Before accepting Warren's invitation I had long discussions with Audrey. There were obvious disadvantages in accepting his proposal. I would be absent overseas for three months or more. Audrey would have the responsibility of caring for our children and coping with the difficulties of living in our primitive accommodation at Upper Ferntree Gully. Also, she would have the responsibility of oversighting the erection of our new home and for moving our family and what few belongings we had to Blackburn.

The advantages were that Warren's proposal provided an opportunity to further my career in meteorology. The prospect of promotion also would mean a release from shift work and a higher salary. This latter advantage improved our chances of purchasing a block of land in suburban Melbourne, building a home and buying a car. As has always been the case in our marriage Audrey was ready to support any move to further my career even though, in this case, it meant temporary dislocation of our domestic circumstances.

The flight was in a BCPA four-engined unpressurised Douglas DC4. The aircraft had a cruising speed of about 150 knots and flew at an altitude of no more than about 10 000 feet. The legs from Sydney-Nandi (Fiji), Nandi-Canton Island, Canton island-Honolulu and Honolulu-San Francisco took many hours and were very tiring. Possibly because of passenger comfort, but I suspect mainly because of aircraft maintenance, refuelling and the need to rest flight crews, we had overnight accommodation near Nandi airport and in Honolulu.

Bureau of Meteorology