Kensuke's Kingdom. Michael Morpurgo

stars are so bright, and Stella was saved. I think I’m happier than I have been all my life.

      April 3

      Off Perth, Australia. Until today it has been nothing but empty ocean all the way from Africa. I love it more and more when it’s just us and Peggy Sue and the sea. We all do, I think. But then, when we sight land we always get so excited. When we saw Australia for the first time we hugged each other

      and jumped up and down. It’s like we’re the first sailors ever to discover it. Stella Artois barked at us as if we were mad as hatters, which we probably are. But we’ve done it. We’ve sailed all the way from England to Australia. That’s halfway round the world. And we did it on our own.

      Mum’s been getting her stomach cramps again. She’s definitely going to see a doctor in Australia. She’s promised us and we’ll make her keep to it.

      May 28

      At sea again after nearly six weeks with Uncle John. We thought we were going to stay in Perth for just a few days, but he said we had to see Australia properly while we were there. He took us to stay with his family on a huge farm. Thousands of sheep. He’s got masses of horses, so I went riding a lot with my two little cousins, Beth and Liza. They’re only seven and eight, but they could really ride. They called me Mikey, and by the time we left they both wanted to marry me. We’re going to be penpals instead.

      I saw a snake called a Copperhead. Uncle John said it could have killed me if I’d trodden on it. He told me to watch out for Redback spiders in the toilet. I didn’t go to the toilet very often after that.

      They called us their ‘pommy cousins’ and we had barbeques every evening. They gave us a great time. But I was happy to get back to the Peggy Sue. I missed her while I was gone, like I miss Eddie. I’ve been sending him cards, funny animal cards, if I can find them. I sent him one of a wombat. I saw a