ARA Review by basl99 of Bluewater Walkabout

[basl99]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Bluewater Walkabout.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In a time and place that seems so far away so long time ago, people actually traveled, had fun, and lived for adventure. Tina Dreffin writes about one such adventure in Bluwater: Walkabout Into Africa, Finding Healing Through Travel . In this fascinating memoir, the author shares the epic journey of Peter, her husband, and her 2 teenage sons as they travel by boat and land, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. Storytelling is an art, And Tina Dreffin has mastered it, giving us beautiful descriptions and details of their escapades, of the people they meet and places that they visit.

Threaded between the narrative of their sailing trip is the story of the author's journey and her own inside voyage of discovery. Her openness and courage stand out on every page, along with the love and strength that bind their family together.

Because of her vivid descriptions, you get to travel along, vicariously, with Tina and her family and to experience through the pages the awesome sights and journeys they themselves beheld. And while I didn't always agree with the choices the author and her husband made, I didn't feel those choices did anything to distract from my overall enjoyment of the book. And for the foreseeable future, this is likely the only way we will travel

The book begins with their life leading up to this adventure, how the couple meets, their common goals and the challenges to living their lifestyle, but then most of this story, is about a trip that the author, her husband and two teenage boys take from South Africa, eventually to the USA, with stops on the way. They have a new, very seaworthy Catamaran, being readied for their ocean crossing in South Africa. While waiting for the boat to be finished, they go to Kruger National Park to take a safari, where they have an encounter with an elephant. Remember the old joke, “where does a 500 lb elephant go?” Answer: Anyplace it wants to. I won’t tell you more as I might run this part of the adventure.

Once on the boat, they are joined by two of their children's friends for the Atlantic crossing, and they have to watch the weather very closely for their trip around South Africa to Capetown and the dangerous waters they needed to navigate, both through the Cape Agulhas and the Cape of Good Hope. That area is called the Cape of Storms for good reason.

Then their journey to Saint Helena, a tropical volcanic Island in the south Atlantic (not the one in Washington State), with its interesting history, then on to Brazil, Grenada, and back to the USA.

Tina Dreffin has a unique and joyous outlook on life. I bet her willingness to set off on new adventures is as real in the book as it is in real life and I heard her voice and her laughter as I was reading.

Their trip was an impressive one, and Tina's enthralling account of it is equally impressive. Join them on their passage, and you will be enthralled, impressed, and thankful for sharing the experience. I rate this 5 out of 5.

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