Jessica Watson at the BBWF

Jessica Watson on the high seas

Jessica's adventure on DVD

Alan Close, Jessica Watson and
Ned Manning at the BBWF

Jessica Watson, Ned Manning and Paul Carter

The first talk I attended at the Byron Bay Writers Festival was
True Lies: Writing Memoir with Jessica Watson, Ned Manning  
(oddly, Ned was in the first talk I attended last year) and

Paul Carter as speakers and Alan Close as the chairperson.
Manning and Malthouse and The Dead End (Drive-in)

"Jessica Watson departed from Sydney on 18 October 2009, heading eastbound over the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean 
and the Indian Ocean. 
She returned to Sydney on 15 May 2010, three days before her 17th birthday."
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Watson

That's two authors I met who
undertook epic journeys at the BBWF

It's funny that even though Jessica was plastered all over the news at the time and even did a stint on Dancing With The Stars
(a show I loath and my wife loves)

 I never took that much notice of her.

Having seen Jessica speak and flicked through her book, as well as talking to her and finding out what a down to earth person she was, I have to say I'm impressed.
It makes my life look like one of a scaredy-cat.
There is even a picture in her book of her hang gliding (by herself) over Rio.

I was surprised when she asked me if I was from Byron Bay and I told her that I was from Brisbane, and she then said she hadn't been to Byron (much?) even though she and her family once lived at the Gold Coast, a little further up the road.
I get the feeling that she was pretty impressed with Byron Bay though, somehow. 

Jessica leaving Brisbane for Sydney

Approximate route taken by Jessica on her
voyage between October 2009 and May 2010

She is one brave young lady, who it was truly an honour for me to meet.
She certainly has an exciting future ahead of her. 

 But, at least Jessica didn't go through what Pi did in the 
clip above;- )