‘Hey, I know the local crews. The best video production teams here are the ones who do the up-market wedding videos, which ain’t cheap. Bloody mini movies!’

‘How amazing, is that a niche market here?’

‘No. Big-time. The kids making them are creative, smart and well travelled.’ He leaned forward and looked at her. ‘But seriously, the person you should try to get to direct is Steve Boyd. He’s been over here quite a few times from Australia. He’d have a ball working with these crews.’

‘Oh yes, I’ve heard of him. He’s brilliant. He won an award recently for a short film he made in the Kimberley, didn’t he?’

‘Yeah. I met him when he was up here doing a documentary on the artists in Ubud in the old days. He still does commercials, those big-budget jobs for Indian cinema and stuff. He doesn’t mind a surf. I took him out to a few of the less well-known spots while he was here.’

‘Sounds great. I’ll call you tomorrow to get his details. Can you give me your mobile number, please? And I’ll talk to the local video and digital guys. But right now, I’m ready to crash.’

‘How about a surf one morning? I swim out the front of the hotel at sunrise most days. You should try it. C’mon, let’s find your driver.’

*

Grace spent two days talking to creative video and digital companies, looking at their facilities and examples of their work, and discussing their availability. She had already roughed out her pitch for the stage one launch and was now working on the details.

She was busy all day and met with Hans in the evenings, and reported back to the agency every day, too. She made sure she spoke with Daisy and her mother at least once a day, no matter how busy she was. She hadn’t seen Andy again, but rang him a few times for advice and the contact details of various creatives. She was beginning to think of him as a friend, an uncle, and, as a fellow Aussie, someone she could talk to directly and easily. He also knew just about everyone on the island and their history. He warned her to be wary of Johnny Pangisar, whose reputation as a playboy was pretty fierce.

‘I never mix business and pleasure,’ she said. ‘Of course, you’re a bit of an exception.’ She laughed. ‘Don’t tell anyone.’

‘I’m hugely flattered,’ said Andy. ‘Y’see, I look in the mirror and still see the handsome suntanned stud I used to be. Sun-bleached locks, fit and skinny.’ He patted his paunch and grey head. ‘And each morning when I get that first wave, I feel sixteen again.’

On her last day, Grace agreed to meet Andy on the beach out the front of the Kamasan at 5.45 am. She’d swim while he rode his board. He’d been insisting all week that she had to experience the sunrise.

And she was glad she did. She had grown up at the beach in Sydney, and she’d experienced holidays on tropical islands on the Great Barrier Reef and Fiji. But this place hit Grace emotionally and she couldn’t understand why.