Your Guide

Leonie’s great great grandfather (James Cockman) and great great grandmother (Mary Ann Roper) arrived in Perth in 1829 on one of the first 6 ships to sail into the Swan River Colony.

They were married in 1830, the 3rd wedding in the colony. In 1837 James built a family home (from bush and swamp reeds) in William Street in Perth.

He was renowned for his great strength and worked on buildings such as St Georges Cathedral and Government House. They were a young fit and healthy couple; they had 5 daughters and 2 sons who all lived to ripe old ages.

This probably makes Leonie a local, and she relishes the local history and is passionate about the river and kayaking.

Leonie has 16 years of experience in kayaking and is President of Ascot Kayak Club and actively involved in the Club and paddling community. She encourages and supports many people into paddling and in particular encourages women into white water paddling, to experience all it has to offer.

She found her strengths lie in long distance races and has placed well in events such as the Avon Descent (WA), Murray Marathon (Vic) Hawkesbury Marathon (NSW) and the Devizes to Westminster in Britain.

She has been privileged to join Terry Bolland (Adventurer) on 2 of his expeditions. In 2008 (along with Terry and 2 other friends Alaine Davin and Tony Chounding) she canoed Canada’s largest river the Mackenzie completing 2000 kilometers in 30 days. The groups exploits feature in the recently published book “Three Rivers to Tuktoyaktuk”.

In 2011 she again joined Terry and Alaine to kayak and portage a gruelling 950 kilometers across Canada following the Voyagers route.

Leonie is an educator, a qualified swimming instructor, a Bronze Medallion Life Saver, a canoe and kayak instructor and she has completed First Aid Resuscitation.

Rest assured you are in safe experienced hands