Australia revisited 2011-12
Two years, time to go “down under”, to visit friends and family, soak up the “freedom” of space, inhibition, of light, colour and sunshine. To leave the “old” world for the new. To experience the joy of passing the final airport door to beautiful daughters, “Welcome Home Dad” in vivid pink.
Gone is the long flight, it is a familiar Sydney, Australian world. Skipper revels under blue, warm sky, the iconic harbour, bridge and Opera House and beaches.
Soon Skipper is on a “cruise of a 1000 beds.” Sydney, Melbourne, Townsville, Mackay, Brisbane, Canberra, Newcastle, Gosford – city, country estates, units, houses - hospitality abounds.
Skipper wears thin Sahula’s voyage maps. Actuality of the dream captivates. “You are brave” – Skipper has never felt brave. “Admire doing the Dream” – Skipper just left an interesting job that had run its time, sold a no longer appealing house, took an opportunity, cut costs and living on a small yacht, crossed seas. Difference is a life interest.
It is not about doing as others. It is about respecting them. Each to their own. There is no excuse for a boring life. Skipper’s life is interesting, but friends also. Theirs sustains Skipper in so many meeting. Home, family, friends – a castle. Appreciating others, gives depth to a life much travelled. A free spirit needs an anchor amongst friends in a more settled world.
Yet, there is a side of life ashore that accentuates the spiritual, material, achieving life, for health, education and family. It is less so in the sea life. Many cruisers particularly note their absorption in it shifts to a less material, personal focus.
A birthday to celebrate and Skipper “graduates” to a pensioner. A later age is defined by “A seat, sir,” discount tickets, inexpensive public transport and future planning and an appreciation of youth. Skipper sails on, planning the cruise to Australia.
Essentials are renewed – driver licence, ATM card, passport.
Health tests, sight test, hearing test – the latter rebuking disbelieving daughters!
Among friends it is a new era, both common and different.
“If this is the dark side, roll on” –Skipper enjoys Pittwater from the bridge “lounge” of an ex-sailing friends, 55 foot motor cruiser.
Pittwater is Sahula’s prospective home port.
Skipper flew twice to Melbourne to be with a daughter, sister, friends and cousins. The notorious seas of the Great Ocean Road coast, home to surfing, emphasises the fragility of ships. These strait and bay waters stood before the roaring south winds.
A tropical Townsville Xmas bought together family. Nearby, Paluma’s mountain eerie welcomed 2012. A striped cassowary chick, fed in a Cardwell rainforest retreat, its forest foods devastated by cyclone “Yasi.” Memories of Hinchinbrook Island’s, natural and cultural beauty. Of attempts to destroy it. Of battles wrung. What humans ill seek, nature achieves. Of conscience pricked at Skipper’s life of “complete and utter self-indulgence” – is there ever?
Skipper’s Townsville art exhibition called friends. Paintings, prints now in homes. Mackay friends bought four for their Eungella, mountain retreat. There is satisfaction that art finds good homes.
Never far, Canberra’s Swedish Embassy facilitated the Scandinavian cruise by providing six months “tourist residence permit” (usually 3 months in EU). The process cut short the time in Brisbane. Friends missed.
JB, (met Sahula and daughters in Greece) French adventurer, EU to Australia. Surviving a 10 tonne harvester running over him in Western Australia’s vinyards, fights to keep his spirit, reminds of the fragility of adventure.
Expensive houses, cars, yachts, restaurants and lifestyles fail to dent Skipper’s cruising ardour. They rather enhance the debate, to continue sailing home.
Skipper flies to Sahula in Ipswich, England. A long flight. Met by sister and days on Colchester friend’s farm. Sahula staunches winter concerns, having no ill effects. Now to prepare for another adventure. Soon Sahula is water bound.
Next Report, “To prepare, to go”
David
21/4/12 Ipswich Haven Marina Suffolk, UK
We had the pleasure of visiting David and Sahula, in Ipswich, on Tuesday 17th April 2012. First sighting of him in 45 years, he hasn't changed. Enjoy Scandanavia. :-)
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