In a tribute to their tireless efforts this summer, a group of volunteers from Australia’s recent devastating bushfire and flood emergencies arrived in Sydney in style this morning on board Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2.

Sailing from Brisbane as Cunard’s guests were more than 35 volunteers from the NSW Rural Fire Service, Tasmania Fire Service, Victoria Country Fire Authority and the Queensland State Emergency Service – who have been at the forefront of natural disasters this summer.

“Queen Mary 2’s ‘Salute to the Summer Heroes,’ which saw the volunteers standing at the bow of the famous ocean liner as she sailed into Sydney early this morning, would allow the community to acknowledge the volunteers as well as the overall contribution of volunteer organizations,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line.

“Queen Mary 2 makes a huge impact wherever she goes, and we are delighted she can play a part in marking the service and sacrifice of volunteers who routinely defend and protect their communities,” Shanks added.  “It is humbling to know that emergency services volunteers risk everything to protect their communities in the most extreme conditions, and they do it willingly year after year and sometimes at great personal cost.”