The Australia trip wound up with a visit to Melbourne. In the end only I went as Pete had left it till the last week to go for a skin check. The doctor found a stage 2 melanoma that had to be dealt with as a matter of urgency and Pete couldn’t travel. It’s a big incision with 14 stitches. I had a great time catching up my son, Rupert, who is living there now managing a backpackers hotel, and with my brother’s family, (he was in Luxembourg) seeing Oscar our crew member from Australia to Cape Town who is now 17, his sister Ella and my sister in law, Annabelle. We all went to a crazy pub called the “King of Tonga” which has Tongan things all around but serves Tiger beer?! Rupert and I went to the “Maori Chief” just for fun too. The weather, as on my UK trip was very mild so my big warm jacket I bought in Iceland still didn’t get used….
Our flights home were very tiring without a break between – just straight from one gate to the next for each of the 4 flights. We arrived back in Port of Spain at 10.30pm and had none of the anticipated trouble with customs thankfully. I think they all just wanted to get the last flight cleared and go home. The boat was fine and had been well looked after. We are staying in one of the yard’s units again till we go back in the water.