Editor's Note

Hi Everyone,

Wow - what a week! I feel like I have truly experienced the depth and diversity of our wonderful region over the past seven days, and it reminds me not only how lucky I am to have such a cool job, but also how lucky we all are to live in this incredible region.

On Friday night I drove down from my home in Cannonvale to the bright city lights of Mackay to attend the Whitsunday Voices Youth Festival Literary Dinner with my partner and our friends.

The keynote speaker was political commentator and comedian, Annabel Crabb, who regaled the audience with how she progressed from country girl to one of the most respected journalists in Australia.

She also shared a deeply personal story about how her older brother had recently and tragically died by suicide.

When she was a young journo, Annabel was not allowed to report on any deaths of this kind, and it was very moving to see her stand up now as an important public figure and speak so openly about it.

Hopefully her message will encourage us all to speak about suicide and more broadly mental health, rather than hide it away.

Continuing on with my theme of incredible Whitsunday experiences, on Monday afternoon myself and two of the team were lucky to be invited on a ‘joyride’ aboard Viper Whitsundays.

This new highspeed vessel can take passengers to the outer Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven all in one day.

It’s amazing to think tourists can now get to the outer reef in less than an hour!

This incredible experience was backed-up on Tuesday afternoon by a four-wheel drive adventure tour of the proposed Twin Creeks Eco Park site.

It was great to meet the enthusiastic developers and I had a great time bobbing along through muddy puddles and creek beds on the four-wheel drive buggy alongside Mayor Julie and other council representatives.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter” (Bernard Baruch)

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