I changed my profile photo to the above on my personal Facebook page and was rewarded with so many positive comments, I stumbled into a well of ideas for a next book. I need to start filtering them — there are so many ways I can go with this: a travel memoir, a children’s book, a series, etcetera. I am just as excited as I look on the photo staring out over the never-ending ocean.
Not going
The days of ocean liners are long gone, and I am lucky to have travelled on them twice. The first was an adventure for me as a four-year-old as I came back as a five-year-old and the conviction I would stay in New Zealand forever after as I was never ever going to the Netherlands again. Being locked up all day just wasn’t me.
Never say never, because four years later we emigrated to the very Netherlands. I found out from the real estate agent and that still hurts.
“Are you looking forward to moving to Holland?” he asked.
“I am not going,” I replied.
Unfortunately as a nine-year-old, you didn’t have any input so off we went.
Another boat trip
On the flip side it was fortunate that I did go to the Netherlands because even though it got very dark there — yep, there is a lot of water in that well — I did get to know and appreciate a culture that is quite different to the New Zealand of the 60s, which was far more British than anything else European. These days New Zealand has come into its own with many cultures as Wim and I discovered when we lived there again from 2007-2017.
And what I did love about the emigration back in the 70s was another boat trip. Even though I cried all through the night when we left Auckland, the rest of the boat trip on the Australis was amazing. I think it fuelled my great love for travelling. The boat trip took one whole month. We left on the 23rd of July and arrived on the 24th of August . Some dates stay with you; I will also never forget the long days, the meals on board and the ports of call. Fiji, Panama, Acapulco, Florida, Southampton and Rotterdam again.
We arrived in a hot, hot summer, which turned into a severe winter. I am so excited about this new writing adventure. Have any of you also been on an ocean liner? What were your experiences, I’d love to hear.
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