Wanderlust
Photos from the book.
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Book Cover
The Sitmar Liner Fairsky
Deckchair Life
Colombo
A Cobra in Colombo
Paris
73 Warwick Road, London
London
Austria
A decent job at last, London 1962
A friend's car
Wales
Wales
Holland
Spain
Athens
Poros
Poros
My Greek mountain cave
Greece
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The Sitmar liners, Fairsky, Fairsea, Fairstar and Castel Felice, were a popular choice for thousands of Europe-bound Australians and New Zealanders during the 1960s. When construction commenced on Fairsky in 1941 she was originally intended to be a freighter named Steel Artisan. However she was commandeered by the U.S. Navy and modified to escort aircraft carrier USS Barnes. In 1942 she was transferred to the Royal Navy who renamed her HMS Attacker. In 1958, after a 12 month refit, Fairsky emerged as a modern, handsome liner with fully air-conditioned accommodation for 1461 passengers.
The voyage from Australia to England took more than four weeks. Much of my time was spent lounging in deckchairs chatting up girls.
Ports of call were shared with female passengers. Except for Naples and the joys of the Kit Kat Club.
I put this photo in an envelope and sent it to Mum. Then regretted it. No mother likes to think her son is running around the world with poisonous snakes around his neck!
In Paris there was initially some confusion about whether sharing a hotel room also meant sharing a bed.
My bed-sitter was quite small but it had a tranquil view from the window. Tranquillity was difficult to find.
There were a lot of girls in London. From all over. But my loved one from South Africa had disappeared.
Austria was altogether too high for a person with vertigo.
At work writing copy at the advertising agency where I met Tess. 'I haven't met many Australians,' she said. 'But you appear to be so terribly energetic.'
To turn myself into a debonair man about London, or as close as I could get, was a task of some magnitude.
Suddenly I found myself in a secluded Welsh cottage with a blonde named Julie and three pink pigs called Delilah.
I wrapped my gear in a tarpaulin and headed for the great rolling hills of the uplands to spend a night at what Uncle Stan called the 'Starlight Hotel'.
I bought an elegant box of chocolates tied with bright blue ribbon at Fortnum and Mason and headed for Holland to find Gretl.
From Barcelona Vicky and I hitched a ride to Italy with two American college kids on a three-month vacation. I don't think they'd ever met a woman like Vicky.
Athens was founded by King Cecrops who was half man and half snake. He was a boss cocky with good ideas. He taught people to read and write, get married and bury the dead.
'Let me put it this way,' I said in answer to Larry's question. 'The Greek girls are off-limits and the only bloody exercise I get is swimming and water skiing.'
I put my sleeping bag, a billy and the books that Len had bequeathed to me in my suitcase and headed for the mountains.
'Look,' Vicky said. 'You can't live in this damn cave until you trip over your beard.' Vicky could be irritatingly direct.
I threw a few more pine cones on the fire. New flames sprang up. A restless crowd of shadows swayed and mingled on the cave walls.