Kat Finnerty thought she had conquered the part of her trip after successfully climbing Manaro Voui — an active volcano on the northern Vanuatu island of Ambae in 2024.
What should have been a "relatively short" trip on the inter-island ferry to the nearest big island soon became a situation, as darkness brought rough seas and large swells.
The ferry, which she said looked more like an "old fishing trawler", pitched violently back and forth.
Ms Finnerty was pinned to the floor while her daughter was violently seasick.
The ferry arrived in Santo after midnight, six hours behind schedule.
Last week, it never arrived at its destination port in Ambae at all.
On Friday, the MV Matui sunk in bad weather while carrying an estimated 55 passengers and crew.
Two people have since been confirmed dead, 14 have been rescued while 39 others remain missing.
According to local media, a criminal complaint has been brought against the captain and management team of the vessel, Tui Shipping, for allegedly evading inspectors and carrying more passengers than authorised.
The ABC has contacted Tui Shipping for comment.
The Vanuatu government is meanwhile over its response to the disaster, as families of those missing continue to await news of their loved ones.
Mark Turnbull was among the first rescuers to respond on Saturday — about 24 hours after the boat sank.
Neil Baird, a maritime researcher who has written extensively on marine safety and transport in the Pacific Islands, said Pacific nations have among the highest rates of ferry deaths in the world per capita.