The election of the new pope reminds us of the importance of who we are and our mission in life. In his first speech at the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV started with the greeting “Peace be with you all” and quoted the saying of St Augustine “For you I am a bishop but with you I am a Christian”.
Lord Howe Island is a very small part of the world but the role and purpose of this beautiful Island through its unique nature, isolation, beauty and history has provided a refuge, peace and joy to so many visitors over the years. Not many destinations around the world can offer this kind of experience.
We are stewards of this Island. We must remember how lucky we are and what we have inherited. We must treasure and look after this place to preserve it for generations to come and not let greed turn our beautiful Island into something else.
I hope we will remain that way even though the world around us is changing and we continue to face many challenges and demands.
As we reach the end of the season, we bid farewell to Qantas, which has served and provided the Island with the crucial air link to the rest of the world. We welcome Skytrans, which has taken up the challenge of the operating carrier for this route.
The good news is you can still book your flight to the Island on the Qantas website as it is code-sharing with Skytrans. Let us hope this relationship will continue for many years to come. We look forward to this long-term relationship and wish them all the best.
ED. Stephen
Stephen Sia on Lord Howe Island