{"id":389587,"date":"2026-01-03T19:33:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/389587\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T19:33:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:33:04","slug":"the-moment-i-knew-i-was-ready-to-paddle-back-to-shore-when-she-leaned-in-to-kiss-me-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/389587\/","title":{"rendered":"The moment I knew: I was ready to paddle back to shore when she leaned in to kiss me | Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2015, I\u2019d been living in Vanuatu<\/a> for a year, coaching the Vanuatu women\u2019s beach volleyball team as they aimed to qualify for the Rio Olympics. I was a volunteer through an Australian government program, and a new intake of Australians were arriving in Port Vila one afternoon in February so I went to the Australian High Commission to meet them.<\/p>\n

I got chatting with this gorgeous and bubbly girl called Kath, who\u2019d been volunteering in Indonesia. I thought we were meeting for the first time, but as I introduced myself, Kath explained that we had in fact met before, walking across Pyrmont Bridge in Sydney during our training weekend.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still not sure how I didn\u2019t remember her, as she was very attractive. She was also witty and easygoing. We chatted about volunteering, and how we were both keen on the outdoors and keeping fit. At another event the following day we exchanged numbers.<\/p>\n

Waking up to a message from Kath asking if I wanted to go for a run made me feel very excited to say the least. I asked her to take a bus to Pango, where I was living, and we ran together to the beach.<\/p>\n

Sweaty and enjoying each other\u2019s company, we borrowed a paddleboard from my neighbour and took it out on the water in the secluded bay. We spent a good chunk of the morning paddleboarding, chatting away about our families, what we wanted to do after volunteering and things like refugee rights and social justice. We both had adventurous spirits and our worldviews were very similar. We could both sense the chemistry between us.<\/p>\n

In Port Vila in 2015 on the night Andrew and Kath said they loved each other. Photograph: Guardian Design\/Andrew Ngeh<\/p>\n

Later that night \u2013 at yet another social barbecue \u2013 I remember wanting to be by Kath\u2019s side the whole time. I sensed she wanted to be with me too. The Australian Open men\u2019s final between Djokovic and Murray was on the screen and I sat next to Kath near the back of the room. I started gently rubbing her back and suddenly we were holding hands.<\/p>\n

The next afternoon, we met again for another paddle out in the bay. As the sun was setting over the clear, calm waters, we sat on the board facing each other. It felt like the perfect setting for a romantic first kiss, but then Kath started explaining she didn\u2019t want to get involved with anyone while she was in Vanuatu. I was disappointed, but respected her decision. Then, as I was preparing to paddle us back to shore, she leaned in to kiss me. I was taken aback, but very very happy.<\/p>\n

Back on dry land, I cooked us dinner and Kath stayed the night.<\/p>\n

Kath\u2019s assignment was on an island called Malekula and I was based in Port Vila, so we knew any relationship we may be starting would have to be long-distance. A few days later, in Kath\u2019s hotel room, she told me she loved me. I said it back, with no hesitation. It was the first time I\u2019d said those three words to anybody.<\/p>\n

Andrew and Kath at Efate\u2019s Havannah Harbour in 2016. Photograph: Andrew Ngeh<\/p>\n

We parted, but I visited her as often as I could. On weekends, we\u2019d trek to remote waterfalls, swim at deserted beaches and cook local recipes. I felt so lucky.<\/p>\n

Then, in March 2015, news came of a huge cyclone approaching. Kath was evacuated from Malekula to Port Vila, and all the volunteers were moved to the same hotel for safety. The winds were intense that night, reaching more than 300km\/h. We crammed together under the stairwell as the roof of the hotel creaked and groaned. No one slept.<\/p>\n

When it was deemed safe to leave, we spent two days helping to clean up and deliver food and water. Even though we were doing as much as we could, it was frustrating not to be able to do more. Kath and I bonded on a deeper level during those days. One evening she held my hand, looked at me and said: \u201cWe\u2019re doing our best.\u201d It really helped and it was true. We continued helping until the bigger organisations ramped up their relief efforts.<\/p>\n

Andrew and Kath on their wedding day in 2019. Photograph: Guardian Design\/Andrew Ngeh<\/p>\n

Kath moved in with me shortly after that. Her assignment on the island was shut down after the cyclone and she volunteered in Port Vila instead. It was blissful for a while, but Kath struggled with anxiety after the cyclone and in August she returned to Australia for three weeks. I flew over to visit, and we returned to Vanuatu together \u2013 she wanted me to complete my assignment and I was determined to support her recovery. When my role finished in May 2016, we decided to move to Lismore, Australia, permanently.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been together for a decade now. I proposed to Kath in Ubud, Bali, and we married in 2019 in Lismore \u2013 where Kath grew up. She has a beautiful soul, and is thoughtful, caring and kind. We have three children, a four-year-old boy and twin girls who are five months old.<\/p>\n

In Lismore in 2025: \u2018Parenthood has brought out the best in both of us.\u2019 Photograph: Andrew Ngeh<\/p>\n

Parenthood has brought out the best in both of us, and it has helped us reflect more deeply on how we want to live our lives. We\u2019ve been back to Port Vila three times since we left and we plan on moving back in a few years\u2019 time so our children can experience island life too \u2013 and the magic of Vanuatu that brought us all together in the first place.<\/p>\n

Tell us the moment you knew<\/p>\n

Share your experience<\/p>\n

Share your love story<\/p>\n

Do you have a romantic realisation you’d like to share? From quiet domestic scenes to dramatic revelations, Guardian Australia wants to hear about the moment you knew you were in love<\/p>\n

Your responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For alternative ways to get in touch securely please see our tips guide<\/a>.Show more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2015, I\u2019d been living in Vanuatu for a year, coaching the Vanuatu women\u2019s beach volleyball team as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":389588,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-389587","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/389588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}