Mabs was born in Goolwa, South Australia. She graduated through Adelaide, Canberra and Bangkok and married Mick, an airline pilot. They then settled in the Middle East and had many Red Sea adventures before finally returning to Australia. She is a Queenslander now, and from her balcony on the Gold Coast, she can see the Broadwater with its pleasure boats, tourist boats, yachts and dinghies — a constantly changing vista. But that's been like her life, hasn't it?