[Envelope and folded writing paper marked RMS Tahiti. postmarked Wellington NZ 3pm Aug 18]

At sea on
Sunday 17/8/24

[superscript:] This is written on my knees in the cabin so hope you can read it.

My dear Mother,

The writing room is full up so I know that under the circumstances you will forgive a letter in pencil since we are to reach Wellington only tomorrow morning and that means being able to post this.

We are both well and have not been too bad. It was very rough after leaving Sydney and this is really the only decent day we have yet had. Friday was a rotten day rain and wind all through and very rough. We stayed in bed all day and had three good meals. Yesterday was bleak and cold and the smell of ship permeated everything. We did not attend the saloon that day either but had them in our cabin. So we did not lose them. I have only lost one and Bill still has all his. Mine went west at 9.52pm on the night we sailed.

The best thing about this ship is our bedroom steward. He is a corker. Nothing is a trouble to him and he is always bright and happy and a man that knows his job.

The crowd on board are all wolis but thank goodness most of them leave us in NZ and we are hoping for a big improvement from then on as we will get a lot more flash ones then.

Life on board ship is a very lazy one and not much to my liking. One thing does appeal to me however and that is the hot salt baths in the morning. They are great especially when you are called after morning tea and fruit with "the bath is now ready for you sir".

The meals are not bad but the cooking could be better in some lines but there is plenty to choose from.

Well no more to say this time but will write decently from Tahiti after our first port of call.

Hope you are all well at home

Love from

Gordon

Kath Broome gave me a bonzer travelling cushion on the boat and it is handy.