“Don’t look at me,” his cousin John shook his head. “I’ve got about $10 to my name at the moment. There’s no way I could take that amount of time off work. Ask Sophie, she’s got time before her course starts.”

Liam thought for a moment. He and Sophie got on well. The accommodation was twin share. Why not?

“Great idea! Just come and have a look Soph, you’ll love it,” he wheedled.

His other housemate raised a dubious eyebrow. “I’m not really into diving Liam. I only had one lesson and, to be honest, it freaked me out!” She shuddered.

“It’s not a diving cruise,” he explained hopefully. “Just swimming and snorkelling if you want to. Anyone can learn to snorkel, but I booked what is called a ‘cultural cruise’ not a specialist diving one. Here let me read it out to you.

‘The cultural cruise brings you a varied program of island hopping with visits to traditional villages and houses, different cultures, enjoy local art works, beautiful sceneries, impressive flora and fauna, indigenous dances and rites. These day excursions will be alternated by some swimming and snorkeling. Diving is sometimes possible, sometimes not.’

See? You don’t have to do any diving at all if you don’t want to.”

“Hmm,” said Sophie, peering over his shoulder at the idyllic pictures of white sand, blue water and green rainforest. It did look rather wonderful. Cute brown children smiled into the camera.

“Apart from everything else, what I’m really looking forward to, is the volcano. We get to climb to the top of an active volcano,” he added persuasively. “Not an extinct one like the one at Mt Gambier with the lakes in it.”

“Mmm,” said Sophie again, hiking wasn’t her favourite activity, but maybe for a real live volcano she could make an exception.

Liam played his trump card.

“Just think of all the hot guys you’ll meet. As far as I know there’s only one other woman going, with her husband, and there are sixteen places on the boat,” he teased. “All that fit tanned skin, wet board shorts ...”

He sighed and rolled his eyes lasciviously. She laughed and punched his arm. “But I’ll be travelling with you, how will they know I’m available?”

Liam smirked, “I’m sure you’ll find a way.”