Jessica's return was a wonderful moment, no matter how you look at the numbers

Evin if the Cairns Post believes Jessica was out at sea for eight months or 240 days, she was only away for 210 days, if you follow conventional arithmetic. She departed on 18th October and returned on 15th May.

Nevertheless, by any measure, it was an amazing and phenomenal journey. Few can imagine what it's like to be totally alone and isolated thousands of miles from anywhere for seven months, as a servant of nature in the wild dark seas.

It would be hard to think the feelings and emotions the lone teenager felt as she made it through the Sydney Heads on Saturday morning, to be greeted by hundreds of vessels, and then another massive audience on the steps of the Opera House.

There is of course debate if a record was actually achieved or not, but to the 16-year old, who turns 17 tomorrow, it wasn't about a record, and I agree wholeheartedly.

However, I was stunned to see an angry outburst from the covert religious and nutty Australian Families Association when they came out on Friday saying that Jessica's monumental journey set a bad example for young people.

"While [we are] pleased the teenager is safe, we are worried," Tim Cannon of the Association said. "But in general, the concern is still there that when you've got people chasing these records to become the youngest person to achieve something, that is quite clearly an extremely dangerous feat - there's a certain amount of recklessness. We do worry about the example that it sets other children."

So what should we do? Tell our young folk to aim for nothing? Or aim only half-way to their dream of owning a house, running their own business, climbing the highest peak, achieving a better life for those less fortunate in their community? What a preposterous suggestion to suggest.

Just goes to show how out of touch and irrelevant the right-wing so-called Christian nutters are.

I've been involved in many worthwhile community organisations, that impact and contribute to making young people's lives so much richer and valued, giving them tools and ideas that they never thought they could reach.

I've seen community organisations, and some schools, nurture and help students in amazing ways, to set young people on journeys, turning the impossible in reality, making the world a better place.

These feats are no less noble than what Jessica achieved in her own way. I'm sure her inspiration will impact many young people and raise the bar and make something extraordinary happen in years to come.