Paradise Wins

A modern day Hunting of the Snark... "with infinite humour, the impossible voyage of an improbable crew, to find an inconceivable creature" With the Australian economy in the first stages of recession in 1988, Geoff and Barbara, living quite happily in Sydney's Lower North Shore, decide to chuck in their jobs to go in search of Paradise. Their destination is Samoa, where they had been married the year before, following six years of annual holidays on the island of Savai'i. Sailing there in 1989 with their dog Sami in their ketch, the Samoan Snark, they soon discover that entering Paradise is a lot harder than it sounds, and that existing there is nigh on impossible. But it's still boatloads of fun, and certainly better than living through 18 months of recession back in Australia. As hard as they try, Paradise eludes them, and they end up as little more than marginally involved observers of all around them. To counter this frustration, there are the other crazy yachties who call in to port on their way to their own version of Paradise... wherever and whatever that may be. There are the frustratingly lovable locals. And the weird expatriates, some of whom appear to be actually trapped in Paradise, unable to escape. As with so many others who have 'chased the dream', Paradise finally grinds Geoff and Barb down... and they return home, beaten, but with the knowledge that at least they had given it a go. Then, some 18 years later, they lose all presence of mind and decide to confront Paradise again. This time with their twelve year old daughter Lauren. Do they find Paradise the second time around? Well of course they do! Otherwise Geoff wouldn't have written this bloody book!