Five Years On - by Nina

 Me riding an elephant in Sri Lanka with our friend Anne.

“I have been on an epic voyage and I live an adventurous life”

I said this when I was 8 for a school project about what we did on holidays. My teacher was duly impressed and she even told my parents on parents day.

We started sailing when I was seven and now I'm 12 and it has taken us all that time to sail around the world. We are now in Fiji and we have completed our circumnavigation.

This is our track of us going around the world.

I have also seen 40 countries in the process. It has been great and I'd like to continue sailing. But sadly we now have to go back so my brother can go to high school. We will be back in Australia in two months and back in Tasmania for the start of the school year.

Here are some of my favourite photos.

Zeke and me on the foredeck of Kallisto sailing into Sydney Harbour.

Swallow Cave in Tonga was an amazing site.

This is a close up of some lava shooting out of the mouth of an active volcano in Vanuatu. We were standing on the rim. 

We did some pretty amazing snorkelling around Fiji and Vanuatu. I assure you this picture has not been photo shopped.

We had such fun eating in New Caledonia.

I think lle de Pine in New Caledonia is very aptly named. We motor scooted around the island with our friends Marilyn and Russ.

Every year in Indonesia when the wet season comes a few more houses wash of the cliff.

I got to shake hands with an elephant in Thailand.

In Madagascar I got to feed Lemurs and Zeke found a wig.

In South Africa we went to a lion rehab centre and saw a bunch of lions up really close. At another big cat rehab centre, with all sorts of big cats, we got to pat a cheetah. 

Namibia was awesome. We went on a quad bike tour and got to see some cool (actually VERY hot) landscapes.

We heard, felt and saw a rocket blast off in French Guiana. The rocket was so powerful it made the ground shake. 

Some amazing French Guianan wildlife.

This is Neuschwanstein, Germany, the inspiration for the Disney castle. The landscape coupled with the enormity and delicacy of it all was just magnificent.

Rome's majestic Roman ruins included the Colosseum. 

In Cartagena we pigged-out on the street food, Yum.

Night was upon us as we went through the Panama Canal. It was kind of scary but it was also kinda exciting.

In Galapagos the finches are so tame they will land on your hand (that is, if you have something tasty on it).

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