Before Jason Beachcroft circumnavigated Australia this year, including two crossings of Bass  Strait to include Tasmania, he spoke to Stuart Trueman.

Trueman had paddled around Australia in 2011, except Tasmania.

He warned Beachcroft he would have the week from hell, the week from heaven and everything in-between on his 18,000-kilometre journey.

More than 50 shark attacks, two broken ribs after cartwheeling his sea kayak in the surf, and smearing Vaseline over his backside, stomach and shoulders to keep water off his salt sores did not bring the week from hell.

That came off Shark Island, Western Australia, for Beachcroft, who was named on Wednesday as the Australian Geographic Society's adventurer of the year.

The week from hell rolled into six weeks of sheer frustration for the 45-year-old hardcore adventurer. Beachcroft, who is a skiing co-ordinator in Jindabyne in winter and adventure guide in the Blue Mountains in the off-season, hated being delayed.

To cross 200 kilometres of water near Shark Island, he needed the right wind and swell.

"A five-metre swell was slamming the beach," he said. "I could have paddled it but could not have made it onto the beach."

Pinned down by weather, and going to and from Denham, a nearby town, filled him with anxiety.

"For six weeks, I made no effective progress and I was beginning to think my trip was going to be over," he said.

"It wasn't the only hard time, but the most prolonged hard time."

Inspired by New Zealand paddling legend Paul Caffyn, who also circumnavigated Australia and his book, Dreamtime Voyage, Beachcroft had set out from Sydney Harbour for the 17-month adventure, which he finished in June.

Mentally, it was as tough as the physical effort, being a long way from home and staying motivated for months of paddling, camping on beaches, and paddling through rainy nights in wet clothes.

"[It was] much easier to roll over and go back to bed but that doesn't get the trip complete. You have to be strong and focused, but not completely bull-headed. You have to assess the situation, the wind and weather and your own energy levels and resources, and come up with safe, viable solutions for the day's activities."

Beachcroft's week from heaven arrived more than once, with stunning beaches, watching a solar eclipse and much more.

"I've seen whales jump out of the water, crocodiles, sharks, dolphins; every state and every place had something really amazing to it. At Observation Island, north of Exmouth, I heard whale songs when I was paddling, for the first time.

"A magical little moment. I remember once I was paddling along and a sea eagle was hovering in the air, and it's got a fish between its legs and I'm bashing into the wind pushing forward and it's just looking at me.

"Every now and then it ducked its head between its legs and would rip a bit of flesh off the fish and eat it, and me watching it make it all look so easy."

He had little support on his journey. His kayak held a tent, stove, food, two litres of unleaded petrol, spare paddles, pontoons, paddle floats and an emergency beacon. In more arid regions, he carried 53 litres of fresh water.

He planned to break the journey into sections. However, on the first leg from Sydney to Brisbane, three weeks turned into four while Cyclone Oswald battered him for a week.

At Russell Island near Brisbane, two sea kayakers described a lovely campsite after he inquired and then said: "But you're not going to use it."

"Why not?" he asked.

"You are coming back to our place instead," they replied.