2019-10-01_Australian_Womens_Weekly_NZ

34 The Australian Women’s Weekly|OCTOBER 2019

Trailblazer

“We opened the door

of the diving cage,

and swam out into

the sharks.”

protectionofa divingcage.“Thatwas
a worldfirstin cinematography,”says
Valerie,whoconsidersit thegreatest
singleadventurein allheryearsof
derring-do,settobeimmortalisedin a
newfeature-lengthdocumentary.
“Irememberstandingonthedeckof
theTerrierVIII,believingI wasgoing
todie,lookingaround,quietlysaying
goodbyetotheskyandthecrew.
“Allofusdivingthatdaythought
weweregoingtodie,becauseit had
beendecidedweweregoingtoget
outofthecagewithhundreds– not
dozens– ofwhitecapsfeastingona
whale.Butwe’dreadstoriesabout
shipwreckedsailorsin thewaterwho,
whensharksbumpedthem,sortof
bumpedthembackhard.Andthey
survived.Theywerenevertouched,so
wedecidedtodothat.
“Weopenedthedoorofthediving
cage,whichwasattachedtothedead
whale,andswamoutintothe
sharks.It waslikegoingback
intimeonemillionyearsand,
strangely,whathappenedwas
thatI feltquitecomfortable.
“Mymindcutoffallthe
worldI knewandwentinto
thisalienenvironment
preparedtofighttothedeath,
if necessary.
“Wehadtoswimthrough
blood,andthissharkcameupand
pushedbehindmeandstarted
shuddering,feedingonthewhale.I
couldfeelit againstmyside.Bang,
bang,bang.I’mgettinggoosebumps.
Thatgavemethehorrors.
“Butthesharkgotitsmouthfuland
swamaway,thebloodclearedandwe
gottheshots.Andoneofthebest
piecesoffilmI’veeverseenofmyself
wastakenimmediatelyafterwards.
I’msoexcited,soexcited,sittingin the
sunallwet.Weallgotoutofthewater
yellingandshoutingandscreaming.
Wedidsomethingnooneelse had
everdone,andsurvived.”

Badlybitten
It wasa greatescapade,anda great
escape,especiallyfora womanwho
admitsshecanbarelydogpaddle.“You
don’thavetobea goodswimmertobe
a diver,” she corrects me, crisply. But

Valerie’swinningstreakranoutwhile

filmingTVseriesAmazingAnimalsoff

thecoastofSanDiegoin theUS.“If

you’regoingtogetbadlybittenbya

shark,makesureyou’reworkingfor

Hollywood,”shejokes.“Theygot

wonderfulplasticsurgeonsforme,they

madeit allhappen.I needed300-odd

stitchesbuttheywereveryneat.”

Wasit a greatwhitethatchomped

herleg?“No,it wasanoceanicblue.

Oceanicsharksareveryproneto

attackingpeople,that’stheirjob,”

says Valerie,whooptedfora lifeless

ordinaryafterreadingTheAdventures

ofHuckleberryFinnwhilegrowing

upin NewZealand.

“They’llattackanythingstrangein

theirenvironment,butnobodyhasto

worry.Therearen’tmanyofthemleft.

Theyhaveallbeenfinned.”

Valeriesufferspainfullyfrom

arthritis and bears the scars of

childhoodpolio.Yettoday,sheis most

devastatedbythecreepingdeathof

ouroceansandthevividmarinelife

shehasmetupcloseandpersonal.

Mantaraysare“sweetnatured”and

lovegettingtheirtummiesscratched,

morayeelsaregreedy,sharksplain

curious.Theboarfish,huntedoutof

existencein SydneyHarbouroverthe

past 30 years,wassofriendly“itsort

ofcommittedsuicidebyswimmingup

toyourspear”.

Somuchhaschangedsincesheand

Rongaveupspearfishingin the1970s,

horrifiedbythecarnageinflicted

duringaninternationalcompetition

in Maroochydore,Queensland.Today

therichbiodiversityoftheseais

beingdecimatedbyindustrialfishing,

pollution,climatechangeandValerie’s

pethate,plastic.

“Nobodyalivetoday,unlessthey’re

my age, will ever know how wonderful

andincrediblethemarineworldusedto

be,”shesaysregretfully,remembering

thatparadiselost.

“Wehumanshavesetabout

destroyingit at anacceleratingrate,

withourgarbageandourplasticand

ourtotalmisunderstandingofthe

planetthatsupportsus.Youjustneedto

gosnorkellingat ShellyBeachdownthe

roadhereandseewhat’slyingonthe

bottom.Allthosebottles,waterin

plasticbottles.Disgusting,disgusting.

It’sthesameeverywhere.EvenoffFiji,

there’sa seaofplastic...

“Andwecan’tstopit. Theoceansare

doomed, 100 percent.I hatethinking

aboutwhattheworldusedtobeand

whatit hasbecome.It doesn’tworryme

forme.It worriesmeformygreat-

niecesandnephews.I havehadmyday

andit wasa goodone.I’veseenthebest

ofit.I’ma veryfortunateoldlady.”

Choosingtofeelblessed,notangry,is

advicefroma psychiatristwho

treatedValerieduringher

recoveryfromcancermore

than 30 yearsago.

“Youknowwhathetoldme,

andI wouldliketosharethis

witheverywomanwhohas

breastcancer...Hetoldme,

whenyou’refuriousandfeel

likecommittingmurder,just

singa songfromyour

childhood,lookat a flower,talktoa

bird.Whenyou’redoingthosethings,

youcan’tthinkbadthoughts.Isn’t

thatincredible?

“Andthenhesaidthegreatestthing

ofall.Hesaid,‘Youmaynothavea

longlifeaheadofyou,sodecidewhat

youwanttodomostin theworld,

thethingyouhavelongedfor,anddo

it.’AndI did.”

Whatwasthatspecial,secret

ambition?There’sanenigmaticsmile,

anda longpause.“Iwantedtosailon

theSeaCloud,thebiggest,most

beautiful,incrediblesailingshipever

built.It’smagic.Andsofewpeoplewill

eversitonthewoodendeckofa

hand-madewindjammer. You know, I’ve

been blessed.”AWW

ValerieTaylor:AnAdventurousLife,

Hachette,RRP$37.99, is available from

September 24.