If you are feeling distressed and need to talk to someone
immediately, the following telephone counselling services
are available 24 hours, 7 days:
Lifelineâ13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Serviceâ1300 659 467
MensLine Australiaâ1300 78 99 78
You can also talk to your local GP or health professional.
If you would like some more general information
about mental health or other services, you can contact the
following:
SANE Australiaâ
www.sane.org
or 1800 18 SANE
(1800 18 7263)
beyondblue: the national depression initiativeâ
www.beyondblue.org.au
or 1300 BB INFO
(1300 22 4636)
Lifeline service finder (for local contacts)â
www.lifeline.org.au
I'd like to thank my wonderful husband who puts up with me puzzling out complex characters and scenes aloudâand no longer thinks it's odd! Thanks to my beautiful children whom I'm so proud of, and the legion of aunties, uncles, cousins, brothers and friends who have been the best PR and support team a writer could ever ask for. I'd also like to acknowledge the wonderfully generous people I've harassed with questions along the way: Cecilia Woolford, Amy Laybutt, Christine Weston, Heather Baldock, Cass Lane, David Bone, Cotton Australia, Brett O'Reilly, Osborn Kerby, and Fiona Foster for creative assistance in placenames, as well as Helene Young, Brenton Miller and Julie and staff at Pages Bookshop, Coffs Harbour, for all their support.
And as usual, thanks to Louise, Christa, Julia, Kate, Alice, Kylie, Clara and everyone else at Allen & Unwin who have turned my books from a dream into a reality! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do what I love.