Pete

I was fortunate to grow up close to the beach in Perth, Western Australia and grateful that both my parents were heavily involved in surf life saving. As a result my youth evolved around the beach - surf club, surfing and generally hanging out with my mates.

My relationship with the ocean has evolved over the years but has always been central to the core activities of my life. Growing up in the surf club gave an appreciation of the ocean and its many faces throughout the seasons, brought about by many hours paddling, swimming, ‘body bashing’ (body surfing) and surfing - initially on foamie surfboards, in all conditions, in all seasons.

My work allowed me the opportunity to live in the Pilbara, Kimberley, Rottnest Island and the Great Southern; and again ocean activities were a central theme.

The Pilbara and Kimberley are fishing and camping meccas and a lot of time was spent exploring both coastal and inland areas and where my love for fishing really blossomed.

Perth has one of the most consistent sea breezes in the world so it was only natural that I found my way into kite surfing and ocean paddling in some amazing conditions.

Our family life has continued to evolve around the ocean with Nicky, Jemma and Kalani also sharing the passion. Memorable trips to Denmark and Gnaraloo have created lasting memories of watching family and friends grow into competent ocean lovers.

And now I am super grateful to have the support of family, friends and the wider cruising community to embark on this chapter of our life.

Nicky

Like Pete, I have spent a large part of my life in and around the ocean; albeit a hiatus of approximately 7 years (age 7-13) when living in the UK with my family.

Long story short; mum and dad (at age 20 and 21 and with me at sixth months old) uprooted their lives and moved from Crawley in South East England to Sierra Leone in West Africa. A gutsy move to say the least! It was here that I learnt to swim and experience my first feelings of appreciation for the beach and the ocean. I know it wouldn’t be the same (years of brutal civil war have made sure of that), but Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is one place I would love to visit again.

At age 7, and now with my younger brother in tow, we moved back to England. First, to Brighton and then on to Lindfield, a quaint little village in West Sussex. The beach was a little harder to get to during this period. I was, however, able to continue my association with the water by joining the local swimming club.

By the time I had turned 13, mum and dad were ready for another adventure and Australia was to be our new place of residence. I shall be forever in debt to them for taking a chance at yet another opportunity which resulted in us setting up our new home on the other side of the world. And, what an incredible place to start our new adventure!

Arriving in Perth as a shy and slightly awkward tween (Kirst, the socks and sandals ring a bell?), I again drew on my love of the water and joined the local swimming club. It was here that I made friends (a few of whom are some of my closest friends still to this day) who introduced me to Surf Life Saving. This is where I met Pete and where I learnt how to enjoy the waves, the beach and everything so special about the West Australian lifestyle.

Fast forward a few years to our travels together as part of Pete’s work in policing, where we got to live and experience life in different parts of WA; all the way from Broome in the north to Esperance in the south. Oh, and who could forget Rottnest Island in between. These coastal stints provided yet more opportunities to develop a greater appreciation of what the ocean has to offer.

After finally sitting down to watch one of the sailing vlogs that Pete had been following for many years, I slowly came to the realisation that the cruising lifestyle could just be the one for us. Thank you SV Delos for helping to plant the seed.

Needless to say, mum and dad’s appetite for adventure and willingness to take themselves out of their comfort zone have been a real inspiration, and have provided me with the courage to act on my dreams.

Let the adventures begin…

Part-time Family Crew