6 March 2026
You know on every trip that includes a pool or the ocean there is that ‘last swim’. And so it was today that we had our last swim. You know it’s the last as you dive into the surf or pool and then grudgingly walk out of the water. It’s your last swim.
Lounging around the pool we have met a wide range of people. There was the couple from Saskatchewan who are going home to -27c days, madness. People from Brisbane with broad Scottish accents and a couple of philanthropists who are sponsoring kids and adults from Vanuatu and Fiji, inspirational.
We are told the closest relatives to hippos are whales. I am no longer so sure. We also graze through the night and when the day gets too hot we retire to the pool where we gather in small groups contemplating what delicacy we might enjoy when the sun goes down.
This short sojourn has taught us that if you are ever washed up on a deserted Pacific island the first thing you do is order a cocktail. It will come with so much fresh fruit that scurvy will be avoided.
And so tomorrow starts with an early flight back home. Back to the garden, the gym (oh how I need the gym) bike rides and planning on our big trip through central Australia in May. Maybe the tomatoes have ripened.
A Traveller's Tale 