The spiritual sojourn had been the most rewarding to date. During  the  days on the open sea, we had been able to spend long hours of prayer both group as true brothers and sisters, and also by ourselves. The group  sessions of devotional song were exceptionally rewarding and spiritually enlightening to every one I talked to. We would all begin to gather in the lounge about seven thirty and after about half an hour, would begin with some contemporary songs, followed by some more traditional ones then a few swinging contemporary numbers to finish with. We could still be there singing well after ten, after which the singing would formally conclude 
and there would be an evening prayer and then easy going group discussions over a welcome cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit before we would all turn in for the evening. Some of the keen ones would  gather in their cabins for a more quiet song and prayer sessions or just a talk till the early hours. There was often a bit of tom-foolery  and harmless nonsense from the more energetic that broke the silence of the night, though the leaders tolerated little of it.

I have had time to read once more and have been engrossed in Frank  Morison's book, "Who moved the Stone". It is quite a fascinating account from a non believer turned believer through study and scholarship. So I would spend the late evenings in my bunk with a book reading  while there was some of this juvenile nonsense 
in the surrounding cabins.

The weather, though full of that overcast cloud that seems to prevail in the lower half of New Zealand, around Invercargill and Dunedin , was  calm with little wind and just a slight swell to the ocean. Most of us  even enjoyed the casual rocking of the ship, and we visualised scenes from many of the Bible stories of fishermen and the sea when we talked  together. Consequently, the voyage was a comfortable one with no one as I know  sea sick, which just seemed a small miracle considering the nature of the waters we were sailing through. We were able to walk the decks in our free time and view the ocean from these heights with great enjoyment. It was a good time to meet people too, and Jason met a friend of his brothers that he had done some surfing with and he hadn't realised was even on the ship. It's surely a small world we live in.

The many sea birds that follow the ship do so with an almost spiritual  ease with the really large ones cruising with the grace of an angel across the surface. At the slightest lift from even the small swells that  we have seen, they rise with a pureness and grace that is a pleasure to watch. Great albatrosses with a wing san of at least ten feet aloft above this sea as if for them gravity did not exist. If god had meant man to fly surely this is how it would be, with the elegance and dexterity of these
wonderful birds, they just make it look so easy. Here these great birds are like the gentle but giant angels of the oceans. I was convinced the Lord would be with us on this passage and after the reports of the violent weather that most often predominate in these oceans, I was sure those weeks of prayer, for a calm and safe voyage had been answered. I had read quite a few books on these islands in the month leading up to our departure and there was no doubt that the ocean here can get quite rough to say the least. It seems there had been more  than a few shipwrecks around the area during the years also. So we were  blessed to be on waters so calm. Jason was a little disappointed though as being a surfer, he enjoys rough ocean swells and had been looking forward to as rough a passage as possible. Sorry Jason.

There were only fellow brothers and sisters of the Lord here with us which created such a wonderful feeling that pervaded through out the ship.  The intensity of this focused energy made me feel so close to the Lord  and gave me a closeness to the real message of Jesus Christ as I had never known it. As well as learning myself, it was a time of sharing knowledge and feelings and I was able to offer much to many of the younger people I meet. The next morning, the swell did begin to rise and the pitch and lift  of the boat became quite intense, perhaps a little too much for some, but we had nearly reached the islands and by 10 O'clock we were in the shelter of the island and life was becoming comfortable once more. After this time on the ocean, the sight of the islands felt like a haven in the middle of the southern ocean. Small panicles of hope among the vastness of ocean, it was like finding an oasis among the barrenness of the desert. A place of solitude, and insolation, a place of
undisturbed natural beauty, a place for an ultimate spiritual experience.  A place where each of us could begin to reach out from the wilderness to God as Mosses had done. As the anchor was dropped, from up on the ship decks we could see great sea lions resting on the beach.  There was a wind swept ruggedness about the bush that inferred a dependency on each tree to shelter the others. They clung en masse as if some fear of letting go would destroy them all, it was quite a sight.

About eleven O'clock, we were all gathered for a prayer of thanks for the safe passage and an early lunch before we were allowed to disembark in small groups towards the island. We were only allowed two groups there at one time and each one with a guide. There were about 25 in each group,  an we had strict instructions to stay on the marked tracks to minimise the damage to the fragile plant life. Enderby island  abounds with rabbits that had been introduced as food for the castaways at some point and the cute little things bounded off in front of us. They are quite blue in  colour and make a delightful sight on the green grassed area above the beach they have created with their constant nibbling. I was fortunate to be in the second group and as we approached the beach in the landing boat, we could see the sea lions swimming below in the clear water. The wind had sprung up by now and although there was still no rain the wind felt cold as it cut through my clothes. Luckily I had taken a good parker  and once warmly wrapped up inside, I felt quite insular from the bite of the strong wind gusts.

We were all able to walk up the wonderful bush track to the higher altitudes of the Island with the guide from Dept of Conservation. Nearly at the top, we came across several pair of nesting Royal Albatross, and  what large and significant birds these are when you can see them at this range. Further above this they allowed us to separate as and find places  of solitude to ourselves where we could engage in deep meaningful meditation. We managed to spend over an hour alone on the tops
searching the questions and answers of our own spirituality.

We had stopped several times for photo spots on the way up through the trees, and also where the albatrosses were and by the time we had  reached the top, I had finished a whole film. The wind was almost a  gale on the top blowing straight up the rocky cliffs that faced out over the ocean where the great waves were rolling in from the south and crashing onto the cliff. There was a wild mix of spray among the blustery conditions that whipped across the tops. Not the best place to have a 
camera, but I decided to risk a few shots all the same from the tops but needed to reload the camera. The force of the wind can only be measured in the speed the film packet disappeared across the tops.  As I loaded the film, I accidently dropped the foil packet and the  cardboard box that came with the film, and in an instant it was in the wind and away. As hard as I chased it across the open low growing plants on the tops, it just disappeared in leaps and bounds and was gone in a flash. I felt pretty sad about littering such a wonderful place, but it happened so quickly that I had no control at all.

After the photos, I spent about another half hour near the edge in deep meditation and so deep was it that I hardly noticed the wind and spray drenching me, and by the time I left, I was drenched almost through. Luckily the camera was well protected in its case and was fine.