WA teacher vies for Australia's best work commute after spending 20 years kayaking to school

He may be a little bit biased but West Australian high school teacher Gary Fullarton thinks he may have the best work commute in the country.

Mr Fullarton, who teaches mathematics at Great Southern Grammar, Albany on the state's south coast, has been kayaking to work for about 20 years.

Depending on the wind and weather conditions, it takes Mr Fullarton about half an hour to paddle across Oyster Harbour to reach the school grounds.

«When I first moved here and saw the school across the water I thought 'That would be a great way to get to work',» he said.

«There's usually hardly anyone on it, so it's just really relaxing.»

Mr Fullarton loads everything he needs for school, including a change of clothes, into a dry bag, which is then placed in a hatch. 

«I keep it on the trolley and just put the bags in and walk down here from my house,» he said. 

«Some days I'll even put a fishing lure out the back while I'm going as well.»

On rough days, it can take Mr Fullarton about 40 minutes to get across but it's only the threat of lightning that prevents him from taking to the water.

«It's a great bit of exercise,» he said.

«You're not overdoing it so when you get to work you're all pumped, ready for the day and ready to take on everything.»

Mr Fullarton has managed to avoid capsizing so far and has enjoyed the odd day when the fish have been biting. 

«I haven't caught anything yet this year, there's been a lot of weed,» he said. 

«But there was one morning I caught four fish on the way to work and after cleaning them I was a bit late to class. 

»We had a visiting Japanese teacher over for a couple of weeks and he came in one morning that I'd caught a fish and he saw me arrive and clean it, then spotted me at lunchtime when I was cooking and