Thursday 21st June

Today is the shortest day and Pete’s first day back in Tasmania.  I made sure all the heaters were on in his house, and a big hot diner in the oven, before I picked him and John up from the airport…

They were very happy, thrilled to bits with their fabulous flying adventure.  They crossed such a vast expanse… SO much faster than sailing, where we are delighted to cover 100 nautical miles in one very long day.  They were cruising though the skies at 200 kilometres per hour, gobbling up the distances.

Pete is very keen, however, to take 2XS on a trip across the north of Australia.  He says it is so very beautiful, the crystal clear blue sea, the majestic canyons, beautiful rivers.  But…and it is a very big but…it just isn’t possible to swim.  Crocodiles everywhere!  Not even a quick dip.  Pete would be fine, he doesn’t have the same need as I have to hop in and out of the cooling sea every hour or so.  It all sounds so very wonderful; I will have to sublimate my need for swimming and make do with buckets of water hauled up, crocodile-free, from the crystal clear blue sea and then tipped over my head…