Reflections — Blue eyes. Brown eyes. Green or hazel. Why do we even notice? It’s just pigmentation of the iris. It says nothing about the person behind the eyes. Yet it might be the difference between never looking at them, not properly, and never being able to look away. It’s unfair. My…

New horizons — ‘You get her seaworthy — what then?’ Lachie Hansen-Moore (December 2022) ‘Hullooooo! Anyone home?’ called Lachie down the companionway, for the third time. There was a muffled sound from somewhere below decks. Astrid emerged from the engine compartment, her fair hair tied up in…

No backing out now — ‘You lucky girl!’ Lottie Hansen (April 2022) Sent: 29 April 2022 at 6.38 pm Subject: The good ship Astrid Elskede Lottie, Such goings-on to report! I’ve bought a ship!! Well, a boat, a yacht technically, but a big, beautiful yacht. Take a look at…

Out of her element — ‘Rot in the stern post and worm in the keel.’ Captain Greg Larkin (April 2022) Bringing a 75-tonne, 22-metre, 95-year-old wooden vessel ashore on a small slipway in a tight river harbour is not a task for the faint-of-heart, the inexperienced or the…

His and hers money — ‘A yacht. More of a ship, actually.’ — Astrid Hansen-Moore (March 2022) Astrid broke the news on Friday, two days after their return from Port Fairy. It was difficult to find the right time to broach such a sensitive topic. She needn’t have…

A burst of warm Aussie sunshine — ‘This is the man I’m going to marry!’ Astrid Hansen (August 2001) When Astrid was eighteen, she passed her school-leaving exams with excellent grades. In the autumn, she moved to Copenhagen to study English and Business Administration. She fell in love with the city, exploring its…

A green and watery place — Back in Australia, I rode to school on a kangaroo. Astrid Hansen (1987) Per and Lene were good people, and in time they won Astrid round with patience and abundant kindness. Their daughter Lottie, ten, was delighted to have a younger sister to…

A world falls apart — He’s quite a spunk!* Maggie Bullen (September 1967) Astrid’s mother, Maggie, was a dairy farmer’s daughter in Victoria’s Western District. One bright day in September 1967 a tall, shy, rosy-cheeked young Dane arrived on the Bullen farm, looking for work. …

A girl can dream — ‘What I mean is, I might want to buy her.’ — Astrid Hansen-Moore (March 2022) The best thing about holidaying in Port Fairy was her early morning run to the island. Astrid was the early riser in her family, and relished this time alone. All the…