolted and provoked me, thus now I'm writing this review to unpack some aspects of the film and what it may offer outdoor and environmental education practitioners.Bad River: The Cooks River is the first of four films to be released by Beau Miles and his coproducers Mitch Drummond and Jodi Evans. The basic concept of the film involves Beau (an adventurer and former lecturer of outdoor education) paddling an old kayak down what is proclaimed the sickest river in Australia. Beau describes this river as "an overwhelmed watershed unable to cope with so many humans" (Miles, 2022, 00.21). What drives Beau's adventure (and resultant short film) is the desire to see what makes a "bad river" bad. Hence, he sets out so see "every inch of the sickest urban river in Australia" (01.05), roughly 20 km, by simply following it in his kayak.The film is alluring, confronting some of the issues of colonisation and urbanisation in an engaging style. As Beau demonstrates, small waterways in urban areas have been controlled and domesticatedmade efficient. But they are also forgotten unseen places that cop the abuse of consumptive throwaway lifestyles. Beau takes you on his journey and you feel the shock and disgust with him as he sees the state of the waterway. The most affective moment is when Beau finds himself waste deep in water full of plastic waste, balls, polystyrene and who knows what else. Words are lost. A positive outlook and spirit of adventure wear thin. What is left is a profound silence that speaks volumes. Unsure how to react, the usually jovial and good-humoured Beau appears muted. Afterwards he proclaims that "every student of Sydney should see this" (11.10) and that the river "needs love" (11.35). I agree.In outdoor education, we often head to wild, beautiful places and enjoy time outdoors. This can have a romantic undertone, where we aim to appreciate a wild nature. Yet as I have argued previously, following rivers and being open to all manner of encounters, including the harsh realities of environmental damage, can be educative (Jukes, Stewart & Morse, 2022). Even the affective power of rubbish can provide a pedagogical provocation (Jukes, Stewart & Morse, 2019

A Review of ‘Bad River: The Cooks River’ - Film by Beau Miles. Published on YouTube 28 July, 2022.

“…The basic concept of the film involves Beau (an adventurer and former lecturer of outdoor education) paddling an old kayak down what is proclaimed the sickest river in Australia. Beau describes this river as “an overwhelmed watershed unable to cope with so many humans” (Miles, 2022, 00.21). What drives Beau’s adventure (and resultant short film) is the desire to see what makes a “bad river” bad.…”