After kissing my girls and The Aussie goodbye, my mom and I set of for a day of fun in the sun on Sydney Harbour. As luck would have it, Jessica Watson was also making her arrival in Sydney Harbour while we were there.
Have you heard of Jessica Watson? She is a 16 year old Australian sailor who today became the youngest ever person to sail solo around the world unassisted. She set sail out of Sydney Harbour on October 17, 2009, and after more than 23,000 nautical miles, she has returned home this afternoon.
When my mom and I arrived at Circular Quay, I walked around to the Opera House to see if she had made it in yet. But, after 7 months of constant use, her mainsail tore a hole in the last few hours of her journey delaying her arrival for several hours. The wait did not seem to bother the crowd that had gathered on the Opera House steps to witness her arrival.
Mom and I headed over to the rooftop bar at the Glenmore Hotel to get a better vantage point. We enjoyed a cold bevvie (drink) or 2 to quench our thirst on this surprisingly warm Autumn day and a great view.
Then the flotilla in all it’s glory entered Sydney Harbour to welcome Jessica home. An absolutely fantastic sight.
The tug was spraying saltwater in celebration, and after several zooms and searches, I believe Jessica’s boat, Ella’s Pink Lady, is among those to the right of the tug.
Once she reached the shore and had lots of hugs with her waiting family, she was greeted by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who hailed her a hero. But this cute, down to earth girl responded “I’m not a hero. I’m just an ordinary girl who believed in her dreams. You don’t have to be someone special to do something special, all you have to do is believe in it and work hard.”
No doubt she will be richly rewarded for her efforts. I can almost hear the stampede of sponsors rushing to sign her up. And there is already a book in the works, Jessica Watson – True Spirit is due to be released in August 2010.
Jessica Watson has captured our hearts and inspired a nation. Not bad for a 16 year old girl with a dream.
