Diary Entry 17/12/1958

       It is our second day on the Flaminia. Mother, Karin, Judith and I share a room. It's great, our room has a basin and the bathroom is at the end of the corridor. We are quite lucky really, some people have to share a room with 5 other people, they hang hammocks from the bunks and there are rooms that are long walks from bathrooms, so I am so happy and blessed that my family has been so fortunate.
       The boat is very nice, but it's so full of people, I heard some of the crew saying it was 150% full! How can a boat this big have 50% more people than it's supposed to carry? This ship is supposed to carry 1,024 people, and they can over fill it by 50%?!
       I am so excited to go for a swim in the outdoor swimming pool! It will be so nice, I just have to wait for a warm enough day! Because it is December, it is cold... definitely not warm enough to go for a swim. We are stopping off in Cairo, Egypt though, it might be warmer there.
       Mum says that when we arrive in Australia, we will go to a place called Bonegilla. I can't wait to see auntie Ria and uncle Felix! I am so excited, it has been quite a long time since we last saw them.
       We will soon be starting to learn English, I know a little bit, but only simple things like hello, and thank you, I am very excited, but quite nervous, I might not understand anything at all! I definitely can't go to Australia with the range of vocabulary I have now.
       Not very long until we arrive in Melbourne, only a bit over 1 month. So we will be spending Christmas on the boat most likely, unless we make a stop.
       It is getting late now, and my mind is getting scrambled. Shall continue tomorrow night...