Following several years spent cruising the South Pacific Islands, Tere Batham and her husband traveled north and settled in Japan. After two and a half years, they set out on a fourteen-month, 10,000-mile journey back to New Zealand. Accompanied by Miki, a beautiful young Japanese girl eager to escape her country's rigorous social restrictions, they navigated the giant whirlpools of Japan's Inland Sea, joined in a midnight festival at Kompira San, traversed volcanic coastlines, and threaded narrow channels among scenic islands strewn with temples and lashed by typhoons. Their route took them to Japan's Southern Archipelago, Macau, the Taiwan Straits, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. They discovered the remnants of an ancient South Sea Island culture facing extinction, explored the ruins of megalithic Nan Madol, endured violent storms, and witnessed a deadly crocodile attack before finally reaching their destination. Armchair cruisers and serious sailors alike will benefit from Batham's practical tips even as they thrill at her gripping accounts of challenges overcome.