All at sea in love! SUSANNA'S LIFE OF SURPRISES

After the photo journalist's ocean escapades, she's hoping for a quieter chapter

- Kasia De Vydt-Jillings

Photographer Susanna BurtonThompson has lived a remarkable P life with plenty of stories to tell. From the rescue of 93 Vietnamese refugees at sea to World Vision missions in Africa, or being rescued by the Chilean Navy after the ship she and 130 others lived on crashed, she's captured it all on camera.

"I've had such a fortunate life," enthuses Susanna.

With zero prior experience, her first photography job was as a teenager for then-controversial NZ Truth newspaper.

Susanna went on to run a successful wedding photography business for 22 years, alongside her sister Penny Jones. She travelled the world with World Vision and the Operation Mobilisation Christian missionary ships, Logos and Doulos.

Crewed by volunteers, Operation Mobilisation still sails the world, selling religious and educational books in ports around the globe. Since 1970, they have welcomed 50 million visitors on board.

Susanna was 28 when she joined in 1980, deciding to book a one-way flight to Rarotonga to deliver her application in person, ready for an immediate start.