It’s been an amazing, and in some ways scary, couple of weeks. A pandemic has been declared; the stock market’s crashed; the oil price has tanked; borders are closed; sporting and community events halted; even Anzac Day effectively cancelled for the first time since the Second World War.

This week I was invited to help out at the “Pit to Port” event for school students, run by Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA). There were about 60 Gladstone students from the local High schools learning about supply chain logistics with help from local industry representatives.

Last weekend my wife and I along with some good friends attended an awareness and fundraising gala for the “Restore More” organization, held at the Gladstone Entertainment Centre. “Restore More” helps educate sufferers of breast cancer about diagnosis and treatment options.

My first part time job as a teenager in Gladstone was a milk delivery run. This meant starting work at 3am in the morning, heading to the old PCD milk factory to load up with milk and dairy products and heading off to deliver around the suburbs of Gladstone.

The bushfires which have engulfed large parts of the country have made for a tragic start to the decade for many Australian communities, but as we have seen so often in the tough times, the best qualities of Australians have been on display.

As happens this time of year, the various TV channels are bringing out their “Year that Was” specials: who had a baby; who died; who got married; who got divorced; who went to war with whom; who got elected; who fell from grace…and on and on.

I was recently in touch with my American friends who were in the midst of celebrating Thanksgiving. In my humble opinion, Thanksgiving is one of the world’s best holidays. It reportedly dates back to November 1621, when the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth Massachusetts to celebrate in gratitude for the harvest.

In recent weeks, we’ve witnessed the heartbreaking plight of so many Aussies as they struggle to come to terms with their losses in the bushfires. Many of those affected have toughed out a living on the land, grappling with droughts and fires and flood for years. Now, some have lost everything.

In the last “Fuel for Thought” I reflected on the amazing artistic talent that is a vibrant part of our community. I’ve since been thinking about the art and craft of our own team here at QER and the range of skills that never ceases to amaze me. Like maintaining the Storey Bridge, keeping our plant in good condition is an on-going labour of love.

Last column I talked about how Gladstone is a key player in producing the commodities which are the building blocks of our quality of life in the developed world. And one of the benefits our comfortable civilization gives us is the time and opportunity to express ourselves through the arts.

Last week I attended Gladstone Engineering Alliance’s annual conference with Peter Zambelli, QER’s General Manager. We also attended the Gala dinner at which the achievements of so many hard working and innovative people involved in the Gladstone Engineering sector were celebrated.

Recently a friend (and former work colleague) took it upon himself to celebrate his birthday by walking a Marathon distance at Spinnaker Park while raising charity for the Mission to Seafarers and Roseberry House. This got me thinking about how innovative, committed and energetic people in our community are.

It is a hard act to follow but here goes… I’m very pleased to be able to introduce myself as QER’s new Gladstone Site Superintendent. Firstly, I’d like to thank my predecessor, Bruce Andersen and wish him and Anna well in retirement.

After 21 years, 5040 Morning Coffees, 221,760 km travel to and from work, and at least 10 forgotten lunches my time at QER is coming to an end. I am retiring and whilst it brings with it a sense of the unknown, it also provides for a time of reflection of what was and an opportunity to say some important thank-you(s).

A number of years ago I was having dinner at Scotty’s restaurant – a sorely missed part of Gladstone’s culinary history. It was a pleasant and uneventful evening until a lady sitting near me stood up and staggered back with a terrified look in her eyes.

We all look for a bit of adventure in our lives from time to time. It gives us something to talk about, and an experience to share, dream about and more often than not, save for. It’s what keeps me going – that ‘something’ to look forward to.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen enough of Neil Armstrong over the last week to keep you going for another decade. Those first few lunar steps were one of humankind’s great achievements, and there’s no doubting the skills and courage of the two brave astronauts who first set foot on that little, moving rock, 384,000 kilometres away.

The last edition of this column was titled “Living Safety” and contained the ominous words “…a busy (and potentially dangerous) time on our roads, so take extra care and be patient”. Perhaps I should have added “touch wood”.

We’ve recently held a course at QER to keep our people up to date with the many legislated safety requirements that fall on us as a mine and process plant. While the legislation is a bit complicated, the heart of the requirements is very simple: managing risk to an acceptable level.

I’m a classic motorbike fan, and one of the features I like about bikes is the reserve fuel tank which most have. It’s maybe not the most sexy feature on a bike, but it’s always there as a backup and has saved me from many a long, hot walk.