A B O U T ~ H A N N A H
Everyone, meet Hanski. A free-spirited, modern day gypsy reigning from the West Coast of the South Australian desert. Her entire family is made up of salty dog fisherman, so she grew up with the ocean as her playground. She lived for a number of years on the East Coast of Australia checking out the diverseness of the land and traveling the world with nothing but a backpack. Whilst studying a nutrition degree in the Northern Rivers a deep desire to get back to her roots took over. She was en route back to her home in the desert when she met and fell in love with a young strapping fisherman with long blonde hair and a moustache! Finding another ocean loving soul sharing the same ‘work to live’, not ‘live to work’ mentality meant a match made in heaven. From then on the dream of living a sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle blossomed into reality. Fast track and guess where they are now? Just living on their Polynesian style catamaran sailing around Australia, with the hopes of one day sailing up through Indonesia and onto the south pacific to spend their days frolicking beneath the ocean diving, surfing, and fishing. Y’know, no biggy.
The Search
As long as I can remember I’ve been self-conscious about what other people think about me, what society expects from me, how I should be deemed to live my life. The pressures of completing a degree, getting a ‘proper’ job, having a good income and owning a beautiful big house, is overwhelming mind you each to their own. To work hard my whole life for material possessions? Hmmm… I have been on a long spiritual journey for the past few years, travelling the globe, seeing awe-inspiring monuments, cultures, foods…. a soulful journey that has lead me to believe in doing what my heart desires.
I grew up in a small town far from the city in the midst of desert and the ocean, surrounded by wondrous possibilities of imagination. From roaming the beaches, rugged surf spots and arid plains of bushland, I enjoy the nomadic lifestyle. A wanderer adventuring by day, frolicking in mermaid pools basking in the sun and by night dreaming under the stars. It was here on this coast that I met my soul matey. A fisherman with a humungous sense of humour and gentle heart, I’d met my pirate.
The ocean has always been a powerful part of my life (now ours) and when both of our hearts were drawn to living onboard our wharram catamaran, the what to do with my life became clear. The simple, minimal life on a sail boat is the zest for wanting to live life to the fullest. To immerse ourselves in unique places, to rise and set with the sun, live off the grid, be self-sufficient, live with nature, because nature is wild and free.
We’ve sailed around the coast of South Australia mooring at places with not a soul in sight, sailed to remote and desolate islands with an incredibly rich marine life underneath us, always on alert and watching for great white sharks, seals, dolphins and wedge-tailed eagles soaring above us. The southern ocean brings cold currents refreshing and crisp. Life on a boat is always exciting; catching and preparing dinner, trekking up mountains, sailing to our next destination which is dictated by the wind, swell and tides. We are fully self-sufficient our electricity is from the sun and we move by the wind. The Tangaroa our ‘god of the ocean’ vessel is unique, made of wood with only the bare essentials. We roam where mostly there is no phone or internet reception and enjoy each others company on deck with cups of tea and sometimes a few sneaky rums, because let’s face it, no boat is a boat unless it has rum onboard.
We sailed our floating home across the Great Australian Bight, a journey 100 nautical miles off land in treacherous waters and into Western Australia. A scary but amazing accomplishment for us when you have to have total faith and respect in mother nature. For 6 days we didn’t see any land, only a few albatross searching for food until we came across our first anchorage called Daw Island. A magnificently high island in the middle of nowhere with huge granite rocks protruding from the raw depths of the ocean, home to a large seal colony and great white shark heaven, we trekked up to the peak by passing an old sign that read ‘DEATH ADDERS RESIDE IN LARGE NUMBERS ON ISLAND’, scary yes but a thrilling adventure and sea tale for us ol’ sea dogs.
We kept sailing through hundreds of little and big islands, reefs, and bombies. Every night anchoring next to an island or cove for protection. Waking up to breathtaking sights of the most amazing long white beaches, turquoise waters and picnicking at sunsets that light your eyes on fire.
Living on a sail boat bestows us so much freedom, peace, and richness. We don’t need much, leading a minimalistic life has never been so satisfying and fulfilling.
So when society influences how you choose to live your life and what the world says is the right way to do it, follow what’s in your amazing adventurous and wild heart and sail away into the sunset. If you are a dreamer, don’t let anything or anyone stop you.
Now dwelling on a sailing boat, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the rest of my days with the love of my life.
