It was a case of so near and yet so far.
I have always wanted to visit the mystical island of St Helena, so when the opportunity presented itself on my current voyage as the speaker aboard a cruise ship, you can imagine my excitement.
St Helena is a remote volcanic tropical island 1,950km west of the coast of south-western Africa, and 4,000km east of Rio de Janeiro in South America.
We stopped there as part of our South Atlantic crossing aboard the Regent Seven Seas Voyager.
The island measures about 16km by 8km and has a population of 4,439 per the 2021 census.
It was named after Helena, mother of Constantine I.
It is one of the most remote islands in the world and was uninhabited when discovered by the Portuguese en route to the Indian subcontinent in 1502.
For about four centuries the island was an important stopover for ships from Europe to Asia and back, while sailing around the African continent, until the opening of the Suez Canal.
St Helena is the UK's second-oldest overseas territory after Bermuda.
It is perhaps best known for being the site of Napoleon's second exile, after his final defeat in 1815.
He was initially buried there after his death on the island in 1821.
Charles Darwin had a five-day stopover on Saint Helena when sailing on The Beagle in 1836.
He described the island as “a curious little world within itself”.
Did you know that St Helena is also home to the oldest land animal on Earth?
Jonathan the tortoise is also the oldest chelonian ever recorded.
Born in 1832, Jonathan (a Seychelles giant tortoise) has lived on St Helena since the age of 50.
He’s lived through 40 US presidents and 31 governors of the island!
With all its history, there was a real sense of anticipation as we approached “The Rock” — it literally appeared out of nowhere in the middle of one of the largest expanses of ocean in the world.
As our ship got closer, we marvelled at the sheer size of the cliffs as well as the seabirds and flying fish that surrounded our vessel.
Jamestown, the capital, emerged in a small valley.
There was an intricate harbour, a church and neat houses lining its Main Street.
We dropped anchor and waited for news of when our tenders would be ready to ferry us ashore.
However, this island is considered one of the most challenging to navigate for a reason.
You can imagine the great disappointment on board when our captain announced that due to the South Atlantic swell, he was unable to ensure the safe docking of the tenders.
We all stood looking at this magnificent island yet were unable to set foot upon it.
As we cruised away, I vowed to return.
This Frontier Land had eluded me for now.
HeraldLIVE