— PROJECT NAME
CBA Newsroom
— ROLE
writer
interviewer
segment producer
— DATE
March 2018
Professor Michelle Simmons, who partnered with Commonwealth Bank to develop a quantum computing simulator, had recently been awarded Australian of the Year. CBA was eager to share her story as a world leader in the field.
I had the enormous privilege of interviewing Professor Simmons, collaborating with the CBA broadcast team on an accompanying video piece.
Australian of the Year Professor Michelle Simmons: Make it your world
There’s a great thrill in defying expectations and carving out your own path, says the world-renowned quantum physicist and 2018 Australian of the Year. And when it comes to choosing a career, she adds, challenging yourself is vital.
Professor Michelle Simmons vividly remembers her first encounter with a computer.
It was her older brother Gary's pride and joy: a ZX81. A fragile machine of the early eighties, so much as opening a door nearby would rattle its cables and make it crash. For that reason, Michelle was "banned" from going anywhere near it.
"I was not allowed to touch the ZX81!" she says with a laugh. "For a while, ironically, it put me off computers, because I felt like it wasn't my world."
Eventually, of course, Michelle would make it her world.
Read full story at CBA Newsroom.
— PROJECT NAME
Woman's Day
— ROLE
writer
— DATE
2008
Sampling Tassie food and wine with a side serve of adventure – it's a tough job, but I was up to the task for this piece of travel writing for Woman's Day magazine.
(I've included my full version here – my terror in the opening scene is more palpable in it.)
On a high in Tasmania
Keira Daley takes a very different bite of the Apple Isle
My hands are sweating as I look out across the treetops and over to my destination – a white speck amid softly swaying leaves. It’s a long way off. 371 metres, in fact.
I sit down on the edge, my feet dangling 50 metres above the forest floor, and suddenly I cannot contain my terror any longer.
“Oh dear God help me,” I say, my mouth wobbling around the words.
“Where you are right now,” the Hollybank Treetops Adventure guide explains, “I am God.”
The laughter from the other participants evaporates as I take off across the brush. I let out a yelp that comes from my toes and fingertips as my harness pulley zips along the cable above me.
Fear turns into exhilaration as I glide over the rich greenery and a bubbling creek, with a blur of majestic eucalypts rushing by. It’s nature at its finest, as seen by breathtaking canopy tour.
It’s all here, from the tall trees to the high seas – or even sky-high. Adventure sport thrills, emerald green mountains, fresh waterfalls and dramatic cliffs, delicious cold climate wines, world-class seafood and dairy, and a sense of humour drier than their riesling, are things you might expect to find in New Zealand. But Australia has its own answer to all these things in its very own Tassie.
Let it be known that the “Apple Isle” has other forbidden fruits on offer – perhaps “Adventure Isle” is a better nickname.
Seafaring folk can explore ocean caves, rock formations, and colonies of seals kicking back in the sun on a three-hour Tasman Island Cruises Eco-Cruise. The expert staff take you along the coast between Port Arthur and Eaglehawk Neck and, if you’re lucky, you’ll spot whales and dolphins along the way.
In Hobart, hikers of all experience levels are naturally catered for by Mount Wellington – all the better when guided by one of Adventure Planet’s nature experts. At 1271 metres, it’s worth at least driving to the top for the view – or even a bit of snow.
Or you could skip the details and jump out of a plane, catching a hearty portion of the Adventure Isle in one big eyeful.
But gliding in the forest canopy and cruising part-way to Antarctica is enough adrenaline for me this time around. I choose to end my Adventure Isle journey with a glass of delicious local pinot noir – keeping the thrills comfortably confined to my tastebuds.
— PROJECT NAME
RiAus Ultimate Science Guide
— ROLE
writer
— DATE
2015
Upper high school students face the daunting task of choosing electives and university courses that could affect their prospects later in life. The RiAus Ultimate Science Guide, a magazine published by Refraction Media, aimed to make the process more approachable, with practical tips, and interesting, easily absorbed stories.
This is one of my contributions – a practical guide to starting university.
