Petr Hanzak tragically lost his life on 22 January 2023 following a kayaking accident in the lower reaches of tropical Queensland’s Behana Gorge. For the past decade he lived with his wife Carrie in Kuranda, Australia and was well known across the region as a working psychologist.

Born in Czechoslovakia the son of Mr Karel Boček and Dr Jiřina Přibylová, Petr had a strong teenage ambition to become a professional kayaker.

Following Czechoslovakia’s invasion by the Warsaw Pact in 1968, Petr’s ambition was blocked when his father was detained by the Russians as a political prisoner. Fearing for his life his father managed to escape, though restrictions were consequently placed upon his whole family. Never knowing whether his father was still alive, Petr and his older brother Luděk were then raised by his mother Jiřina, with Petr going on to study Mechanical Engineering, and after graduation, designing parts for aeroplanes.

He married at 24, adopting his first wife’s young daughter Marie before going on to have two sons – Jan and Petr Jnr. After joining the protests of the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Petr finally reconnected with his father in Germany. After the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall followed by the collapse of USSR in 1991. Petr decided to seek a new life with his young family, immigrating to Melbourne, Australia. Petr soon learnt English and adapted quickly to his new country. In the early 2000’s when his children had grown and moved, Petr and his wife moved to Gympie in Queensland, with Petr going on to study psychology for nearly a decade. His marriage dissolved in 2011.

He met and married Carrie in Cairns before settling in Kuranda in 2013, making their home and gardens in the rainforest surrounded by Kuranda’s wonderful wildlife. Nevertheless, there were tough times, from caring for Carrie’s elderly father until his passing, to the tragic death of Petr’s youngest son Petr Jr.

Always a passionate kayaker, at 15 Petr was in the Czech number one slalom racing team, winning the Czechoslovakian championships before the Russians blocked his path to a possible Gold Medal.

He continued kayaking in Australia, exploring the rivers in Victoria but also a lot of ocean kayaking. Once in Kuranda however, Petr quickly discovered the many rivers in Far North Queensland and soon became one of the best whitewater kayakers in the area (known affectionately by friends as “The Bull”.)

FNQ’s white-water kayaking fraternity are a close-knit bunch dependent on each other for their very lives. ‘The Bros’ as they call themselves carry their craft and heavy loads uphill overland to get to the headwaters or are sometimes dropped in by helicopter. While drawn from a variety of professions, some are themselves members of Emergency Services teams.

Fitter than some of the younger paddlers, Petr was known in the group as a ‘father-figure’ who often trained and mentored newcomers both on the water and in their young lives. He also made them laugh.

“He was very passionate, very helpful to anyone, and most generous with his time and skill,” fellow paddler Stu Brown said.

More recently Petr started capturing their adventures from his drone - when he wasn’t on the water, he was often editing his videos of these epic adventures on his computer.

Outlived by his wife Carrie, children Marie and husband Michael, and Jan and wife Sarah, and his grandchildren Kaia, Miles, and Finneas and extended family in Prague and USA, Petr will be sorely missed by all - his family, his friends, and the whole community.

As his wife Carrie said, “It’s very hard, but if this was going to happen, I’m glad it was doing something that he loved so much.”

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