What next?

How embarrassing… You’d think there’d be some respect shown to an old dog, but oh no, not in this family. It may be true that I’m a little anxious at the moment and I have been licking my leg a little obsessively (but they say cleanliness is next to godliness…) There may in fact be Continue reading


Babinda magic

The heat shimmers on the road as I drive south. The sugar cane in the fields is all newly planted and the stacks at the sugar mills stand silent guard over their domains. The sky’s turned pale blue as though the light is too bright for it.  Summer has arrived. In North Queensland the razorback Continue reading


Writer adrift?

Time to break out the champagne – and this time it’s not to celebrate the launch of a new book (although that’s coming in June 2013!!). No, this time champagne is called for because, after fifteen years of dreaming and planning, the next phase of our lives is suddenly here. We’re about to become live-aboard Continue reading


Featured in The Weekend Australian

Cold War thriller sparks novel approach BY:MY FAVOURITE NOVEL – HELENE YOUNG From:The Australian October 06, 2012 12:00AM John Le Carre’s classic novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. CHOOSE one favourite book? That’s too difficult. I’ve lost count of my favourites across the years.   I can however, share a book that changed Continue reading


Tropical Writers Festival

It’s on again! This weekend readers, writers, lovers of poetry, comedy fans and anyone interested in stories will descend on Cairns for the Tropical Writers Festival. The event is being held at Rydges Tradewinds Hotel on the Esplanade. Friday will see poet wordsmith, David Stavanger, working with writers on transforming their stories from the page to Continue reading


Island time

It’s inevitable when you work in aviation that aircraft will have mechanical issues and delays will occur. Most airline pilots will find themselves stuck in a noisy terminal waiting for the engineers to work their magic. Where I work it’s a little more exciting than that! We had a five hour delay on Horn Island Continue reading


RuBYs and Diamonds

I’m exhausted, I’m uplifted, I’m smiling, I’m suffering brain overload, I’m inspired and I’m finally home. That can mean only one thing – I’ve been to the RWA Diamonds Are Forever conference on the Gold Coast. Every year it gets better and this was no exception. The fact a professional organistation like RWA is run Continue reading


Cooktown Charm

Ever heard of a ‘wet jocks’ competition? No? Neither had I until yesterday, but apparently they’re as much fun, only different, as a ‘wet t-shirt competition.’ When I made the long trek north to Cooktown to run a one day writing workshop for Queensland Writers Centre I was expecting to meet some interesting people and Continue reading


Mareeba Welcome

The National Year of Reading has opened so many doors this year and I’ve enjoyed walking through every single one of them! Thursday night I was in Mareeba chatting to the friendly folk at the library. Thanks to Wendy, Francis and the team for their welcome. I loved the display they’d put together! The Border Continue reading