Wow, what an exciting week it’s been. I’ve had some great news on the publishing front, but those details will have to wait for a little longer 🙂 (Love teasing!!)
I’ve seen the drafts of the new covers for Burning Lies and Half Moon Bay. Obviously Penguin has had a visit from the cover fairies as the covers are beautiful! Can’t wait to share them. (Soon!)
But the really big news of the week is that GW, Zeus and I have embarked on the next stage of our lives. My friend Liz calls it a ‘dot point of life’ when things dramatically change. We’re now the very proud owners of ‘Roo-Bin-Esque’ – a sexy, chubby French Lagoon 400 – a 40 ft catamaran – that’s going to be our new home. It’s going to take another month to organise our life so we can sail her north to Cairns, but once we do that we’ll be packing up our house and turning into live-aboard yachties. (So if you know anyone wanting to rent a beautiful 3 bedroom house that’s conducive to writing send them our way!)
It’s a seachange on a grand scale. I’ll still be flying my beautiful Dash 8 aircraft for Qantaslink and hopefully having more time to write. GW will turn hunter gatherer (apparently) and rival Bear Grylls with his prowess. In his spare time he’ll be tinkering with a yacht – which is apparently part of the fun of sailing. Zeus is yet to decide whether this is his dream or not, but hopefully having his humans in close quarters he’ll be happy as a pig in mud, or a staffy in water.
All this means that my blog’s going to have some new stories, different views, and some interesting locations. I hope you enjoy our new journey as much as we plan on doing!
Thanks, Jo, have had her out for a sail today and it was bliss!
Congratulations on finding your boat at last, Helene! Only just caught up with your good news. She looks lovely – hope you post some more photos. Well done!
It’s big and beamy, Gillian, but I’m sure I’ll still fill all the cupboards!
Thanks, Shelleyrae, it’s going to be busy!!
Oh that looks really comfortable – congratulations!
How fabulous Helene, on all counts!
Exciting times ahead, Suzanne, with a whole new language to learn. We look forward to cruising through the Whitsundays on the way home and hopefully stopping off first at Heron Island for some snorkelling. A whole new adventure to come!
Thanks, Brett, she’s a lovely vessel and you are so right – we have great plans to visit some of the wonderful places you’ve mentioned! Will pick your brains for more recommendations. We need a double Moranbah to cover them all!
Brenda, it’s a huge relief to finally have all the little ducks in a row. At one point there I didn’t think this one was going to happen either and was beginning to wonder if we were destined to be land locked…
I’m hoping for extra writing time but the boat is soooo much fun I’m a little nervous. I’m sure once a deadline’s in place I’ll snap to attention 🙂
Sandy, Ratty was indeed a profound philosopher! I could quite happily mess about in boats until the cows come home 🙂
If RooBinEsque stays in Moreton Bay for another month you’ll have to come for a sail!
Nice Catamaran Lovely in fact. An exciting time ahead for you and your husband.
It was a catamaran we were on (my brother’s) whenI dived the islands of The Great Barrier Reef. Beautiful.
Oh. As for teasing. That is just not fair lol 🙂
Hi Helene, congratulations to you and GW. She is a beautiful boat and I’m sure will give a lot of pleasure. Some of the country you can now visit from home port in your days off is some of the best in the world. From the Percy Islands in the south up to the Flinders in the north there are some magic places and I still think from Palm island up to Dunk is one of the best areas on the entire coast. Let us know I we can be of any help.
Congratulations Helene! So very excited for you all..you’ve been waiting awhile for this, champing at the bit, so happy it’s all coming together for you 🙂 Safe sailing and happy wandering. But keep the writing coming thick and fast 😉 x
In the words of the immortal Ratty, “there is NOTHING – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
I’m sure Zeus will discover the benefits of living aboard and we hope to play host to you in our part of the world one day. 🙂
Ha, Rach, we still haven’t cracked the champagne to celebrate yet so I may be in need of a drink at ARRC. It will be fabulous to catch up with you 🙂 (But my lips are still sealed!)
Thanks, Bron, I”m looking forward to bobbing around cutting off from the internet with loads of time to write! There are so many wonderful places to explore around our gorgeous coastline and Roobi is just the boat for the job!
Lol, Jenn, I’m the salty old sea dog will get used to it but the stairs are a little steeper than I remembered so his arthritis medication may just need to increase a touch. And Bear is beside himself with excitement!
So excited for you Helene!! Your home is GORGEOUS!!!! Is there a couch for visitors? 🙂 And I plan on getting you very drunk next weekend at ARRC and making you spill that other good news! xo Rach!
Congratulations! How thrilling to be achieving your dreams and sailing off into a bright future. I’m looking forward to hearing about life on board 🙂
How bloody exciting! Unless you are a dog!!!!!! But I reckon Zeus will find his sea legs, no worries. I am seriously so very excited for you. My sea change was life changing in. Many good ways. I wish you and Bear the same.