On the weekend a cracker of a tale involving a seasick Southland woman, a shipwreck in shark-infested waters and a one in a million rescue by a dashing American took place off the coast of Fiji.
The 10m ketch Timella struck a reef, and the occupants of the boat thought they had perhaps one hour left to live before being rescued.
Ali Timms, physiotherapist and chair of environmental management for Environment Southland was on the Timella and feeling horribly seasick when it struck the reef.
She is safe back on terra firma in the south tonight, but Campbell Live met her in the Koru Lounge at Auckland Airport on her way through this afternoon, and she tells me her extraordinary story.
She begins after they have abandoned the Timella, which is being smashed against the reef, and are half in/half out of a little dinghy attached to the Timella by a rope.