(This is the Online column, written for The Southland Times)
If all goes according to plan, you’re reading this as I sit here on a houseboat on the Murray River in South Australia, drinking all the wine I bought from the wine tour I went on the other day.
Ah, it’s a tough life.
I spent a day on an Unforgettable houseboat a few years back during a complimentary trip to this part of Aussie with the South Australia Tourism Commission and was so impressed by what I saw I knew I’d be back one day for the full experience.
So, last week 10 of us boarded Unforgettable 8 at Mannum and, with Captain Barry at the helm, we embarked on our intrepid journey to Swan Reach and back.
In between we’ve got up close and personal with some kangaroos and colourful sheep during a sunset dinner tour at Big Bend, enjoyed a champagne and bush tucker breakfast, befriended a whole bunch of ducks and pelicans and stalked the high seas (well, the somewhat deep Murray River), terrorising another bunch of Kiwis on the Unforgettable 9 houseboat.
Our pirate flag flying on the top deck should have given them fair warning.
I could get used to working like this, marinading in sunblock and sipping wine.It’s important not to dehydrate, you know.
The strangest thing about this part of my holiday is my total lack of interest in the news.Normally when I’m on holiday I seek out the local newspapers and catch the evening news every day, then check online for news from home and elsewhere at least every second day.
However, right now I’m totally out of touch with what’s happening anywhere in the world apart from here on this particular stretch of river.
And you know what? I’m okay with that.