“I was born in Cairns, Far North Queensland, and spent my early years on my family’s properties at Cape Tribulation, where we were involved in logging and cattle grazing. I often wandered along the beaches, walking on the fringing Great Barrier Reef. Later, we moved to the North Queensland sugar town of Ingham. It was there, at sixteen, that I met Leigh, who would become my wife just a year later. I still remember the hotel where we spent our brief honeymoon; they gifted us a bottle of champagne, though we were both too young to drink it legally. I became passionate about sport fishing and began writing articles and stories for various fishing magazines. Working in the sugar industry gave me time to return to Cape Tribulation, where we continued to raise cattle. Horse riding was more a necessity than a hobby, and bushcraft was essential. I was fortunate to learn the basics of tracking and jungle navigation from Aboriginal friends. Much of my time was spent exploring and photographing the landscapes and wildlife around the magnificent Wallaman Falls—Australia’s highest single-drop waterfall. This area became the setting for Little Girl Beautiful. After fifty wonderful years of marriage, Leigh developed dementia, a heartbreaking and unforgiving condition with no cure. For those of us who love someone with this disease, there is nothing to do but stand by and watch as it slowly steals everything familiar and cherished from the person we once knew.” – Walter M. Mason.