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I was six years old and travelling with my Mother and my two year-old sister to New Zealand where Mother would go every three or four years to visit her family. I had spent many miserable days on the trip and could only be grateful that this was the last. First we went by train from Hobart to Launceston, then by ship to Melbourne. Another train trip to Sydney before boarding a ship for Wellington. It was not a long journey but for a small child suffering from chronic seasickness, it was horrific. I hate to think how many of those wretched, smelly, cardboard strawberry baskets I filled and I certainly didn't get my money's worth of meals. Some years later I realised that my parents had refrained from going from Hobart to Sydney by sea on the Zealandia to reduce the duration of my seasickness. If they had asked me, I could have told them that one day or a hundred made no difference to my misery. Even when I was considerably older, I managed to feel quite squiffy while sitting in my car on Hobart's floating bridge waiting for the lift span to close.
As we neared New Zealand on that early journey, the crew was testing the winches and cranes for unloading cargo. We climbed up to the next floor (deck) to sit in deck chairs from which you could see into the uncovered hold. Suddenly there was a lot of shouting and I was abruptly lifted from my seat. I could see my chair floating through the air and landing down in the hold. One of the cranes had malfunctioned and Mother, who had seen it coming, was unable to get up with my sister in her arms. Fortunately, a young man standing nearby was quick enough to remove me in the nick of time. My rescuer was embarrassed by the thanks he received and quickly disappeared from the scene. After an enjoyable month with relatives in and about Wellington, I had to face two more wretched sea trips to get home. Back in Sydney we spent time with friends and one day Mother and I were walking down crowded Castlereagh Street when a man's voice said: Fancy seeing you again! It was my rescuer. We talked for a short time before he had to hurry away to his work. What an unlikely coincidence! I sometimes wonder where that young man is today. These days I suppose I would think about suing the shipping company because I have definitely suffered recurring damage. I spend considerable time crossing the road rather than walk on the same side as a building under construction with a crane balanced on its edge. And I keep a long distance away from a tow truck with a big hook on it. But, as for suing, I guess that time has run out for my misadventure certainly didn't happen yesterday! |