How Good Are Humans

Why would we cut down trees?Trees filter the air and exhale the oxygen we breath, sequester carbon and store it in the soil, clean the soil of pollutants and excess nitrogen, reduce urban heat, bring rainfall and stabilise climates, provide shade under which we exist in comfort, lock in soil to stop erosion, provide homes for wildlife and branches for children to climb, quell storm surges, reduce flooding and stabilise river banks, improve water quality, reduce noise pollution, grow an abundance of food free of charge, increase property values, form parks and forests for our recreation and leisure, improve mental health, add heritage and cultural value to an area, provide inspiration for product creation and innovation such as solar energy, building cooling and water harvesting systems, communicate with each other through a silent language to bolster their longevity, and then replicate and reproduce without any effort required from us. So I ask again: in our infinite wisdom, and considering all of this, why would we cut down trees?We still find our reasons; and, unfortunately, we destroy more than we replace. In the absence of the Lorax, someone does need to speak for the trees. On this episode of the podcast, I found two: Boyd and Sarah from Treeforce Cairns. In 30 years, Treeforce volunteers have planted more than 200,000 trees in one city. Boyd and Sarah spoke to me about why that effort was necessary, and why the need for tree planting and reforestation is more pressing than ever.

Feminism achieved colossal triumphs in the 19th and 20th centuries after fierce battles for legal, social and economic equalities. The right to vote, the right to work, the right to divorce, the right to equal pay and freedom from sexual exploitation were a handful of important wins for Australian society. In the modern western world, it could be argued the great injustices have been corrected, or have they not? Despite what would seem to be the most pluralist time to be alive, trust between the sexes has been measured at all-time lows. Strident opinions are hurtling down echo chambers at both male and female audiences, demanding that no gender cedes ground to another. Bring in transgender activism, and you have a confluence of outrage and division rising social tension to a boil. In what contexts does inequality still beleaguer and harm Australian women? On what new fronts are feminists fighting? Where has entrenchment led to stalemate? Where do we risk regression? And how do we need to communicate to arrest and reverse the most alarming recent trends?Author and senior writer for the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald Jacqueline Maley joins me to discuss this topic and put as many answers as she can to some difficult questions.Jacquline is the host of the weekly Inside Politics podcast for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, and her column is published in both papers each Sunday. She is also the author of two books; her most recent, Lonely Mouth, can be purchased online and in bookshops today. 

Humans need stories. We are stories, each of us, and some of our stories are so great they've been written down. Others have invented stories, be they allegorical or pure fiction, for no reason more than brewing and spilling another provocative and entertaining piece to our cultural ether. But no story is guaranteed permanence. In fact, almost all are guaranteed the opposite. It takes a librarian to preserve them, and sometimes resurrect them.This is what Rob Fadaely does for a living, and from behind his desk he has a unique view of the world through the books he stocks and customers he greets. Over the decades, he's noticed our collective story grow and change.He's more than just a second-hand bookstore owner, and his shop is more than a second-hand bookstore. Here's why.

Bridges, roads and railways don't just appear out of thin air, and the government doesn't walk around tossing wads of cash into a city's letterbox. Someone has to not only ask for it, but put their reputation on the line by pointing out where billions of dollars in domestic and International investment will be best spent. An economy, therefore, relies on those who can best advocate for it.Jennifer Spilsbury, CEO of Advance Cairns and former editor of the Cairns Post, is that person, among a few others, for Far North Queensland. The future image of Cairns and the Far North, the most populous region north of Brisbane, will be shaped in no small part by the decisions she makes. No pressure, right?

It's a tough time to become a politician in Australia. Housing supply is short and prices are high, the climate is changing but society still can't agree why or what to do about it, cost of living is on everyone's minds every day and AI is about to take all our jobs and maybe even exterminate us for good measure. Who do we consistently blame for our problems? Politicians. While they may deserve part of the blame, they're expected to fix the problems in a thankless environment; we demand of them, but we trust them less and less.Add onto that layers of socioeconomic issues caused by the tyranny of distance and a category-5 cyclone closing in fast, and you have the federal seat of Leichhardt, which Matt Smith was elected to in 2024.Matt joined me on the podcast to talk about housing, health and jobs. We discussed the government's recent climate change risk assessment, biodiversity loss and feral species management, rising house insurance premiums, growing burdens on the healthcare system, and the approaching AI tidal wave. We had this discussion with category-5 Tropical Cyclone Narelle about 24 hours from impact.

Starting a gym routine can be confusing and daunting. Many people still believe a gym is only good for stripping weight or getting uselessly buff, that real fitness is not built under barbells. Even if a newbie takes a courageous step into a gym, it could be just days before they're demotivated by the bewildering array of machines or the intimidating presence of god-like figures walking here and there in muscle singlets or scrunch shorts. For those that last a few months, the gap between their expectations and results, possibly caused by poor techniques and a terrible diet, will leave them thinking "what's the point?", and they'll never place a sweaty butt cheek on a gym bench for the rest of their lives.All of this anxiety, uncertainty and confusion can be eliminated by working with a coach; specifically, a physical trainer and nutrition coach.Enter a professional like Adriana Huyser. Adriana went through the standard stop-start-stop relationship with a gym, all the while battling body image issues. But something eventually clicked for her. Since then, she has won bodybuilding competitions, become a coach and used an empathetic mind to train many others into realising their fitness goals. Adriana has since grappled with other health challenges, but she still shows up for herself and her clients every day. On the podcast, she takes us through her personal and professional fitness journey and explains what worked for her and what she thinks will work for others.

Warren Entsch served in Australia's federal parliament for almost three decades. He worked with half a dozen Prime Ministers and witnessed the passage of some of the nation's greatest shifts in social and economic policy.He was an entrenched backbencher with an outsized influence and outsized opinions. He stood against enraged gun owners in his own community after the Port Arthur massacre, he brushed off demands to scrap mentions of climate change from Great Barrier Reef health reports. But most famously, he stared down a Prime Minister and much of his own party to change Australia's marriage laws, a key moment of defiance that catalysed the legalisation of gay marriage. Mr Entsch attracted a fair share of criticism and controversy during his career and many have disagreed with facets of his conduct as a member of parliament. But tellers of history must not neglect the background of the endeavour to correct Australia's last great legal inequality, and the role Mr Entsch played in that crusade. 

Anna Middleton was elected as the Division 7 councillor to Cairns Regional Council in 2024 as an unaligned and independent candidate with a low budget, grassroots effort, beating other candidates with more cash and more recognisable names. Since her election, she has leant on the expertise of industry professionals, scientists and experienced public servants to guide her decisions in the council chamber — an evidence-based approach that has won and lost voter sympathy in seemingly equal measure, and caused her to clash with the emotional and idealised decisions of other influential people in Queensland’s political landscape. 

Bronwyn Opie is the director of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, a leading Queensland advocacy organisation for climate change action and ecological conservation.

Adam Stephen is a journalist and radio presenter who has hosted ABC Queensland's regional Drive radio program for twelve years, a weekday show now broadcast to three-quarters of Australia's second largest and third most populous state. 

Atlantis is an artist whose story is equal parts amazing and terrifying. Just listen, ok.

Martin is a zoologist and ecologist based in Cairns, Far North Queensland, as well as a tour guide that has led wildlife tours in places such as Antarctica and Africa. On this episode, Martin and I speak about Australian ecology and biodiversity, the impacts of climate change on Australia’s natural habitats, Martin’s work as a zoologist around the world and the time he got drunk with Sir David Attenborough.

Mike Atkinson is an adventurer and film maker who was a finalist on the first season of Alone Australia. He has had a career in the military as an aviator and survival instructor and has since turned his attention to completing extraordinary feats of adventure and survival while telling stories of the Australian environment. He has recently campaigned against government overreach that affects how everyday Australians enjoy their natural environment.

To walk into Coles or Woolworths is a step into a foreign land. Row upon row, aisle upon aisle, an abundance of food, will sit before our eyes. Some, maybe most of it, has been grown or produced in Australia, but nearly all of did not originate here. Its native lands are across the seas.Before 1788, Australia was a nation with its own food sustaining a continent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples. Then the colonisation of foreign plants and animals cleared out native produce until bush tucker, as it has come to be known, became little more than a gimmick that grew out in "woop woop". Barely any native foods are consumed by modern Australians. Barely any of it is known. Some, like the lean kangaroo and gamey goanna, stand in plain view not as food but as amusing decorations on the landscape. Some people have made it their mission to guide our focus toward and change our perspectives of Australian foods. One of them, perhaps the top example, is Samatha Martin, also known as the Bush Tukka Woman. So slide some lemon myrtle boomer tail between ya teeth and get stuck into this juicy podcast episode all about real Australian foods.

If professional sporting success was a 100m racetrack, the starting blocks being discovery of the sport and the finish line being a major sports contract, the track ahead would appear totally different for a young girl compared to the track for a young boy. The boys' track would be flat and open; they would just have to focus on beating the others crouched on their left and right. The stadium would be packed with spectators and the trophy would be huge.The girls' track, by contrast, would be sloped, littered with hurdles and obstructed by stop signs where it intersected with the boys' track. The stadium would be three-quarters empty during their event and the trophy at the finish line may not even be worth the cost of racing to it.If a young woman is dissuaded from an active life, daunted by the tortuous task of running that race, she will likely experience serious health consequences.Libby Cook-Black is working to level the track, remove some of the obstacles, help young women leap the rest and disentangle the girls' track from the boys'. Libby is a former professional athlete who represented Australia and Queensland in Rugby, and she has experienced most of the difficulties that journey imposes upon an aspiring female athlete. She hopes her fight, and the fight of her sporting sisters, has cleared some of the path for the coming generations. 

Dining out can be the most delightful, satiating experience of our week, or our most disappointing. We all know the feeling of being promised the world on a menu but discovering we’ve been catfished when the plate arrives. Many of us have sweated over finding a satisfying first date restaurant. Almost all of us just want to find the perfect coffee, which can seem like chasing the end of a rainbow.Well, business isn’t all that easy for chefs and cafe owners either. They’re not clairvoyants who’ve authored a menu with your exact taste in mind. They’re taking risks every day just to keep the doors open. And, despite popular opinion, the customer is not always right.So how do we know the dining experience we’re paying for is worth our money? And is coffee really going to hit $10 a cup by the end of the year?Here to educate us on all important matters regarding food and hospitality is Olly James, owner of Guyala, Caffeind and Tattooed Sailor in Cairns, and a man who enjoys being the customer just as much as restaurateur.

Finding mental health support can be an expensive, inaccessible and intimidating experience. This experience is additionally difficult for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And men are doggedly reluctant to seek out health services, let alone mental health services, until the last safe moment; sometimes, not until it's too late. Indigenous children are witnessing family breakdowns and domestic violence on an alarming scale. They are suffering a separation with traditional culture, they are more likely to be incarcerated and to die young, and they are suiciding at a rate far above the mean for Australia.The team at Kunjur Men's Collective in Cairns are working to change this, and they're succeeding.Bernard Sabadi, the founder of the group, joins me to discuss their efforts.

When an economy has a lot of potential to grow, but is also stalked by a fair risk of stall and decline, it takes experienced thought leaders, regional development experts and policy wonks to gently, or firmly, guide decision makers to steer the economic vehicle into the correct lane.Professor Hurriyet Babacan is such a person, and has the resumé, intellect and drive to lay social and economic development plans at the feet of government.As a JCU and CQU professor, and chair of the Tropical North branch of Regional Development Australia, it is Prof Babacan's day job to find new ways to improve the lives of regional Queenslanders. We discussed many of her ideas and areas of research on this episode of the podcast.

Tilmann Waldthaler has cycled more than 600,000km through 143 countries. He has spent hours in conversation with Bob Marley, been almost murdered and bombed in Iran, and met the love of his life in the middle of the Sahara Desert. He has experienced the best of humanity. At 83, he is happy, he is a picture of health and he still cycles 100km every day. 

For more than 40 years Brian Cassey has watched suffering, tragedy, hope, elation and thrill through a few curved glass elements, waiting for moments of greatest importance and nearest perfect illumination to manifest. When they do, he stamps them into history via a 35mm grouping of pixels. The next morning, the moments are tossed onto your doorstep where you unfurl them in the calm of your home. Meanwhile, Brian is still at the epicentre of interest, looking for tomorrow's breaking news.For decades, photojournalism has accompanied, complemented and led reporting to keep the world informed of disaster, corruption, development and deceit. It has brought down the mighty, exposed hidden wrongdoing and told stories of those long ignored. Brian has captured images in natural disaster zones, during military coups and humanitarian crises. He has told the stories of refugees, abused children, prostitutes, forgotten communities and weathered journeymen. Newspaper editors have consistently placed Brian's award-winning images on their front pages. So what's it like waiting five days in a Papua New Guinea brothel to build enough trust with a woman so you can tell the world about the realities of sexual slavery in Oceania? What's it like photographing and sharing the stories of humans living in cages, or snapping a wannabe military dictator as his gun points at you atop his desk? Brian shares these stories and many more, and also tells us what the world might be like if he and his colleagues aren't given a role to play in the future.

In a slow week, Dr Ebbie Swemmer examines the skins of dozens of patients, performs many surgeries and saves people from the horrible fate of melanomas and other aggressive skin cancers. In a busy week, he is run off his feet, often as the only skin care option for thousands of remote Queenslanders. In a year he sees up to 10,000 patients from outback towns. He extends the hours of his practice to fit more people into his diary and shows leniency to those who struggle to afford care. If his service was to disappear, an entire geographical region would be at risk of medical neglect. Ebbie is almost 79 years old.For five decades Ebbie has provided a suite of medical surgeries and services throughout remote communities in South Africa and Australia. He used to treat a dozen stab wounds a week in South African mines. He has performed more than 2000 caesarean surgeries. For the past decade he has chosen to provide his care and expertise to Far North Queensland's inland communities.He has recently moved his practice, Rural Medical Skin Clinic, even further inland to Mutchilba, a community of farmers that, until his arrival, had grown used to travelling hours to find medical treatment.He also has history as a military officer, a farmer, a naturalist and a diver. He has lived many lives in the space of one. He has no desire to slow down and is planning to expand his practice and recruit more doctors to rural Queensland. But if he is unsuccessful in attracting more medical talent, he worries what might become of his patients’ health when one day he does, or is forced to, stop.

On episode 52 of the podcast, I speak with Assistant Commissioner Brett Schafferius and Sergeant Lyall McKelvie from the Far North Queensland police district about several police and crime topics. Brett and Lyall have a combined six decades of police experience across multiple disciplines, and have seen about as much as a policing career can offer.We spoke about the police response to recent, horrific events in the state, how police are adapting their approaches to tackling youth crime, trends in domestic violence across Queensland, the scale of drug-related crime and the danger of stings on drug labs, and how the public can work with police for better outcomes.The officers also shared stories from their careers, both tragic and humorous, and described what a career in policing can offer. men have a combined six decades of police experience across multiple disciplines, and have seen about as much as a policing career can offer.

Jill Boltz is a two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games medalist and former world record holder in two athletics distances. She is now devoting her time to training future generations of athletes in the outer regions of Queensland where talented kids typically have not had a fair go. On this episode we spoke about her own Olympic journey and how she is readying those who have a chance of representing Australia at the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

The How Good are Humans podcast recently published its 50th episode.To celebrate, we have chosen the top 15 moments from the first 50 episodes and ranked them here in this special episode of the podcast that looks back on an awesome group of humans with truly inspiring stories to share.Warning, this episode contains distressing material and topics such as suicide and sexual assault. Support can be found by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14 and 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 (call 000 in a life-threatening situation).

Shai Ager leads the largest wildlife rescue organisation in Queensland. She and her team have rescued and relocated almost 1000 macropods (kangaroos and wallabies) in conditions that even environmental scientists said were impossible. She personally cares for dozens of wild animals at her own property, consults locally and interstate, and is sent around the country to rescue the most delicate animals and the rarest species in highly sensitive conditions. She has fought government, fought stereotypes from the public and sometimes even fought against persons in her own sector who have tried to stop her and tear her down, and she had triumphed. And she is still only 27.Boisterous, smart and driven, Shai is a whirlwind of inspiration. 

Three decades ago, Suellen Maunder was using her own furniture as stage props for the productions of what was then thought of as a radical, audacious and in-your-face theatre company. As an actor and director, Suellen and her co-boundary pushers have challenged audiences in regional Australia to see beyond the facades of their own towns and traditional beliefs. Now the JUTE Theatre Company, of which she is the founder and CEO, is recognised as "one of the most innovative and influential art institutions of Australia". After 32 years of engrossing theatre goers, building successive generations of dramatic talent and opening the sector (and the community) to marginalised groups, Suellen is retiring. We took the opportunity to reflect on her life and career, and just how much murder it has involved.Image credit: JUTE Theatre Company

Lucy Graham is going deep into the subarctic wilderness, alone. Bears, storms and isolation will be her frenemies for three months. So why is she doing this? For fun? Sure. To challenge her adventurous spirit? Absolutely. What about for a cause even greater, beyond just herself?For years Lucy has lived with pain, drop-you-to-your-knees pain. She previously kayaked more than 2000km along the Canadian coast, suffering in her body every day, but she didn't know what the pain was. Now she does, and she's paddling toward a solution for her and the million Australian women who share her torment.Lucy is a powerful woman on a mission.

Tracey Hannah is one of the best downhill mountain bikers of all time. As one of the most extreme sports in the world, downhill MTB is replete with stories of catastrophic injuries. Tracey has suffered more than her fair share. But that did not stop her from becoming an eleven-time national champion as well as a world champion in both the junior and elite categories. She literally won a national title with a femur that was still fractured. This lady is a hardcore competitor, and you will love her story. Image credit: Tracey Hannah

Dr Narayan Gopalkrishnan has made an impact on some of the toughest problems challenging some of the most impoverished communities across the world. Now, the James Cook University professor and leader within Far North Queensland's social enterprise sector is putting the case to government to properly address and fix Northern Australia's most intractable social and economic issues while strengthening the region's economy and harnessing unused talent from Cairns to the Torres Strait Islands.

Rob Hodge possibly has the largest heart in Far North Queensland, and he is applying it and his street smarts to keeping troubled kids out of prison and giving them a shot a life, which many of them are born without.As the youngest of 21 children born into poverty in New Zealand, Rob quickly became familiar with the hard life. He was kicked out of every school in the country's North Island. His family were connected to gangs, and he routinely committed offences. But his world changed when he became a 20-year-old father.Some decades later, Rob has reversed his fortunes and is living for others.

Barney Swan is an adventurer and entrepreneur who has trekked to the South Pole three times before the age of 30 and is now regenerating a 527-acre patch of the Daintree Rainforest while building a replicable polyculture model that encapsulates and protects the strength of biodiversity, is economically viable and is pliable to cultural needs.The goal of his organisation, Climate Force, is to plant more than 450,000 trees from 190 native species before 2030.

Building mountain biking trails can completely transform a city. In one Tasmanian case, new trails turned a town that history almost forgot into an economic victory and happiness mecca.Glen Jacobs is the brains behind those trails as well as many others in the most picturesque parts of the world.On this episode of the podcast, Glen speaks about how he designs trails, where he’s currently building them and their town-improving potential. He also explains why mountain biking is a portal to pure wellbeing for the whole family.Image credit: World Trail

What do housing supply, commute times, obesity rates, water shortages, neighbourhood crime, tempers, leisure, culture, thermometer readings, employment opportunities and your nearest ice cream shop all have in common?Answer: they are all affected by how your city or town is designed.If the experts aren't consulted, then your social and economic outcomes are affected, perhaps irreversibly. On this episode of the podcast, Nikki Huddy, who was awarded Australia's Town Planner of the Year in 2021, explains what your city needs to survive and thrive in the coming decades, and how it is up to all of us to ensure it.

More than two decades ago a Cairns citizen would have needed to travel hundreds, maybe thousands, of kilometres to receive certain medical treatment residents of other cities could access locally.Much of that reality has now changed thanks in large part to the mammoth efforts of a plucky and enterprising Far North Queensland charity, and its army of donors and volunteers.Over two decades the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation has raised more than $32m to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Far North residents.The foundation's CEO Gina Hogan and fundraising manager Glenys Duncombe join me to explain how millions of dollars are raised and spent each year to change lives, maybe yours, for the better.

Ever thought about running a marathon? What about an ultramarathon (distances often above 300km)?Just running one of those events in a lifetime would be an epic achievement, right? Well, yes, of course. But what about running six of them inside 12 months, setting a world record in the process? What about hallucinating a bear eating you mid-stride while wheezing through early-stage pneumonia? What about running the equivalent altitude of two Mount Everests in 90 hours with little sleep and the feeling of razors under your feet, how appealing does that sound?To Cairns' Julie Sager, it's more than appealing. It's an addiction, and a reality.Enjoy the listen.

Sarah Grainer and her family have cared for more than one hundred foster children over two decades. Some children have required just one weekend of respite, while others have stayed in the Grainers' home for years. Some children arrived with notice. At other times, Sarah has received a call a midnight from government departments seeking her help to take on a child immediately. She is among scores of kind and selfless humans in Australia caring for children who have nowhere else to turn.Each child has their own story, their own needs and their own potential. Sarah has dedicated much of her life to respecting these stories, meeting these needs and helping these children realise their potential, using hope as her guide.On this episode of the How Good are Humans podcast, Sarah describes what life can be like for foster carers and the children in care. She also explains some new policies and expectations that are challenging and stretching the care industry to its limits. Finally, she outlines how people can help the situation or support those already involved.Please share this episode with others if you appreciated the listen.

Seventy-five per cent of Australian children in foster care will not finish school. One in three will be homeless in the first year out of care and even more will not find employment.Children enter into care after experiencing neglect, abuse or both. This trauma often causes them to be disengaged from education and makes it difficult for them to build healthy relationships with other adults and children.The foster carers do an enormous task,  but there are many challenges. They need to prepare meals, organise medical appointments, liaise with support workers and government departments, and do the school drop-off and pick-up. They will often have multiple children under the one roof.The Pyjama Foundation, which was founded in Queensland, ameliorates this situation by pairing affected children with volunteers who help with homework, build self-esteem, teach new skills and act as positive role models. The Pyjama Foundation is aligned with the quote “it takes a village to raise a child”.On this episode, I speak to Joeleen Bettini, the Far North Queensland coordinator for the Pyjama Foundation. We speak about the problems faced by children in care, how the foundation works to help the children and the growing challenge of recruiting volunteers in Australia.

I speak with the team from AFL Cape York House for Girls about their mission to connect Far North Queensland's Indigenous teenagers, who unfortunately face socioeconomic disadvantage, with quality education opportunities and solid, healthy pathways beyond school while keeping them connected to their cultures.

Waynead Wolmby is an outstanding young man from Aurukun, Cape York. He has managed to beat the nation's expectations of a young Indigenous male from a remote community and is now inspiring other youth in his orbit to live fulfilling and healthy lives.I speak to Waynead about how unique education opportunities helped him launch a good life and how he's gone from a boy sitting in the red Cape York dirt to running marathons overseas. I also get his opinion on the Voice to Parliament proposal. 

Marc Harbrow is a leader in Far North Queensland's social work sector,  and has started several inspiring and wholesome entities and initiatives that focus on youth empowerment, Indigenous empowerment and community wellbeing.As a teenager, Marc was put through perilous adversity, and he shares how he pushed through and what he did with his new lease on life.Marc is the brains behind the successful youth engagement program the Fire Project, which motivates disengaged and disempowered children toward positive social outcomes.In 2022, Marc and his team successfully helped more than 1000 kids in Cairns.He also gives his opinion on what has driven the Far North's youth crime crisis.

Kim Edwards has truly had a life filled with adventure and benevolent achievement. Her journey has taken her across the world but her story is notably centred on the Middle East. She has opened schools and training institutions in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan and has co-ordinated war relief efforts in Iraq and Lebanon. She has also co-ordinated underground endurance events, such as triathlons and marathons, in countries where it is illegal to conduct such events. She was even caught on a couple of occasions.Kim has narrowly avoided kidnapping, educated the earliest cohorts of Arabic women, represented Australia at the world triathlon championships and is now working with Indigenous Australians in the remote Torres Strait Islands, and there is little sign she is slowing down anytime soon.She speaks about all of this, and more, on the latest episode of How Good are Humans.Enjoy!

What kind of thinking goes into cooking the tastiest food, brewing the most satisfying coffees and constructing a distinct hospitality vibe?Olly James, the owner of three establishments in Cairns, joins me on the podcast to answer those questions.Olly owns Caffiend in Cairns City, Guyala in Cairns North and Tattooed Sailor in Bungalow where he also runs the Coffee School.On the podcast we geek out about Guyala's Indigenous themed menu, the constitution of flavoursome food, the creative construction of a menu, the international diversity of food, the history of coffee and other topics.Enjoy!

Episode 32: Exploring the realm of committing oneself to multiple causes, and sustaining oneself throughout the journey.On this episode, Lucy Friend introduces us to her life as someone devoted to several causes, both professional and personal, and explains. how she harmonises this high level of proficient  and benevolent output.Lucy co-ordinates big environmental projects in her job role. She cares for,  raises and rehabilitates injured wildlife. She volunteers as a crisis support worker for Lifeline. She volunteers as a youth support worker for the Pyjama Foundation. She would probably be found at most environmental projects, such as tree planting days and beach clean-ups, in Far North Queensland. While doing all this, she somehow manages to sustain herself.Lucy truly is an example of someone who has identified their authentic values and embodies those values daily. She shares with us exactly how she does it.And even if she avoids the term, she really is an inspiration.

Episode 31: Exploring the Great Barrier Reef with Passions of Paradise.On this episode, Scotty and Russell from Passions of Paradise join me to discuss all things Great Barrier Reef.Passions of Paradise is an eco-tourism business located in Cairns, Far North Queensland that specialises in aquatic tours of the Great Barrier Reef—diving and snorkelling in particular.Beyond this, Passions of Paradise is practically concerned with conservation of the reef and the magnificent and massive ecosystem that relies on it.Scotty, the CEO, describes the fair-dinkum history of Passions of Paradise and its contemporary, locals-focussed operations. He also outlines the key steps in operating as an eco-tourism business, and explains Passions's strategic vision: to transform itself from a tourism business that does conservation to a conservation business that does tourism.Russell, the Environmental Manager and Master Reef Guide, describes the company's conservation efforts and goals. He also outlines the current health of the Great Barrier Reef, explains the main challenges that it faces and concludes with some recommendations, for all of us, on how to protect and care for this precious resource and World Heritage Site.To find out more about Passions of Paradise, check out their website: https://passions.com.auYou can also find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/passionsofparadise

For the 30th episode of the How Good are Humans podcast, I wanted to review the whole project and reflect on its journey to date.Helping me with this endeavour is my new friend Georgia Krause, who is a wonderful human in her own right. Georgia, a regular listener of the podcast, has treaded a fascinating path throughout her life and is no stranger to benevolent adventures. She is currently studying her final year of medicine and also regularly volunteers her time for several causes, including Climate Force and Doctors for the Environment Australia. Due to Georgia's powerful talents in curiosity, empathetic listening and insight, she makes for an excellent podcast co-host.I have no doubt that her future will be defined by positive impact as she continues to embody her core tenet: living a life in service of others.-----------------------------------------------------------------------To find out more about Climate Force, visit their website: www.theclimateforce.org

Welcome to the 29th episode of the How Good are Humans podcast.On this episode, we are unveiling two awesome humans whose approach to change agency and service delivery in Indigenous communities is realising some good, refreshing results.Tim and Vera coordinate an employment readiness program in Aurukun, Cape York. They have exceptional cognisance of local context and cultural needs, and their efforts to engage with the local population are extensive. Tim, a non-Indigenous man, has even learnt the local traditional language in order to better communicate with his clients, which is an effort seldom seen in Australia.I also speak with one of the beneficiaries of the employment program, young Charles. He gives his perspective on what will help him succeed, with regard to employment, and why he appreciates the work that Tim and Vera are doing.I hope you come to see, like I did, just how good these humans really are.  Don't forget to share this episode with your friends and family on your social channels!

How Good are Humans! is back for 2022!!!We kick off the year by having an awesome chat with Daniel and Stacee from Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good, or DIYDG.DIYDG is a youth-focused organisation that is helping young people in Cairns and Far North Queensland to live their best possible lives. Through a diverse suite of activities and programs, young people receive some healthy guidance, meaningful direction and true empowerment from fellow youth at DIYDG.I hope you come to see, like I did, just how good these humans really are.  To find out more about DIYDG, check out their website: https://diydg.org.auDon't forget to share this episode with your friends and family on your social channels!

In 2016, the number of people in Australia reported to be homeless was 116,000, or 1 in every 200. In fact, given the number of social connections that an average person maintains, it is likely that you know someone experiencing homelessness.You may think, "Surely not, I don't know anyone living on the street". But as this week's podcast guest explains, homelessness comes in a variety of forms.On this episode, we unveil Lyndal Lowth, the Cairns Service Leader for Orange Sky Australia.Orange Sky is a mobile laundry and shower service that focuses on creating a safe, positive, and supportive environment for people who feel disconnected from the community.In the week of recording this podcast, Orange Sky's 2000 volunteers did more than 1100 loads of washing across every state and territory of Australia. They also accompanied and engaged in conversation with their friends – their terminology for client — for more than 1600 hours. Lyndal joins me to talk about all of this, including the realities of homelessness and the social need that Orange Sky endeavours to address. I hope you come to find, like I did, just. how good a human she really is.

This week, on the 26th episode of the How Good are Humans podcast (and the 10th produced in Far North Queensland), we unveil two super fun and adventurous human beings: Lucy Graham and Mathilde Gordon.Lucy and Mathilde have been living plastic-free lives since March 2016. They also completed an impressive 2000km kayaking adventure along the inside passage, located on the western Canadian coastline.  As part of that adventure, they raised more than $20,000 for organisations concerned with cleaning the oceans.They made a documentary film of their adventure, a film titled 'Changing Tides', which is featuring in the 2021 International Ocean Film Festival. Lucy and Mathilde were kind enough to come on the podcast and speak about their adventure, their film, and how to do it all while living plastic free. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, and I enjoyed every second of recording this episode.I hope you come to see, like I have, just how good these humans really are.Find out more about Lucy, Mathilde, their adventures, and how to live a plastic-free life at: passageadventures.org

This week, on the 25th episode of the How Good are Humans podcast, we unveil a courageous and admirable human being: Critty Wallace.Critty works with RespectMe—a violence prevention and respectful relationships education program.Informed by the National Standards for the primary prevention of sexual assault through education, the RespectMe program works with primary and secondary school students and school staff to raise awareness of ethical behaviour, and promotes the prevention of sexual and intimate partner violence by building appropriate knowledge and skills.Critty’s motivation to work in this field sits deeper than her personal values. Throughout her adolescent and adult lives, she has endured and overcome her own share of disrespectful behaviour, abuse, and trauma.Critty has trekked an arduous journey in regaining her sense of agency and finding her voice. This journey has surely not yet culminated, but has inspired a newfound purpose: doing everything in her personal and professional capacities to ensure that other women do not suffer the same circumstances.There is a lack of respect for women in Australian society.According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual assault or threats of assault, and 1 in 6 women have experienced violence by a current or former partner.It would be an understatement to say that we have a problem in this country, but we certainly do.Thanks to a group of indomitable human beings like Critty Wallace, this vital issue is getting the attention it deserves—but, more can surely be done. I hope our conversation serves as a catalyst for more informed conversations.Critty speaks about her own experience of intimate partner violence. She outlines the prevalence and types of gendered violence present in society, and explains the underlying causes. We address the topics of consent and unhealthy expectations in relationships. We conclude by talking about the RespectMe program and how it achieves its aims.Critty is a wonderful and wise person, and her calm and collected demeanour makes this topic just that little bit easier to engage with.I hope you come to see, like I have, just how good this human really is.Find out more about the Cairns Reclaim the Night event on Friday, 29th of October 2021: www.facebook.com/events/cairns-australia/reclaim-the-night-2021/873485513585804/Find out more about RespectMe: respectme.org.au