After 37 hours of traveling I finally land on Australian soil. Within seconds of arriving at the hotel I recognise a few crew members I worked with on the Dawn Princess. It was nice to know that I would be starting this new adventure with a few familiar faces.
Shortly after arriving on ship old memories come flooding back from my previous contract. After sorting out my immigration documents, I meet the team in the medical centre for a quick introduction and handover of medical duties. Within an hour the old doctor is off the ship and I take my rightful place in the baby docs cabin, where I will stay for the next couple of months.
After unpacking we all get together for a team lunch, where I find out that the whole team is South African and I’ve just broken the mould. Dutch conversation flies around the dinner table while the look on my face sends out the signals of jet lag and utter confusion.
Learning from experience, I recognise the importance of routine to allay feelings of stagnation which can easily happen at sea. I assign myself a solid list of goals to be achieved during my two months here;
- Learn senior doctor duties
- Read kindle
- Play guitar
- Exercise everyday
- Eat healthy foods
- Stay away from alcohol!!!
After a busy first day I sit down to the first night in my cabin, and open my Kindle to find a massive crack down the centre of the screen. Shit!
A few minutes later, a knock at my door, “Fancy a drink in the crew bar?” ... “Sod it! Yeah, why not!!!”
Within 24 hours I fail two of my contract goals... A solid start.
Unfortunately the start of the second contract does not carry the initial excitement that I experienced in the first. I remember vividly how big the ship felt when I first started compared to how small and insignificant it feels now. The beautiful ship surroundings have now lost their allure as the rooms, cabins and corridors all start to look the same. The food that I once considered exciting & delicious, now feels more like school dinners (private school of course!). Also, the initial excitement of going to parties and shows in the evenings have now been trumped by horlicks and DVDs.
This contract will travel around Asia finally finishing in the Tahitian Islands. Some very interesting ports await me including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki & Yokohama. Really looking forward to seeing Hong Kong... Just so I can buy myself a new bloody Kindle!!!
After a few days onboard getting to know of the crew, one of the girls mentions a Scuba Diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef (The Scuba Diving Mecca!). After getting my license only a few weeks ago, I’m all over it!!!
After a two hour boat ride we finally reach the pontoon floating in the water where we will be diving. After kitting up in my sexy new scuba gear, I’m ready and raring to go!!!
Within seconds of ducking under the water I witness some of the most breath taking views of my life! Innumerable fish swimming through the water of all different colours, shapes and sizes, clearly not phased by our presence. The coral comes alive and the mild current slowly drifts me into newer territory. As I get closer to the coral I see a family of clown fish... That’s right. I found Nemo!!! As I turn around, I get the fright of my life when a massive potato bass not short on confidence decides to check out whether I’m edible or not. Fortunately because I smell like school dinners he opts for a couple of photos instead (check out facebook).
45 minutes under water passes by in an instant, and before I know it we’re returning to the surface to rejoin the boat. I can’t wait for my next opportunity to relive this incredibly unique experience.
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