Taking Safety To New Heights

Astrid And Reece Finlay From Fly High Rope Access

High above the ground, suspended by rope and precision, Reece Finlay works where most people simply cannot go. But his true anchor is his wife and business partner, Astrid.

Together, the couple launched Fly High Rope Access, a locally owned company delivering rope access services across Mackay and the wider region. The business was born not just from skill and opportunity, but from a simple family goal.

“We wanted him home with the kids,” Astrid said. “I was trying to find a way for him to leave his job on offshore oil and gas platforms so we could build something better for our family.”

Before that, Reece had been working FIFO out of Mackay, where he met Astrid in 2017. “We actually met on a dating app when we were both working in Darwin,” she laughs.

What followed was a whirlwind chapter of life. Less than a year into their relationship, the couple were preparing for their first child.

“Ten months into the relationship I was saying I wasn’t ready for kids, and two weeks later I was pregnant with our first,” Astrid said.

When COVID arrived around the time their child was born, the couple relocated to Mackay after Reece was offered the chance to return to a previous job in the region. What was meant to be a temporary post, slowly began to feel like home.

“Every time we thought we might leave Mackay, something happened that kept us here,” Astrid said.

Originally from Brazil and raised in France, Astrid had come to Australia to study and spent the next ten years of her career working as a sound engineer in the music industry and travelling the country. Despite her global background, she said Mackay’s lifestyle and community quickly won her over.

And when the idea of starting a rope access business emerged, it unfolded rapidly.

“Within six weeks we went from just him to having ten people on board, and six months later we had twenty.”

Today, Reece leads operations on-site while Astrid manages the often-unseen side of the company, coordinating logistics, marketing, payroll and administration.

The company specialises in rope access solutions for challenging environments, supporting trades and industries across commercial and industrial sites.

“Our motto is that we go places where others can’t reach,” Astrid explained.

From high-rise maintenance and inspections to cleaning and signage installation, the method provides a flexible alternative to traditional access equipment such as scaffolding or lifts. The company’s technicians undergo internationally recognised training through IRATA standards and follow strict safety protocols and risk management procedures.

“One thing we don’t do, is compromise our standards,” Astrid said.

“At the end of the day, we just want everyone to come home safe, and that is our biggest priority.”

While the business continues to expand across Mackay, the Whitsundays and the Bowen Basin, the couple remain focused on building something meaningful for their family and community.

“Working with each other as husband and wife is tough at times, but we communicate and work through it together.

“We also quickly learnt to set boundaries between work and family,” she said.

For the Finlay’s, success comes down to trust, teamwork and keeping their standards high – both on the ropes and at home.

Advice to other couples in business?

Communicate, and allocate time every week to check in on both the business and the household. You must separate the two.

www.flyhighropeaccess.com.au

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