The first glimmers of a new day are forming on the eastern horizon.

It's the last night watch.

And it will be the last day of our voyage.

Australia is waiting for us just over the horizon.

Today we'll be home.

The end of our journey.

The end of the dream? No. The dream will go on.

Ever since i bought my first sailing magazine when I was 12, I have been dreaming of this kind of voyage, this kind of life.

There was an article in that magazine by Laurence Le Guay, about his voyage around the world on his beautiful yacht Eclipse. One picture has stayed in my mind always, of the yacht anchored serenely in Robinson's Cove in Moorea. The signature 'Bali Hai' knife edge peak as a back drop.

That picture conjured up romantic ideas of remote Pacific islands, tropic breezes, sailing, exploring, adventuring.

A perfect lifestyle as far as i was concerned.

I read just about everything i could get my hands on concerning sailing, voyaging, cruising.

Alas, time passed. Life got in the way. But the dream was still there.

Sometimes i thought, 'ah, the padific has changed so much now. It won't be worth going anymore'.

But the dream could not be quenched.

Finally, i got up enough guts ( with a little bit of encouragement from Isabelle) to pack all my things up and just do it! That was the hardest part. Just packing up the accumulation of years and cutting the ties of land based life.

The rest, as they say, is history.

We did make it to Robinson's Cove ourselves. Still almost as in the picture. Maybe not as serene with a road nearby these days. But the real serenity was inside. there is absolutely nothing more satisfying than a dream fulfilled.

The whole cruise has been the dream. Immensely rewarding. Robinson's Cove was symbolic though, of the entire dream.

I knew I'd really made it.

And was it worth it?

Absolutely.

The best thing I've ever done.

Not always easy. There are difficulties, challenges, frustrations. But all far outweighed by the rewards. The Pacific is still, definitely worth seeing.

It's the best lifestyle i can imagine. Lots of sailing and messing about in boats, beautiful scenery, wonderful people, adventure. It's not everything. I do miss some of the things from home- family, friends, and dancing.

Unlike a goal, it's not over. A dream can be endless. So there's no reason to not do it again!

Now we face the prospects of being home and re-adjusting to city life. I feel slightly apprehensive about what I will do, and sad that the trip has come to an end, for now.

It's been a grand trip.

I think Eric Shipton, in his book, 'Upon that Mountain', sums up what I feel very well:

'There are few treasures of more lasting worth than the experience of a way of life that is in itself wholly satisfying.'