04/06/2026
When we first came up with the concept of the Whitsunday People Podcast, this was exactly the type of person we had in mind to feature - a bona fide Whitsunday legend.
On the eve of his retirement, the Whitsunday People Podcast team was lucky enough to sit down with Whitsunday Escape Managing Director, Trevor Rees, for a candid chat about an extraordinary life and the legacy he now leaves in his wake.
Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Trevor sailed to Australia in the 1980’s, following a stint in the Caribbean where his career in the charter boat industry began.
Trevor arrived in the Whitsundays with his first wife, Katie, and their two young sons - the oldest of whom was born at sea, in the middle of the night, during inclement weather, somewhere between French Polynesia and American Samoa.
After joining the team at Whitsunday Escape, Trevor eventually bought into the company, leading it to regional, state and national acclaim.
Known for being a staunch environmental defender, he also became a prominent campaigner for legislative reform in the fields of eco-tourism, reef protection and climate change.
In addition to playing pivotal roles on a number of tourism advisory and conservation committees, he was one of the key figures behind a successful campaign to ban capital dredging on the Great Barrier Reef.
Below are the links to watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify.
This is Trevor's story – enjoy!
📺 https://youtu.be/T_eGbdEcw6o
🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RgaLHCAo0sXYMeSABu46U?si=jT7GPp-aSuOwOVJ7mh4irw
