Home Town:
Adelaide

Experience at sea:
I started sailing at about 5. When I was 17 I went to sea in cargo ships for about 8 years. Then I followed a romantic whim to sail on Bounty in the First Fleet Re-enactment from England to Australia. Since then I have been master of six different sailing ships. I have also fitted in about 5 years in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Why are you going on the expedition?
I love sailing, I love old sailing ships and I love learning to sail different kinds of ships. This one is especially interesting and very beautiful. I am also fascinated by all the possible reasons that people want to experience ancient technologies. In a computer-obsessed age, why does timber, flax and tar arouse such enthusiasm?

Your interests:
Sailing(!), literature, boat building and riding a bright red Italian motorcycle.

What you expect to achieve?
Personally, I think I will learn a great deal about history, and also contemporary cultures in Indonesia and Northern Australia. More generally, I think this expedition might provide a focus for some very valuable discourse about Australia's international relationships in the past. More importantly, I hope our voyage will help us better understand cultural difference in our region and in Australia.

Read Peter Mathorpe's Ship's Log