24 Sept 65 : Farewell America, next stop Tahiti! : Los Angeles, California

'Life has been very hectic for us. We have been in banks and stockbrokers, customs, immigration, tax offices, etc, all week...'

20 Sept 65 : A big shock from home : Los Angeles, California

'I wish I could be there right now to offer a comforting word, especially to Mum. You both sounded so heartbroken and dejected...'

19 Sept 65 : Theme park thrills : Disneyland, California

'Had a great day yesterday. We went to Disneyland which I'm sure you have heard of...'

17 Sept 65 : Last days in America : San Diego, California

'We spent the morning cleaning and waxing the van in preparation for the sea voyage...'

16 Sept 65 : Short and sweet : San Diego, California

'I have decided that San Diego (and its suburbs) is by far the best place in the States...'

11 Sept 1965 : Giant trees, film stars and cowboys : Malibu Beach, California

'We had a very pleasant dinner and then they really surprised us. They offered us a house on the beach at Malibu...'

6 Sept 65 : Beauty and bears : Yosemite National Park, California

'There is a fabulous crystal clear river which starts high in the mountains, and our campsite is quite near to the edge...'

5 Sept 65 : Caught looking silly : San Francisco, California

'We were going to look pretty silly when he came to us, two grown men sitting in their pyjamas at 8:45 pm listening to the Beatles...'

1963 : Helen Klaben and Ralph Flores : An incredible tale of Alaskan survival

'Though they even ate their toothpaste, their meagre rations ran out entirely after 15 days.'

3 Sept 65 : Soon we’ll be sailors : San Francisco, California

'It was all settled, with one provision, that the Captain had to approve of us, and as the ship was in San Francisco docks we were asked to go on board and see the captain...