I waited this morning for several seconds while the TV gave me no news about Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old girl who has spent the past seven months circumnavigating the globe unassisted on a 10.23 metre yacht.

So I went and had lunch. As soon as I came back to cook dinner, I checked the news online only to find that the young sailor's arrival would be tomorrow. I'd thought today was Saturday, but it was actually Friday.

I've been kicking myself ever since discovering that the welcoming event - with thousands of boats expected on the harbour - would be a smash. Before she left the Sunshine Coast, where I live, I had contemplated doing a story on Watson.

During her voyage I observed her progress on the nightly news with mounting interest. Her first leg, to Sydney, was almost catastrophic as she collided with a cargo vessel on the way down.

There were two ways to think of this. Either she was getting all her bad luck completed quickly. Or else she simply wouldn't make it. Turns out the first surmise was the correct one.

Pic credit: Eddie Safarik