Six of the best: People, their peculiarities, penchants and problems

We've handpicked some Sunday reading in the hope you get a little down time today. The spotlight is on people. The people you may never get to meet but who, thanks to our network of mastheads, we can "share" with you. You might read of their achievements or experiences anywhere else, but their thoughts and deeds are eminently relatable. These are real Australians.

We like to think our beaches and parks are clean, but there's a platoon of volunteers who pick up tonnes of rubbish every year. Imagine what our favourite places would be like without them. Let Mercury reporter Ben Langford introduce you to Richard Gifford Palmer. Read on

At 11.30pm on a Saturday night, three yellow-jacketed women are marching steadily down a lamp-lit CBD street. Outside a popular venue a middle-aged woman is crying. The three women in the yellow jackets pause, but they are assured a taxi is on its way, and they don't pry. A man with white-chapped lips sways towards them. Would he like a lolly? No thank you. What about some water? Um, yes, actually. He sways off. What next? Oh, there's so much more. Read on

Terminal bowel cancer was misdiagnosed several times and now Joanne Parkinson is forced to play a waiting game for chemo, wasting irreplaceable time. The 38-year-old is just one of many cancer patients waiting up to nine weeks to begin chemotherapy as public services in Newcastle have become overwhelmed by demand. Reporter Anita Beaumont spoke to Joanne. Read on

A casual meeting between John Forbes and Olympic gold medallist Herb Elliott in the 1980s was the start of his career at sports company Puma. During his 20+ years as a sponsorship manager John mixed with some of the world's greatest athletes from an array of sporting codes, amassing a collection of memorabilia along the way. Read on

In an era when a shortage of medical manpower is a perennial problem for many rural communities, this clinic has not only managed to attract and grow its team of doctors, but also expanded with two branches now elsewhere in regional Victoria. They say it is is as much about the workplace ambience as it is about the charms of the seaside town itself. Reporter Jenny McLaren wanted to know more. Read on

A young man in Norway in the 1950s, Reidar Herfoss heard of the Snowy Hydro Scheme from a relative who was going to Australia to work on tunnels and power stations. "I said to my Mum and Dad I reckon I might just get a boat and jump ship in Australia." And that's just what he did. Read on

Enjoy your Sunday.