Hi, I’m Alene Ivey and I’m an islander.

I started my life’s adventures at the age of two when my parents emigrated from the dark winters of post-war Scotland to the warmth and sunshine of Kenya.

My father was a teacher and we lived in far-flung bush locations throughout the country. From the shores of Lake Victoria to the sandy beaches of Mombasa, I spent my youth in the outdoors. Game fishing, safaris through the bush, it was an idyllic life. I climbed Kilimanjaro, sat on a rhino’s back, drove 307 miles from Mombasa to Nairobi just to watch “Dr Zhivago” - all these and more. Africa has a hold on my soul that will never let go.

Relocating to Australia in my early twenties, I spent the 1970s travelling the continent in a Kombi van with another Kenyan girl. We moved from city to city, following the sun as it moved north and then across the top. We met miners and drovers, cooks and sailors. The big brown land enveloped us in its carefree embrace and we grew to love and accept our new home.

Perth, Western Australia became my base for the next two decades, a quiet backwater where I raised my three sons. Never one to let life sidle by, I represented Western Australia in Veterans hockey for several years, learned to snow ski and scuba dive. My travel became centred more on camping trips to the distant reaches of Western Australia, where the boys could learn to appreciate their heritage. We snorkelled in Coral Bay, helped run windsurfing championships in Cervantes and Fremantle, scuba dived in Esperance and watched whales in Yalingup. We also made bi-annual pilgrimages to Bali, a second home to many Western Australians.

As the boys grew up and left home, I could again indulge my love of travel overseas. My fascination for travel is not so much the scenery as the people I meet on these journeys – their differences and what lies behind the facade they present to the average tourist. Today my husband Guy and I continue to travel and record our experiences through writing and photography.

We live on a small island off the coast of Queensland. We have a 30′ sloop, “Bonnington” which we sail in the bay whenever we get the chance. We are both firefighters in the local Rural Fire Brigade, in which we are both Officers. It’s a small island community, close knit with a bias towards the arts. In a population of around 5000, there are over 250 artists, writers and dancers located here.

I am a member of the local writers group, Macleay Island Inspirational Writers Group. We meet monthly for coffee, cake and critique of our work. A delightful group of people who are passionate about the art of writing.

Dancing is a passion I have discovered since coming to the island. Not only does it keep me fit, it has given me a wonderful group of friends and a crazy desire to perform in public - something I never knew I had.