She has been in the Bega Valley for 28 years and now has a house just a 10 minute drive outside the region’s central town. 

“We first came down to visit my husband’s parents,” Ms Whitaker said.

“We loved the place, so went back to Sydney, sold our house and moved to the Bega Valley. 

“Because we grew up in the country we were attracted to the schooling down here, the relaxed lifestyle and the beaches so thought it would be a great place to bring up our kids.” 

While the community has changed a lot over her time here, as the shops have brought many new faces to the area, she said people are more friendly than they used to be.

“Working here [at Mobility Matters in Bega] I’ve got to meet and talk to a lot more people,” she said. 

As a sales consultant, she enjoys assisting people who need a little bit of extra help. 

Ms Whitaker is deeply involved in the Old Bega Racecourse’s On Track committee, who have just received a grant to create a wildlife corridor between the Bega River and anabranch. 

Aside from fishing, walking her dogs and gardening she has started sketching, after becoming inspired by the recent Plethora of Postcards exhibition at Spiral Gallery, but would like to get more practice before thinking of joining a drawing group.  

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