On Macleay Island, 20 year old Sam Orphanides didn’t set out to start a clean-up group. He just couldn’t walk past the plastic anymore. Gloves on, bags in hand, he went hunting - and what started as a solo mission quickly became a small tribe of like-minded humans, meeting first Sunday of the month.
For Sam, each bottle, can, and wrapper is a checkpoint on a kind of meditative scavenger hunt.
“It’s walking, noticing the wildlife, being present and making a difference without even thinking about it,” he says.
His dad Costa tags along and is rarely seen without his trusty rubbish picker claw. On the ferry, in carparks, wherever he goes, Costa’s quietly on patrol. While most commuters scroll their phones, he’s out there plucking chip packets from oblivion.
Together they quietly reclaim the island, one piece of litter at a time. Some people see trash. Sam and Costa see potential.
Meanwhile, on Russell Island, Vanessa Aubrey and her daughters, Raven, Frankie and Ivy, treat litter picking like a treasure hunt. Since moving to the island four years ago, Vanessa couldn’t ignore the cigarette butts and random debris scattered around. One morning, a Facebook complaint nudged her into action and walking their dog turned into leading the Russell Island Clean Up Walk, also held first Sunday of every month.
The family finds more than just trash. Raven and Frankie have uncovered a working pen, a torch, a bracelet, and even a brand new pair of pants.
“Every clean up feels like an adventure,” says 7 year old Frankie.
“We would love mum to have more helpers, because if everyone picked up one piece of rubbish it would be done in no time!”
For the Aubrey family, island life is about community spirit and being part of a bubble frozen in time, surrounded by wildlife and the satisfaction of making a tiny corner of the world a little better.
Vanessa laughs when she talks about litterers. “People who litter aren’t malicious, they probably just don’t think about the consequences,” she said, adding that even picking up one piece can change the game.
Whether it’s Sam patrolling the beaches in the afternoon or Vanessa and her daughters combing the sand in the morning, one thing’s clear - these island detectives see magic in what others throw away. Trash isn’t a problem, it’s an invitation. An invitation to slow down, notice the world, maybe find a treasure, and leave the island a little cleaner than you found it.
Want to join the hunt?
Macleay Island Clean Up - Facebook page or call Sam at 0490 758 016, first Sunday of the month at 3pm
Russell Island Clean Up Walk - Facebook group, first Sunday of the month at 8am
Gloves on. Eyes open. Adventure awaits.
