Rachel seeks adventure on the high seas

Rachel Mather

Forget the nine-to-five job, steady boyfriend and the flash new car; USQ alumnus Rachel Mather dreams of a sailboat and the seven seas.

Like teenage sailor Jessica Watson, who is capturing worldwide interest as she passes the halfway mark in her record-breaking attempt as the youngest person to sail solo around the globe, Rachel understands the appeal of a round-the-world odyssey.

'Being on the ocean is liberating; it is so calm and peaceful,” she enthused. “You feel like you’re far away from everything and everyone; a sense of complete freedom.'

The Newtown resident, a former St Saviour’s College student and USQ Journalism and International Relations graduate, is one of thousands of followers who read Jessica’s travel blog and follow media reports on her progress.

'The media has really jumped on her and I understand the concern that she is young, but she has probably been training for this a long time,” she said. “I really hope she achieves it.'

Rachel, 21, has herself been sailing since she was two years old.

Spending much of her childhood aboard the family sailing yacht ‘Vamp’(for sailing enthusiasts it is a Van de Stadt 51 and comfortably sleeps six people - eight at a stretch), has ignited in Rachel a passion for travel and adventure.

'When I was 10 years old my parents, brother and I spent four years yachting all around the world. We visited every continent except Antarctica.'

One of her happiest memories is sailing across the Atlantic Ocean with her parents Kim and Carmel and brother Rory in December many years ago. 'I was very young and we spent most of our time playing board games,' she reminisced. 'We were all trapped together in a very small space and had to learn to be tolerant of each other, which is why we are so close now.'

When Rachel was 15 years old the family returned to Australia and took up residence in Toowoomba to be closer to family and friends. 'I really like Toowoomba,' Rachel said. 'I enjoyed attending school here and studying at USQ.'

Her brother Rory, 19, is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Education at USQ.

Living more than 700 metres above sea level may have seemed like a major lifestyle change for the seafaring Mathers, still, ‘Vamp’ is moored at Tin Can Bay and is still used regularly by family members. At present, Rachel and her family are planning to embark on another major expedition in April. 'We are going to sail around South-East Asia and India, across the Indian Ocean to South Africa,' she said excitedly. 'I’m really looking forward to it.'

Luckily, seasickness is not often a problem Rachel has to take into account when planning her travels. 'I do get slightly seasick on occasion but then I get my sea legs,' she said. 'When I’m feeling queasy I like to listen to music and pretend I’m somewhere else. The biggest problem is the feeling of isolation and occasionally, boredom, when I feel like I’m in the middle of nowhere.'

While undertaking her undergraduate degree at USQ, Rachel met up with friends and sailed all around South-East Asia, followed by five months of sailing around southern Africa. Rachel is currently undertaking a masters’ degree in International Relations in Brisbane and hopes her sailing experience, along with her University studies, will contribute to a satisfying career in International Relations.

'For me, it’s not about sailing; it’s about the destination and discovering different cultures,' she said. 'I’m not interested in having a flash car or a flash house, I just want to buy a boat – maybe a catamaran or something comfortable like that - and travel around the world.'

Contact Details:
Madeleine Tiller, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 1163 or 0400 025 429