by DB Daglish
And with that they sailed away, many lining the headland at the entrance to the harbor to watch as they sailed south, something none of them had done in many years. They had seen yachts from Cronulla on the ocean from time to time, but they never came in now. It only took three hours in strong winds to cruise down the coast past Botany Bay and swing into the sheltered harbor that crept back from the wide beachfront. Bearing to starboard they tacked their way into the sheltered part of the bay up toward the large houses at the northern end.
As they arrived, a few stunned people walked along the shoreline to the jetty area where they secured the yachts and stepped ashore. To be polite and non-threatening, they stayed where they were on the pontoons until the Cronulla locals came to them. One carried a weapon but did not hold it in any way that revealed nervousness. In front was a short stocky woman and she strode forward with an outstretched arm.
“Welcome. Welcome everybody,” she said with a smile. “Apologies for looking so shocked, but we have had no one come into this bay for a very long time.”
“We have come from Sydney,” Harry said, and he noticed a quick look of displeasure from her and a few others. “However,” he quickly added, “we were just visiting there and are from New Zealand!”
“Stone the flaming crows!” she exclaimed. “After all this time, what would it be…twenty five years or so, you finally come over to sunny Oz?”
“Oh, we have been here before,” Bryce said. “We came in a plane about fifteen years ago.”
“A plane you say?” she said scratching her head. “Yes, I remember recalling something flying overhead a long time after the plague. So that was you? Believe it or not, that is the only aircraft we had ever seen since…well, you know!”
Chris nodded. “I was the pilot. If I had known, I would have landed somewhere. We went to Melbourne but that was not a good experience.”
“Yes, we know,” she confirmed and gesturing behind her. “Doug!” she called and a tall blond man stepped forward.”This is Doug; he came up from Melbourne ten years ago. It was mainly chaos he said, isn’t that right Dougie?”
“Sure was. From day one it was difficult to get any unity. Constant backbiting, fighting, and rival groups. Just madness! I escaped to get away from it.”
“Escaped? Not just left?” Chris asked.
“Yeah, well that’s a story in itself. Maybe later on!”
“Ok!” she said. “Oh, I haven’t even told you my name yet?”
Chris laughed. “I was wondering when you would!”
“I’m Adele, this is Doug obviously, Harriet, Mike, Steve, Miranda, Toby, George, Snuff, and Brock. The rest are still at the houses over there.” She pointed to the waterfront houses where they could now see people on the front decks watching. “There are only forty three of us,” she said, “Including thirteen children. We don’t breed as fast as the Manley group.”
“You know about them then?” Harry asked.
“Yes. They are a bit too loose for our liking. I’d rather…well; we’d rather concentrate on stability than population growth. I know what needs to be done, but I’d rather individuals decided it, that it be a…rule or something weird like that!”
“So you think there’s a rule on breeding over there?” Janie asked.
“I suspect there is?”
“And you would be right, but we’ll tell you about that later on. First of all, can we stay with you?”
“Of course you can. You can stay with us as long as you like. Well, actually…why are you here? Are you the last of them from New Zealand?”
At that Ryan laughed. “No way! We are strong and doing very well. But I guess there is a travel itch, and while we have sea-worthy yachts we thought we’d explore and learn what we can of others, and how they are getting on.”
“Excellent!” said Adele, and she had her people take the expeditions luggage along the beach for them, arranging temporary accommodation until they could get four houses tidied up enough for them to stay in.
This area was as overgrown as any other, with vegetation sticking out of everywhere. Paths were cracked and broken as elsewhere in the world where plants and weather began the long breakdown of modern society’s artificial covering of the earth.
There was a large circular fenced paddock where various animals grazed. Closer to the houses, gardens were planted and fenced off also. Two blocks back from the gardens was where most of them lived. These homes had their own yacht berths and it was obvious this community loved sailing as much as those at New Haven. Later that evening as they all gathered on the lawn of one of the properties, they revealed they had plans to leave.
“Leave Cronulla? Why would you do that?” asked Don. He wondered why anyone would want to leave the peace of these surroundings.
“Not just Cronulla…Australia!” Cameron expanded. Cameron was not the outright leader as such - for Cronulla had no defined leadership position, but he was recognized as the planner. Ryan could see Ben in him and took a liking to Cameron immediately.
“Leave the land of Oz?” he joked. “Why would you want to…Well, why not come back with us then?”
“Thanks Don, but we have another goal in mind. Lord Howe Island!”
“Holy heck,” exclaimed Harry. “We sailed close to it about two weeks ago. Accidentally though, because we were off course! But why would you go there? What does it have that this place doesn’t?”
“Isolation!”
“But you are isolated here aren’t you? You haven’t seen anyone new in what…ten years? Why move?”
“We don’t really know?” Adele confessed. “It’s a pull we all have. We are good sailors so an island doesn’t bother us, and everything about this place has a darkness to it. So much death and loneliness. We feel that being on a smaller island will give us peace!”
“Mmmm, it seems reasonable. What about those on the island?”
“There are people there?” she gasped.
“People where?” Don asked.
“Lord Howe! Did you see people there?”
“No…we didn’t land or even get close enough to find out!”
“Well, there were only about three hundred or so people living there before, and I’m darn sure the tourists would have left with the reports of the plague and with the rapid spread of the outbreak it is unlikely anyone out of a small group of three hundred could survive.”
“True,” answered Rita. This was the first time she had spoken that day. “Only about one in forty thousand ever survived as far as we could work out. So the chance of any one person out of three hundred…and then they’d be on their own for the last twenty five years. And then if they hadn’t injured themselves or committed suicide, they’d have had to be under the age of fifty when the ‘event’ occurred to be alive now!”
Most were astounded, and not just those from New Zealand, as someone so quiet suddenly bursting into the conversation; with a long and calculated comment. Her information was astonishingly accurate and even Josh moved his head back in surprise.
“Wow girl, aren’t you the chatter box today!” But at that she blushed and went quiet again.
“What is the event?” a girl called Eve asked.
“Oh, that’s our term for when everyone died,” explained Donny. Eve had caught his eye and the answering of her question began an instant bond. Ryan noticed it immediately.
But indeed; Rita’s calculations were right. The chance of anyone being alive, let alone this long, was almost impossible. Only the older ones knew what this island was like, for it was an extension of the New South Wales territory of Australia and was a world heritage site. Beautifully positioned with plenty of fishing, farming, fresh water and existing buildings, this location did seem perfect.
Then Adele revealed that they were planning to leave that week. The flotilla of yachts in the harbor, in that case, were not just for show – they were there for transport. There were five smaller ketches similar to their own type. Also a much larger eighty five foot schoone
r that would hold most of the stores and weight of the youngest children, where they could be kept safely down below in rough seas. The seven year olds and up would have more time on deck, much like Tia, who could competently sail at age seven.
With the extra five boats in the flotilla they were better able to distribute people and cargo. Several months of careful planning had taken place to ensure they had all they needed and they were aware that once things ran out, they would be on their own. Don and the older ones spent some time discussing their plans with Adele, Cameron and the couple of Miranda and Steve. This couple had been together for twenty seven years; being fourteen years of age when they paired up. They had three children one of whom was now twenty one herself and it was she - Lily, who was at the meeting with them.
“You know there is every chance that society will go back to a point we are living like natives?” Fallon pointed out.
“Yes. Our generation and possibly Lily’s may get by before things cannot be used anymore. We are well aware of that. Even now teeth problems and basic medical issues are difficult for us. We have no one with medical knowledge!”
“New Haven has a local doctor but she is unwell now. Even with her they have lost a few people over the years. Life might be simpler in years to come, but it will be harder!”
Lily now spoke up in her quiet way.
“I have known nothing of the previous life, but I have read many books. I decided to pull them out from the boats; except those relating to medical, farming, gardening etc. As we grow old and the next generation comes long, there will be no need for books. We will teach the old way the book talked about in this country before the European came…oral tradition!” she stated.
“But no history?” Fallon asked.
“There is nothing to be gained by it. If indeed life regresses, they will not know it. They will grow up knowing only what they now. To protect them, we must not let them know how easy life used to be. Something as simple as a fishhook may not be able to be kept longer than a hundred years. What then? Better we learn to make our own out of shells like your own Maori did!”
“You know an awful lot for one so young?” Harry pointed out.
“I read a lot,” was her only reply.
“And you’ll take that privilege away from the next generation?”
“Yes. We need to know how to live as they once did. We need to learn to teach it and once it’s taught it will never be forgotten!” Lily said quite emphatically.
“Wow,” Bryce exclaimed. “You are quite the leader. You must be proud of her Steve?”
“Oh, most of it is Miranda’s work. She has trained Lily since a young age as one of five who will lead the community forward. The more they can learn, the better their future will be once we are gone. But yes, I am proud of her!”
“Besides,” Lily added, “Lord Howe is a tropical paradise. What better place to live. Did you know that it was once uninhabited?” she said excitedly. “No one prior to the Europeans discovering it had ever found it. All those epic ocean voyages for the Maori; if they were true, yet this island was never found!”
Everyone smiled. She was full of enthusiasm and that same spirit was everywhere, even with an unknown journey to a place none of them had ever visited.
“You know?” Chris said. “I’m the only one who has ever been to that island.”
“You’ve been there?” Lily asked with an excited squeal.
“Yep. Had my honeymoon on the island. And I could not think of a better place to permanently move to. Life there will be just as hard as here, but I’d rather live in hardship on paradise than in this place; as nice as it looks.”
“Oh…tell me about it!” she demanded.
“Nope. You can experience it yourself in a week’s time. It will be just a four day journey if the wind is right.”
Her shoulders sagged.
“Tell you what?” Chris offered. “When we get there, I’ll take you over the whole island while the others offload. That way you’ll know it best and can show others. Could we do that Miranda?”
“Cameron is in charge of logistics,” she pointed out as everyone looked to Cameron.
“Well, we need all hands…on the other hand; we will be there the rest of our lives – so yeah, I’m good with it!”
Lily clapped her hands in excitement and gave Chris a kiss on the cheek.
“Hell. That was definitely worth it then,” he laughed.
Two days later all was ready. There was a little sadness from some of the younger ones, but most were expectant of the future. With every yacht loaded and personal gear stowed away, they stood on the marina and wondered what process could give closure to their time there.
Don had a quick chat to Ryan and Karen and then advised he had a suggestion. But first he had a story to tell. He had everyone gather around while he told a story of a man named Taylor, Roy and Tomiko and many others who lived in Dunedin and called a place called ‘Zingari’ which was their home.
“That’s the name of the boat there,” yelled out Darrick, a thirteen year old.
“That’s right young man, and that is where we lived as you have here. Except ours was a rugby ground…” and he went on about the place for some twenty minutes in animated fashion until he mentioned it was their time to leave the city. “And what did they do to it?” he asked.
“Burn it!” Darrick was the first to respond.
“How did you know that?”
“Because Taylor burned his home to bring closure with his wife. So we should burn our homes. It is a way of ensuring we have nothing to come back to!”
“Well done Darrick!” and then he looked to Adele. “That’s what I suggest you do here!”
And so, as eleven yachts lay waiting for the men to row back out, seven houses were torched and left to burn. In fact the fire spread beyond the houses. Even as they were miles out to sea by that afternoon, the thick smoke caught up with them as they realized the fire must have spread to the trees and dry grasses. That evening, some eighty miles out to sea, the glow of an out-of-control fire could be clearly seen on the horizon.
* * *
Those back at Manley noticed the smoke early, smelling before they could see evidence of it, as the winds had picked up from the south. By evening they could also see the horizon glowing as had happened in the hills to the west some eleven years ago. They were safe on the other side of the harbor but concern was held initially for the New Zealanders as they wondered what sort of catastrophe had occurred. The next morning two of the young adults had reporting seeing many yachts sail out to the horizon when they were on the headland and it became apparent that the fire had been set deliberately. However, just in case, an expedition sailed to Cronulla where it was reported none of the kiwi boats were in the harbor and there was no sign of the community.
* * *
It took exactly four days to see the distant peaks of Lord Howe Island rising above the ocean. Being aware of the tides, they approached the northern end of the lagoon where Chris has said the only wharf existed. Most small boats anchored in the lagoon anyway.
As they reached the outer lagoon where the reef began, they could see people assembling on the beach and a sudden despair fell upon the yachts. So the island was not uninhabited as they had hoped. More importantly, if they were alive because the effects of the virus had never reached the island, they might be at risk from new arrivals. A quick discussion ensued as the yachts grouped together just outside the northern entrance to the lagoon.
The schooner stayed to the outside where it was deeper.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” yelled Fallon toward the Zingari.
“I think so,” called back Chris who indicated Harry should come aboard. As the yacht drew close he jumped across to discuss the situation.
“How many do you see?” he asked.
“I counted seven to start with, then as we gathered…about thirty. Now there are about…well, lots!” he confirmed.
The smaller yacht
s were grouped tighter and Adele was asked what they should do.
“I don’t know. I didn’t expect anyone to be alive. Are we dangerous to them?”
“We have no idea what effect survivors would have on those untouched!” Ryan offered. “What do you think Cameron?” he called out.
Cameron jumped from yacht to yacht until he was close to the Zingari.
“What’s the question?”
“There are people alive here; see - they are preparing a boat to come out to us. But if they have been untouched, could our presence bring the death to them?”
“From what we can only assume what killed us was passed from person to person via contact or even our breath. Most of us recovered and only a few that were completely untouched. So it is possible that those who recovered still have the virus in our system. If that is the case…” and he raised his hands as if to indicate they would likely die.
As they debated the possible scenario, a rowboat came out to meet them. There were calls to stay back and the occupants looked confused. It was obvious they were delighted to see someone after what would have been twenty-seven years of isolation. However, the attempts to keep them at distance confused them. Ryan suddenly untied the dingy from the foredeck and had some people help him lower it overboard. Taking the oars he climbed in and proceeded to row before anyone could stop him.
“Just trust me,” he called back.
They watched as he positioned himself downwind and began to talk to those from the island. Much discussion resulted, and eventually the islanders rowed away back to the beach as Ryan returned to the flotilla.
“What was all that about?” Adele called.
“I explained the world they knew is dead. They heard it on the radio years ago but didn’t know if any survived. I said that obviously some did survive, but they had been exposed. I stressed the point that they have not been exposed at all yet. They first need to decide whether they want you on an island that has been their home for some two hundred years. If they do, they need to decide if there is a risk to them of the virus infecting them, and thirdly, how that could even be determined,” Ryan advised. “They have survived the isolation well and have adapted, so they need no one’s help. However, they see our need. But I fear when they explain the danger to the others, we will be forced away…and I cannot blame them.”