Looking at Catherine DeVrye’s photos, they seem unreal. Almost like someone photoshopped her into these extraordinary places. Far from the far-flung countries chronicled in her newly released book, Beyond Timbuktu: Journeys of Hope and Humanity, we caught up with the best-selling author, twice-awarded Australian Keynote Speaker of the Year, carrier of the Olympic Torch at the Sydney Olympics’ opening ceremony and Australian Executive Woman of the Year at her home in Freshwater.

In May, the headlines promised a crash. The settled records have now caught up with the period since Budget night. They tell a quieter, more useful story. The last in a series of three, Mike Kaye, co-founder and director at Sarah Kaye & Co Buyers Agents, gives the verdict.