About Megan. Megan was born in Montreal but grew up just outside of Toronto, Canada. She majored in Anthropology and after the usual, post-uni European romp she decided to move to Sydney, Australia in 2002. After a few years of travelling and working ad hoc jobs, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be happier in Toronto, where she’d be closer to family and friends. After 6 months in the Canadian metropolis and a horrendous experience with freezing ice (think -10 degrees, exposed ankles, a car covered in a sheet of ice and a stainless steel coffee mug as an ice pick) she booked a one-way ticket back to Sydney and never looked back. Although she misses everyone in Canada, she can’t imagine living anywhere where the beach isn’t a 2 minute walk from home. She’s become an Australian citizen but may never be truly accepted as an Ozzie as can’t stand vegemite; sacrilege!
Likes. Yoga, swimming, reading, scuba diving and having conversations with her all time favourite, four legged, furry friend - Miss Ebony Graceful Whiskerton, a.k.a. Miss EGW or simply Ebs for brevity!
About Mike. Mike grew up in Guelph (180km west of Toronto), studied Biology at University, decided a lab-coat wasn't in his future, then went to law school before joining Skadden Arps in New York. After a few years of 20 hour days the burn-out factor kicked in, and he was lucky enough to land a secondment to Skadden's Sydney office in 2007.
Romance. Mike and Megan met at a black-tie charity dinner in Sydney in September 2008. Both loving outdoor adventure and sharing a common background, the romance blossomed. Neither wanting to settle for a suburban life, talks of overseas travel and adventure kept coming up. During Christmas 2011, Mike & Megan cruised from Sydney down to Jervis Bay, where Mike surprised Megan with a proposal on the beach on Boxing Day. That trip sealed the deal - they would both leave their jobs and start an 18 month adventure in June 2012.
About Mike. Mike grew up in Guelph (180km west of Toronto), studied Biology at University, decided a lab-coat wasn't in his future, then went to law school before joining Skadden Arps in New York. After a few years of 20 hour days the burn-out factor kicked in, and he was lucky enough to land a secondment to Skadden's Sydney office in 2007.
Romance. Mike and Megan met at a black-tie charity dinner in Sydney in September 2008. Both loving outdoor adventure and sharing a common background, the romance blossomed. Neither wanting to settle for a suburban life, talks of overseas travel and adventure kept coming up. During Christmas 2011, Mike & Megan cruised from Sydney down to Jervis Bay, where Mike surprised Megan with a proposal on the beach on Boxing Day. That trip sealed the deal - they would both leave their jobs and start an 18 month adventure in June 2012.
Sailing History. Mike was introduced to the sport through friends who were on the Canadian Olympic sailing team. He cheered them in Beijing 2008 and when he returned to Sydney he quickly gained experience by volunteering to crew in both harbor and offshore races. He knew that the best way to learn the mechanics of sailing was to start with a dinghy, so he bought a new Laser, joined the local Double Bay Sailing Club – Mike was hooked.
Not wanting to become a sailing widow, Megan agreed to try a bareboat charter in the Whitsundays. With a lot of patience and good humour they both really enjoyed their cruising time together. The recipe: a good mix of sailing time thrown together with a heap of swimming, a dash of BBQing and a load of relaxing at anchor.
They agreed the next step would be to buy a keel boat of their own so they could good gain experience and enjoy Sydney harbour and the NSW coast. After MUCH researching, Megan finally gave Mike an ultimatum ‘buy the boat by the end of July or forget it!’ Always one to please – Mike quickly narrowed down the choice to a 1984, 29 ft Duncanson, which he quickly negotiated for a great price and Haliastur was theirs! This began the year of sailing for Megan and Mike. Weekends on the harbour and longer weekends cruising the north and south coast.
Not wanting to become a sailing widow, Megan agreed to try a bareboat charter in the Whitsundays. With a lot of patience and good humour they both really enjoyed their cruising time together. The recipe: a good mix of sailing time thrown together with a heap of swimming, a dash of BBQing and a load of relaxing at anchor.
They agreed the next step would be to buy a keel boat of their own so they could good gain experience and enjoy Sydney harbour and the NSW coast. After MUCH researching, Megan finally gave Mike an ultimatum ‘buy the boat by the end of July or forget it!’ Always one to please – Mike quickly narrowed down the choice to a 1984, 29 ft Duncanson, which he quickly negotiated for a great price and Haliastur was theirs! This began the year of sailing for Megan and Mike. Weekends on the harbour and longer weekends cruising the north and south coast.
