We cluster around a tank, home to a turtle named Sparkle, and listen to Alana explain Sparkle’s journey to the centre and her expected release back into the wild. Hugh is standing next to Natalie during Alana’s speech, and I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from him.

I catch Pippa raising her eyebrows at me and stifling a laugh. I edge closer to her, and she elbows me in the ribs. ‘If you talked to him,’ she says, ‘you wouldn’t have to keep your distance.’

I roll my eyes, but I’m grateful to have at least someone to share my feelings with. ‘I’m trying,’ I say. ‘He’s avoiding me.’

‘You know what I’m going to say.’

‘I don’t know what you’re going to say,’ I disagree.

‘It’s pretty hard to avoid someone when you’re sharing a teeny bedroom . . . You know if you do have that conversation, you should also invite Hugh to come with us on our waterfall tour when we get back to Cairns, spend some proper time together away from the fish.’

‘I don’t know even know if I’m going on that tour,’ I point out.

‘Let’s be real, Millie,’ Pippa says sternly, her blonde hair swinging around her face. ‘You have nothing better to do.’

Lunch is a simple picnic set up around fold-out tables at the sanctuary. Alana passes out pamphlets explaining where our money would go if we were to donate. I tuck mine into my back pocket. Contributing to a cause like this isn’t a bad idea. I could gift a monthly contribution to Millie for Christmas.

Everyone tucks into lunch, but I hardly have any appetite. People take turns asking Alana questions about the sanctuary, and we all listen to her talk about it, fascinated by her life and her work. I notice that Hugh leaves a half-eaten sandwich on his plate too.

The rest of the afternoon passes by in a blur. We go to the beach, where Vanessa says we’re free to spend the rest of the afternoon, and I spend close to an hour trying to approach Hugh and losing my courage. He’s either talking to Andrew or he sees me coming and walks in the opposite direction. Miguel has started surfing the shallow waves breaking near the beach and keeps trying to get me to join him, hollering at me from his perch in the ocean.

It’s only when Natalie walks up to Hugh and they start to chat, both of them standing ankle deep in the calm water, gazing out at the horizon, that I get the nerve to address him.

‘Hugh, can I talk to you?’ I say quickly, forcing the words out of my mouth before I lose my nerve.

Hugh looks at Natalie, who spins to face me. ‘Perfect,’ she says, ‘just who I wanted to talk to.’