Of course we went out to meet the Endeavour as she entered Victoria Harbour [August, 1999]. What a magnificent sight - I must admit to being somewhat choked up with emotion. Prior to her arrival we had lunch at the waterfront hotel Laurel Point , which was one of her sponsors, and it was easy to walk along the banks of the harbour-front, seeing her approach heralded by a vessel equipped with water-spray guns. Disappointingly, few people at the shore we thought and we oldies may have been the only ones to give her a good shouting hurrah (Canadians are known to be somewhat low key and undemonstrative). I took a whole roll of 24, but I am hardly a professional photographer.

Yes we did meet (shortly) with Captain Blake and had a charming letter from him subsequently handwritten on old paper(!), but unfortunately could not make it to the brunch at the Laurel Point Inn. We went to see her twice however, getting up one morning extra early to beat the queues & we did! The Aussies have done a marvellous job and Geoffrey justly gloated. - I’ll be waiting (a long time) to hear from my friends in Sydney - no doubt she’ll be a super attraction at the Olympics and let us hope it’ll help her coffers.

Alix O’Grady

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 1700, volume 23, number 1 (2000).