The Sixty Miler

In 1951 William, a Scottish ship's engineer, met a student nurse called Sarah while on leave in Sydney. They fell in love, but were separated when William's ship resumed its voyage. It took him over a year to fulfil his promise and return to her, and when he did, he worked on the 'sixty milers', the little coal-carrying steamships that used to plough the treacherous 64 nautical mile route between Sydney and the Newcastle coalfields. The Sixty Miler skilfully weaves together William and Sarah's love story and the fascinating history of the sixty milers, set against the constantly changing moods of the sea.